TogetherThe Indian wedding checklist: a month-by-month plan
An Indian wedding is really five or six events, planned by two families, with vendors who get booked out a year ahead on good muhurat dates. This checklist puts every big task in the right month, with the lead times that catch couples out.
The order that matters: agree the budget with both families and shortlist muhurat dates first (12 months out), then book the venue, caterer, photographer, decorator and makeup artist (9 to 11 months), order the bridal outfit (6 to 7 months), send invitations and RSVP links (2 months), and give the caterer a final headcount 10 to 14 days before the wedding.
It’s built on the timeline Together sets up when you start an Indian wedding. In the app, each task gets a real due date from your wedding date, and moves if the date changes.
12 months before
- Agree the overall budget with both families. Decide who pays for what before anyone books anything: it avoids the hardest conversations later.
- Shortlist muhurat dates with your pandit. Have two or three, because your venue may only be free on one.
- Decide the functions. Roka, engagement, haldi, mehndi, sangeet, wedding, reception: which ones, and roughly how many guests at each.
- Book the venue(s). Venues on popular muhurat dates go 9 to 12 months out, so this can’t wait.
10 to 11 months before
- Book the caterer and fix a tasting.
- Book the photographer and videographer. Good teams fill the peak season early. Ask how and when they deliver photos.
- Book the decorator.
- Book the makeup artist and mehendi artist. Popular makeup artists book 8 to 10 months ahead.
7 to 8 months before
- Draft the guest list per function. The haldi list and the reception list are very different. Keep one list with a column per event.
- Order the bridal lehenga. Zardozi or gota work needs 4 to 8 weeks of handwork, plus time for fittings.
5 to 6 months before
- Order the sherwani and the groom’s outfits.
- Block hotel rooms for outstation guests.
- Finalise the bridal jewellery.
- Design the invitations, printed, digital or both.
3 to 4 months before
- Book the choreographer and DJ for the sangeet.
- Book the baraat ghodi, band and cars.
- Send save-the-dates, especially to guests who need to travel.
- Start trousseau shopping.
6 to 8 weeks before
- Send the invitations and RSVP links. Ask for replies per function, with food preferences and travel plans.
- Makeup and hair trial.
- First outfit fittings.
- Order return gifts and welcome kits.
3 to 4 weeks before
- Confirm the pandit and the puja samagri.
- Chase pending RSVPs. Give the family a list of who hasn’t replied, split by side.
- Set up guest photo sharing. Make a photo QR code, print table cards for every function, and pick a cousin to be the photo captain.
- Hand out jobs. Who collects the flowers, who looks after the baraat, who handles vendor payments on the day.
The last two weeks
- Final headcount to the caterer (14 days). Caterers usually need numbers 10 to 14 days out.
- Pay the vendor balances that are due (14 days), and keep a note of what’s left for the day.
- Final fittings and collect the outfits (10 days).
- Share the day-of run sheet with family and vendors (7 days): timings for every function, and who to call for what.
- Pack the wedding bags (3 days), one per function.
- Emergency kit (2 days): safety pins, tape, medicines, chargers, a sewing kit.
After the wedding
- Record the shagun while you still remember who gave what.
- Send thank-you messages, with the photo upload link for guests who forgot.
- Collect every photo. See how to collect wedding photos from guests.
- Settle the last vendor payments and leave reviews for the ones who were great.
Checklist by function
Roka and engagement
- Date and venue, the rings, outfits for both families, sweets and gifts, a photographer.
Haldi
- Haldi paste and flowers, clothes you don’t mind staining, old sheets or mats, towels, a spot to wash up after.
Mehndi
- Mehndi artists for the bride and guests (count the hands), seating with cushions, music, snacks that don’t need hands.
Sangeet
- Choreographer, song list and rehearsal schedule, DJ and sound check, the running order of performances, stage and lights.
Wedding day
- Pandit and samagri, baraat (ghodi, band, route and timing), mandap decor, the vidaai car, someone holding the emergency kit, a run sheet everyone can see.
Reception
- Stage and seating plan, the entry, speeches if any, photo QR cards on every table, a slideshow on the screen.
Planning in less than a year?
It’s very doable, just in a different order. In the first two weeks, book the three things that sell out: the venue, the photographer and the makeup artist. Then order the bridal outfit straight away, since handwork can’t be rushed. Everything else can follow the timeline above, squeezed.
Keeping two families on the same page
The checklist is the easy part. The hard part is that twenty people are doing it, on a WhatsApp group, with the budget in someone’s spreadsheet. A shared wedding planner app helps: every task has an owner and a due date, the owner gets a reminder, and each person sees only what’s theirs, so the budget and surprises stay private.
Frequently asked questions
How early should you start planning an Indian wedding?
About 12 months ahead is comfortable, mainly because venues on good muhurat dates and popular photographers and makeup artists book 8 to 12 months out. Six months is possible if you book those first.
What should be booked first for an Indian wedding?
Agree the budget and shortlist muhurat dates, then book the venue. After that: caterer, photographer, decorator, and makeup and mehendi artists.
When should Indian wedding invitations be sent?
Send save-the-dates about four months ahead, especially to guests who travel, and the invitations with RSVP links about two months ahead.
When should the bridal lehenga be ordered?
Six to seven months before the wedding. Heavy zardozi or gota work takes 4 to 8 weeks of handwork, and you’ll need time for fittings.
When does the caterer need the final headcount?
Usually 10 to 14 days before the wedding. Chase pending RSVPs about three weeks out so the numbers are ready.
Is there an app with an Indian wedding checklist?
Together sets up this checklist when you start a wedding, with due dates from your wedding date, reminders for whoever is assigned, and lists for every function. It’s free.
Get this checklist with your dates on it
Every task, due at the right time, shared with the family. Free.
Start planning free