Wondering how to get started with your Indian or Asian wedding in London? Here’s our quick and comprehensive step-by-step guide that will help you to plan your oriental wedding in London without missing any detail.
A traditional Asian or Indian wedding celebration is a grand and lively celebration of love and culture. Oriental weddings have always been in the limelight because of their colourful decorations, sumptuous feasts and cultural heritage displayed in their unique rituals.
But behind the grandeur and splendour lies meticulous planning, months of hard work and thorough execution. It’s true.
Attending Indian and Asian weddings is fun, but planning one is the real deal, especially in a bustling city like London where couples might have to go the extra mile to have an impeccable oriental wedding.
That’s why Shenai Weddings have decided to make things a little easier for all those couples who dream of having a dreamy Asian or Indian wedding in London.
This post summarizes the essential things and acts as a quick guide that gives you a fair idea of what to do to plan an Indian or Asian wedding in London without missing on any important detail and with less hassle. So let’s begin.
1st Step: Set a Budget and a Timeline
The first, foremost and perhaps the most necessary step of any wedding is to set a budget and a timeline. As we all know, oriental weddings are popular for their extravagant, elaborate celebrations. That’s why you need to set a clear and realistic budget right from the start.
Having a clear budget will guide you throughout the process by narrowing your options while selecting venues, picking caterers, and making any other expense-related decisions.
The next is deciding a timeline. This is important because having a timeline will allow you to stay on track and ensure that things happen in proper time without any unnecessary overlapping.
2nd Step: Prepare the Guest List
Indian and Asian weddings are typically characterized by large gatherings. This means that you need to have a guest list with an approximate number. This step is important as it is another critical factor (first one being your budget) that will affect your decisions regarding venue, accommodations, catering options, and more.
Your guest list will include close family members, friends, and anyone else significant in your lives. Given that Indian and Asian families involve a lot of uncles, aunts and cousins, you should be prepared for an extensive list.
3rd Step: Venue Selection
This step happens to be one of the most crucial ones for your venue serve as the holding ground of your Indian or Asian wedding in London. Fortunately, London offers a wide array of choices starting right from grand banquet halls to cultural centres.
However, there are certain factors that you need to consider while finalizing your venue. Firstly, there’s your budget and then you need to consider the capacity, location, and facilities the venue offers. You also need to ensure that it offers all the necessary surroundings for traditional ceremonies.
4th Step: Work on the Details
Many people set out to hire and finalize vendors right after they have booked the venue. But before you do that, there are certain details that you need to work upon. Let’s see what those are.
- Decide on the menu and pick on the varieties. You also need to go through the different ceremonies and the menu for that too. Before you choose your caterer, you need to present them with your options depending on which you get your quotations and negotiate the same.
- Prepare a blueprint of your decorations, especially if you’re going for a themed décor. Having things cleared out at your end will help you to negotiate for designs within your budget.
- Besides menu and décor, you also need to think about little things like lighting, accommodations, travelling options, music, etc.
5th Step: Book Vendors
Now that you’re done with the details, you need to search, meet, finalize and book your vendors. But remember, be it catering, photography, florist, decorator or DJ, make sure that your chosen vendors are experienced in Indian and Asian weddings.
You might want to look for professionals who have a basic understanding of your cultural aspects as it will help in capturing the essence of your D-day.
6th Step: Invitations
What’s a wedding without guests? So, once you’re done with the big parts, you need to get your invitation card designed and printed so that you can send them out on time.
Now, you need to remember that since Indian weddings often feature a list of events, make sure that your invitation card provides your guests will all the event details so that they can plan and make travel arrangements accordingly.
7th Step: Wedding Attire
Wedding attires are significant parts of Asian or Indian weddings. Selecting the perfect wedding attire is a huge decision for both the bride and groom. And it’s not just the wedding; there are attires for other rituals for mehndi, sangeet, etc.
The whole thing takes a good time. That’s why you need to wrap this part up well ahead. You can also go for attire that complements your chosen theme and decor.
8th Step: Plan Transportation
Transportation is an important part of weddings. Some of your guests might be travelling from abroad. So, arrange for transportation for the guests, especially if your events are planned at different locations.
If your budget allows, you can make your transportation a part of your wedding by planning for vintage cars, horse-drawn carriages, or other unique modes of transportation that will add a touch of luxury to your celebration.
9th Step: Look at Legal Requirements
Yes, legal requirements are there, and they are important. For example, certain venues need due permission to conduct ceremonies. Legal formalities also include getting a marriage license for your marriage. So, don’t forget to complete all the necessary things well in advance of the wedding date.
10th Step: Hire a Wedding Planner
Planning an Indian and Asian wedding in London can be fun but doing it all on your own can become a little overwhelming. So, considering the complexity, it’s wise to hire a wedding planner who has experience in such planning and executing such grand events.
A skilled planner will not only prove helpful in coordinating all the details and managing the timeline but will also ensure that you get the best deals with vendors and that everything runs smoothly on your big day.
Summing Up
Planning a traditional Indian wedding in London is a complex and time-consuming process. That’s why it’s important that you start early, stay organized, and seek help wherever needed. With careful planning, your oriental wedding in London can turn into a beautiful celebration of love and culture.
However, if you want a hassle-free wedding, you might want to hire a wedding planner so that you can relax, savour, and enjoy every moment of your big day.
And just in case you’re wondering how to find the right wedding planner, Shenai Weddings is right here. With our years of experience in planning Indian weddings in London, we can help you with all the details and help you with anything you need.
All you need to do is give us a call or drop us a mail.