# Wedding checklist

Source: https://www.marryloom.com/tools/wedding-checklist

Publisher: MarryLoom (https://www.marryloom.com)
Updated: 2026-09-24

A 12-month plan for a destination wedding in India.

## 12 months or more before

- Agree a total budget and who is paying for what
- Draft the guest list, split into “will travel” and “might travel”
- Choose a destination and a season
- Decide where you’ll marry legally, at home or in India under the Special Marriage Act
- Book a planner, after a video call with them
- Shortlist dates, and check muhurthams (auspicious dates) if they matter to your families

## 9 months before

- Book the venue and a block of rooms
- Send save-the-dates with the city and dates
- Set up a wedding website or travel page for guests
- Book photography and film
- Decide which functions to hold around the ceremony, such as a welcome dinner, a mehndi (henna party), a sangeet (music night) or a reception

## 6 months before

- Agree the décor design and the rain plan for every outdoor function
- Plan the menus, including a sadya or another regional feast, and something for every diet
- Book the music, such as a band, a DJ, chenda melam drummers or a nadaswaram player
- Book your priest, celebrant or officiant
- Order your wedding outfits, as Indian outfits can take 8–12 weeks to make
- Send guests visa guidance for their passports

## 3 months before

- Send invitations and collect RSVPs with arrival dates
- Collect guest flight details for airport pick-ups
- Finalise the rooming list
- Walk through the ceremony with your officiant and both families
- Send guests a short guide on what to wear, the weather, local customs and money

## 1 month before

- Approve the minute-by-minute run sheet
- Finalise numbers and seating with the venue
- Settle vendor payments due before the wedding
- Prepare welcome kits and gifts for guests

## The week of the wedding

- Arrive at least three days before the first function
- Open the guest help desk and WhatsApp group
- Rehearse the ceremony and everyone’s entrances
- Hand your phone to someone else and enjoy the wedding

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