Indian Wedding Planning: Things You Should & Shouldn’t DIY

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The craze of DIY or do-it-yourself in weddings has not yet reached India as much as it has in the western weddings. Still, there are many Indian wedding families that try and take on all wedding related tasks, thinking they are saving money in the process. While this may be true to an extent; certain aspects of DIY in weddings can actually backfire, costing more money, not to mention the stress that comes along with it.

So, today, we will be enlisting things you must and must not Do-it-yourself when it comes to Indian wedding planning.

What you must not DIY in Indian wedding planning

Wedding hair and makeup

what you should and should not DIY in Indian weddings

Image: Worldwide Photoworks

You get married once in a lifetime and the photos are going to create lasting memories. Do you really want to try on wedding hair and makeup all by yourself? A professional could do your hair beautifully in half the time you’d probably take and the results, let’s face it, would be more amazing.  To keep the hair-makeup costs down, why not visit a salon early in the morning? This way, you could prevent having to pay the extra fees that may be required when the professional visits the venue.

Click here to book your wedding makeup artist and hair stylist today.

Wedding decor

Most venues have their own decorator and as such they might not allow you to decorate it. Rangoli, flowers, mandap decorations etc are usually part of the complete package; whether you are getting married in a hotel or a banquet hall. Alternatively, if you are getting married in a place of worship, you could seek prior permission for getting the decorations done by members of the family.

Click here to book your decorator today.

Wedding catering

Only if it is a very small wedding with fewer than 50 guests you might consider DIY wedding catering. However; most weddings in India are huge affairs and you’d not want to compromise on the taste or quality when feeding so many guests. Also, cooking all that food can be a huge hassle. And you certainly do not want guests to criticize and complain about the food.

Click here to book your wedding caterer today.

Wedding dress

what to DIY in your Indian wedding

Image: Sharp Shooters Company

Indian wedding sarees or lehengas are best bought from reputed vendors or stores or customized with a tailor’s help. You could of course have your wedding attire self-designed or even embroidered if you are good in that kind of thing.

Check out top wedding dress designers in the country.

What You Could DIY in Indian wedding planning

Wedding Invitations

Given the ease of designing and printing your own wedding invites these days, you can easily print them and save a lot. Alternatively, you could send out email-invitations and save paper and money. You can also ring people up personally to get their RSVPs; not only does this work wonders, it also prevents your having to print the save-the- date/RSVP cards separately.

Here are some wedding invitation vendors in case you want to outsource this aspect of wedding planning.

Wedding photography

wedding photography-should you DIY it

Image: Madhurang Studio

The question is: do you really want to? These are once-in-a-lifetime photos and no digital camera or Smartphone can match the fabulous images that a pro will give you. You can however, opt for a pre wedding shoot as DIY-ask a friend or family member to help you save tons. Also, you could save by choosing a simpler photo album (or buying it externally and creating your own wedding memories and keepsakes).

Here are the best budget wedding photographers in your city.

The wedding entertainment

A professional DJ might charge by the hour and if you are planning on having entertainment during the Sangeet, Mehendi, Main ceremony as well as the Reception, the costs can run into hundreds of thousands of rupees.  So, forgo of these and opt to play music on your iPod or simply have a good singer/entertainer from the family do the honours.

In case you change your mind, here are some top wedding entertainers in your city.

These are some of the aspects that should and should not be DIY when it comes to Indian wedding planning.

Featured image by ClicksUnlimited Photography

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