📅 14-month planning calendar
12 months to "I do."
Every booking, fitting, FX wire — in the order it matters. With the tool to use at each step. Built for NRI couples coordinating from 8,000 miles away.
💡 The NRI lead-time rule. Add 4-6 weeks to every Indian timeline because: (a) document apostille from US/UK takes 4-6 weeks, (b) FX wire timing on lakhs needs same-day Wise vs 3-day SWIFT planning, (c) you're not on the ground for vendor visits. Start at 14 months, not 12.
Spend this phase
₹5L–25L deposits
1
Pick guest count + budget + season
All three together — they constrain each other. 250-guest December Udaipur Lake Palace ≈ ₹2-3Cr. 100-guest March Kerala = ₹40-60L.
2
Shortlist 3 destinations, book scouting trip
Visit at least one in-person. The Lake Palace photo doesn't show how loud the boats are at 6am, or how hard the venue gets in monsoon. Fly out, eat there, see the rooms.
3
Hire the planner
Before locking the venue. Good planners have venue contacts, negotiate better rates, and steer you toward dates with availability. ₹5-25L planner fee depending on tier.
4
Lock the venue + sign holding deposit
10-20% holding deposit standard for Indian luxury venues. Read the contract for force-majeure clauses (covid taught us). Get refund terms in writing.
5
Open / fund your NRE account for wedding wires
Use NRE not NRO — fully repatriable, tax-free interest. Set up high-FDI inflow expectation with the bank now (avoid surprise compliance holds when ₹50L lands later).
Spend this phase
₹4L–25L
1
Get on the bridal designer's wait-list
Sabyasachi takes 6-9 months for couture lehengas. Manish Malhotra: 4-6. Tarun Tahiliani: 4-5. Off-the-rack flagship: 4-8 weeks. Plan first fitting trip to India now.
2
Groom outfit commissioning
Sherwani / bandhgala fittings start now. Manish Malhotra menswear, Rohit Bal, Raghavendra Rathore are the big names. Allow 3-4 fittings.
3
Decide ceremonies + theme with planner
Haldi, mehendi, sangeet, pheras, reception. Some couples skip cocktail; some do 2 receptions (one in India + one in US/UK home base). Theme + colour direction locks décor work that starts in Phase 3.
4
Send save-the-dates
9 months out is the standard for destination weddings. Use Paperless Post (premium) or Canva (DIY). Include hotel-block details if available.
5
Start CPA conversation (US filers)
If you're a US tax filer expecting >$100K in family gifts (cash + jewellery + gold) over the wedding year, schedule a US-India CPA call now. Form 3520 + FBAR mechanics need 6 months of preparation, not 6 weeks.
Spend this phase
₹8L–35L
1
Hire photographer + videographer
Top tier (Stories by Joseph Radhik, The House on the Clouds, Cupcake Productions): ₹8-25L for 3 days. Mid-tier: ₹3-8L. Find on WedMeGood + check Instagram + insist on full ceremony portfolio (not curated reels).
2
Book bridal makeup artist
Multi-day bridal package (haldi, mehendi, sangeet, wedding, reception): ₹2-8L for top names. Lakmé Salon Bridal is the predictable mid-luxury choice. Top freelance MUAs book 6 months ahead.
3
Lock décor / florals team
Mandap florals, hall décor, baraat backdrops. ₹5-25L depending on scale. FNP Weddings for nationwide reliability. Local boutique decorators are cheaper for smaller weddings.
4
Book mehendi + at-home services
Veena Nagda is the celebrity choice (Anushka Sharma, Deepika Padukone). Urban Company mehendi for budget-friendly; ₹5-25K per artist. Book 3-4 mehendi artists for 100+ guest sangeets.
5
Book entertainment (DJ, dhol, live band)
DJ Kash, DJ Suketu, DJ NYK at top tier (₹5-15L per night). Live baraat percussionists ₹50K-2L. Sangeet performers (if you're not doing your own choreography): ₹2-6L.
6
Book honeymoon flights + hotels
Flight prices to Maldives / Bali / Andamans / Bhutan stabilise around 6 months out. Use Booking.com for hotels (free cancellation, then re-book if better deal appears). Don't lock non-refundable rates yet.
7
Set up wedding registry / fund page
For diaspora friends who can't attend but want to gift. Send link with save-the-date.
Spend this phase
₹5L–20L
1
Send formal invitations
3 months out is the standard. Two paths: (a) Premium boxed invitations from Mumbai / Delhi card-makers (₹500-3000/card × guest count) shipped via DHL; (b) Digital + Paperless Post for diaspora cohorts.
2
Lock guest hotel block at venue
Negotiate group rates 15-30% off rack. Block contracts have minimum-room commitments — be conservative on count to avoid attrition penalties.
3
Set up RSVP tracking
Spreadsheet works. Or use The Knot RSVP / Joy / Withjoy for one-page guest portal with hotel + travel info per guest. Critical for 200+ guest weddings with multi-event days.
4
Sign all vendor contracts in writing
Word-of-mouth doesn't survive vendor disputes. Get every line item in writing — décor count, photographer hours, mehendi artist count, mandap florals, bar setup. Use planner as the vendor manager so you don't have 12 separate WhatsApp threads.
5
Receive bridal jewellery + final fittings
Plan a 7-day fitting trip to India. All jewellery final, all outfit fittings, hair trial, makeup trial. This is the most important pre-wedding India trip.
6
Apostille foreign documents
If either spouse is a foreign citizen → register under Special Marriage Act. Birth certificates, passports, prior divorce decrees need apostille from US/UK Secretary of State + Indian Embassy attestation. 4-6 weeks total. Start now, not 1 month out.
7
Send first FX wire — vendor deposits
Compare Wise / BookMyForex / SBI wire on the day. Wise is fastest for small amounts; BookMyForex / SBI are better for ₹50L+ (bank-grade rates + RBI compliance). Plan 4 wires across the next 4 months — don't bunch all into the final week.
Spend this phase
60-70% of total
1
Final outfit fittings + alterations
Designer flagship: 2-3 fittings in the final month. Confirm jewellery insurance + transport plan. Have backup makeup-trial photos saved on phone for reference.
2
Hunt down RSVP stragglers
Indian guests respond to phone calls, not emails. WhatsApp the holdouts personally — "Aunty, are you and Uncle in or not? Need to confirm rooms." Final headcount goes to caterer 2 weeks out.
3
Plan vendor payments + final FX wires
Wire 60-70% of total spend in this phase. Don't wire day-of (you'll be in the mandap when SWIFT clears). Negotiate vendor payment splits: 30% on signing, 30% at 3 months, 30% at 1 month, 10% on delivery.
4
Welcome bags + guest gifts prep
Standard NRI welcome bag: water + electrolyte, mosquito repellent, aspirin, schedule card, local SIM info. ₹500-1500 per bag × guest count. Send list to planner; they assemble + place in rooms.
5
Confirm airport transfers
Out-of-town guests need pickup. Coordinate with venue or planner. ₹1,500-3,000 per car × 2 (arrival + departure). Have a WhatsApp group with arrival times for live coordination.
6
Lock wedding-day timeline with planner
Hour-by-hour run-of-show document. Where bride is at 5am haldi vs 9pm reception entrance. Photographer + planner each get a copy. Print 5 backup copies for the venue.
Spend this phase
Final 10%
1
Final headcount to caterer (T-7 days)
Lock at -5/+0% from RSVP. Caterers don't accept additions in last 48 hours.
2
Walk the venue with planner (T-3 days)
Mandap location, bride exit path, guest seating chart, dance-floor placement, AV setup, generator backup. Catch the fixable problems while there's time.
3
Hand off marriage-registration docs
Planner / lawyer carries originals to the registrar on the wedding day. Special Marriage Act registration happens within 30 days post-ceremony.
4
Spa / prep day for bride + groom (T-2 days)
No new treatments (no first-time facials, no peel, no tan). Stick to what your skin already knows. Hydrate. Sleep. Rehearse the pheras one quiet time.
5
Switch off. Be present. Enjoy the week.
You built this. Let the team run it. Don't check your email. Don't re-edit the timeline. Show up, hold hands, and walk into the rest of your life.
One more thing — the post-wedding tax week. Within 30 days of the wedding, register the marriage formally, sort gift documentation (cash + jewellery received from non-US-citizen relatives), and brief your CPA. This is the boring last step that catches NRIs out — most file Form 3520 wrong because they assumed "wedding gifts don't count." Talk to your CPA before the wedding, not after. More on Form 3520 →