Leading wedding planner Sushma Venkatesh reveals common mistakes couples make while planning a wedding.

Credit: Instagram/kiaraaliaadvani

Indian weddings are in a league of their own. These lavish and extravagant weddings have always been multi-day affairs, depending on the wedding style and related ceremonies such as roka, sagai, haldi, mehendi and sangeet. It’s wedding planning time and this is when couples and their families sit down and start planning the big shindig! From what type of flowers will be in season, where to find the best deals, when to send invitations, how far in advance to book hotels and venues, and how to spot red flags in vendors – yes, it’s a lot! When there are so many events, with different traditions, different vendors, and different opinions from everyone, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, skim over the small details, and end up making big mistakes. As planners who have been in the industry for over 20 years, we have seen it all. Here are common mistakes we often come across, and how to avoid them. 1. Not Creating A Budget

Regardless of how small or elaborate you want your wedding to be, the first item on your to-do list must be budgeting. This is number one for a reason – it determines the rest of your planning process and messing up here can be a huge and costly mistake. Sit down with your fiancé, and any other family members contributing to the wedding, and be honest about how much you can comfortably spend. Once you have that number, you can allocate how much you can realistically spend on each vendor. You don’t want to book a photographer you love only to realise later that you’ve pretty much blown through most of your wedding fund! 2. Hiring Other Vendors Before Hiring A Planner

A florist can have beautiful pictures on their Instagram and website,  but do you really know how reliable they are? Will they be on time? Is their cost comparable to other florists in the area? Do they understand your vision? It is very important to do thorough research on anyone you hire – including conducting phone or Zoom interviews and getting references from them. Hiring a planner helps take some of this load off you. Not only can they conduct all the interviews and save you time, but they have experience in the area, so they know what red flags to look out for. And, of course,  they know other people in the wedding planning community, so they know who to steer away from. 3. Not Setting Boundaries We understand weddings can become a whole family affair. Your aunt wants you to follow certain traditions, your mom wants you to wear a family heirloom, and your brother thinks a DJ is better than a live band for your sangeet. There are so many voices around you that sometimes couples forget about their own. Remember that the wedding is a celebration of your love, so the ceremony should reflect that. Along with your partner, set hard boundaries on what you want for your dream wedding, and respectfully let those around you know how they can be involved. 4. Not Accounting For Closing Costs

Even if you plan your budget down to a T, there will inevitably be extra costs that pop up. You might need to rent a last-minute rain tent, or up your F&B cost because of added guests. Set aside a separate sum of money just for these from the very beginning of the budgeting process; this will ensure you won’t be stressed out later on. 5. Forgetting To Live In The Moment A wedding is unquestionably a once-in-a-lifetime celebration that the couple should always cherish. In this context, one of the most common mistakes that couples make at their wedding is failing to live in the present. By getting bogged down by all the small things that are going wrong, they fail to fully engage with the people who love them and who have travelled from near and far to celebrate with them. If your guests are having fun, no one will care that your cake was wheeled out 30 minutes later than you had scheduled. Or that the shade of your peony was blush instead of rouge. No one will care or even notice the small things. By hiring a professional wedding planner to deal with the day of stress, you won’t be bogged down trying to fix any mishaps. Trust the entire process, go with the flow, and soak in every moment surrounded by family, friends and the love of your life. Also Read: Celeb Makeup Artist Shradha Luthra Shares The Latest Summer Bridal Trends