# Wedding checklist

Source: https://kalyanco.com/tools/wedding-checklist

Publisher: Kalyan Co (https://kalyanco.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 will marry legally: at home, or in India under the Special Marriage Act
- Book a planner (video call first)
- Shortlist dates, and check muhurthams 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 the functions: welcome dinner, mehndi, sangeet, ceremony, reception

## 6 months before

- Agree the décor design and the rain plan for every outdoor function
- Plan menus, with a sadya or regional feast and options for every diet
- Book music: band, DJ, chenda melam or nadaswaram
- Book your priest, celebrant or officiant
- Order wedding outfits (Indian outfits can take 8–12 weeks)
- 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
- Share a guest guide: what to wear, weather, 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 entries
- Hand over your phone and enjoy it

This is an interactive tool; open the page in a browser to use it.