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HOW TO PLAN A SOUTH ASIAN, INDIAN WEDDING (Timelines + Tips)

Congratulations on your engagement! Now begins the exciting journey of planning your South Asian, Indian wedding. Whether you dream of a traditional multi-day celebration or a fusion wedding blending South Asian and Western elements, creating a timeline is the first step to ensuring everything runs smoothly.

// Video Chapters
00:00:00 Start
00:01:58 12+ Months Out
00:02:05 Set date and consult with a pundit for optimal timing
00:02:24 Search venues based on your mood board
00:02:47 Set a budget with overage
00:03:18 9-12 Months Out
00:03:24 Decide bridal attire and jewelry
00:04:05 Hire key vendors: planner, photographer, videographer, MUA, decorator, caterer
00:06:22 6-9 Months Out
00:06:27 Plan invitations and guest list
00:06:33 Decide wedding day priorities (intimate vs. large)
00:07:02 Plan pre-wedding events
00:07:28 Book entertainment (band or DJ)
00:07:59 3-6 Months Out
00:08:06 Plan honeymoon
00:08:11 Confirm outfits and first fitting
00:08:34 Plan wedding menus and presentation
00:09:28 Book makeup artist
00:10:08 1-3 Months Out
00:10:14 Send invitations (90 days out)
00:10:51 Book Mendy artist and decide design
00:11:27 Confirm menus with caterer
00:11:53 Confirm outfits and fittings
00:12:17 Decide on wedding favors (donations)
00:13:13 1-4 Weeks Out
00:13:18 Engage with coordinator for timelines
00:14:05 Reconfirm with vendors
00:14:23 Pack essential boxes for wedding ceremony and reception
00:15:21 Relax and recharge
00:16:30 Remember to enjoy the planning process and take it one step at a time!

To help you navigate the whirlwind of wedding planning, we’ve crafted this step-by-step guide to keep you organized and stress-free as you prepare for your big day.

Create a Wedding Day Timeline: Coordinate with your planner or family to finalize a detailed schedule for every event.
Reconfirm Vendors: Ensure all vendors are aligned with timing, locations, and services.
Pack Essentials: Have a bridal bag ready with everything you’ll need—from jewelry to emergency sewing kits.
Relax and Recharge: Take time for self-care and relaxation before the big day.
Pro Tip: Capture Every Moment
Your South Asian wedding will be a whirlwind of emotions, traditions, and celebrations. Having a photographer who understands the intricacies of your culture ensures every beautiful moment is preserved. From the sacred rituals to candid laughter, you’ll cherish these memories forever.

By following this timeline, you’ll feel confident and prepared as you plan your dream South Asian wedding. Ready to get started? Let’s talk about how we can capture your journey with timeless photography!

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    South Asian Wedded Life
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    There is someone who greets the guests at almost every Hindu wedding we photograph before they ever see the bride or groom.

Lord Ganesha. ❤️

Today is Ganesh Chaturthi, and after more than two decades of photographing Indian and fusion weddings, Ganesha has become one of those details we instinctively look for.

Sometimes he’s grand and surrounded by flowers. Sometimes he’s a small murti quietly placed near the ceremony entrance. But his presence means something: new beginnings, wisdom, prosperity and the removal of obstacles.

And what bigger new beginning is there than marriage?

For our Indian-American and fusion families, we also think there’s something important in this: traditions don’t have to remain frozen in time to remain meaningful.

Celebrate them. Explain them to your children. Let grandparents tell the stories. Blend traditions from both sides. Add the birthday cake if you want to! There is no cultural purity test your family needs to pass.

Tradition survives because we continue carrying it forward—even when the next generation carries it a little differently.

And a Regeti family fun fact? Ganesh isn’t our only birthday today. Our son Brijesh turns 24 while spending his birthday in Peru in the Peace Corps! ❤️

He also has medical school applications out there in the universe, so given Ganesha’s reputation for removing obstacles… we’re just saying, a little birthday favor would be perfectly timed. 😉🙏🏽

Happy 24th Birthday, Brijesh. We love you tremendously and are so proud of you.

And Happy Ganesh Chaturthi from our fusion family to yours.

Different paths. Beautiful together. ❤️
    And she's off! That train is doing ALL the talking. 😍 No one ever really sees the hours of hand-sewn lacework, the fittings, the careful steps down the aisle just to keep it perfect — but oh my goodness, when it unfolds like this? Pure statement piece. This is why we always hang back a beat before the ceremony starts — some of the best storytelling happens in the walk itself.

What detail on your dress (or your partner's outfit) are you most excited for us to capture? Tell us in the comments, or DM us to chat about your big day! 👇
    There's a whole story happening in this one shot. Tara's hands are just resting there, but you can feel the anticipation in them — and meanwhile everything else around her is full throttle, last touches happening, the clock ticking down to "it's time." This is the kind of moment we live for as photographers... the quiet inside the chaos, right before it all begins.

Have a getting-ready moment like this you still think about? Tell us in the comments, or DM us if you're planning your big day and want these details captured too. 💛
    That look on their faces?! The anticipation is REAL as everyone waits on Tara to make her entrance. 😄 You can practically feel the countdown happening in this hallway — flower girls fussing with their dresses, the littlest ring bearer clutching his sippy cup like it's his most important job of the day, and one very serious best man giving us his best "are we doing this or what" face.

This is my favorite kind of chaos to photograph — the in-between moments right before the doors open, when a wedding party of tiny humans (and their very patient grownups) are doing everything they can to hold it together for just a few more minutes. Been shooting these hallway holding patterns for almost 20 years and they never get old.

What's your favorite pre-ceremony moment — the nerves, the giggles, or the "please don't cry" pep talks? Tell me below, or DM us to chat about capturing your own day. 👇
    Tara and Birju got married... and then got MOVING! 🏃‍♀️💨 Fresh off their Hindu ceremony (still glowing in those gorgeous floral garlands!), they had zero minutes to spare before jumping into their Christian ceremony next. Two beautiful traditions, one incredible day, and a timeline tighter than Birju's sherwani buttons!

This is exactly why we love fusion weddings — the joy, the family energy, the sheer logistics of pulling off two ceremonies in one day. Tara and Birju, you crushed it. 🙌

Planning a multi-ceremony celebration of your own? Drop a comment or DM us — we live for this kind of beautiful chaos.
    The second it becomes official 😍 Birju's face here is EVERYTHING — so overwhelmed he couldn't even get his hand up, while Tara was already celebrating with the whole family cheering around them. LOVE IT!

Moments like this are exactly why we love what we do. Ready to capture yours? Send us a DM or book a consult with us!
    The second the last phera ended, Tara obviously was given the intel about the sitting superstition — whoever sits down first "rules the household." You can see the exact moment it registers on her face 😂 Birju clearly wasn't messing around either, mid-scramble to beat her to the chair.

We love catching these split-second moments in between the more serious parts of the ceremony — the laughter, the teasing, the little cultural traditions passed down half-joking, half-serious. Tara embraced every bit of it, and it showed. This is exactly why we never put the cameras down between rituals. Comment below if you've heard of this tradition (or tried to win it at your own wedding) 👇
    Recap of Abigail + Corey's Wedding
    I know, I know — everyone wants candids these days, and we love those too. But look at this moment. Someone asked for this photo. Maybe it was mom. Maybe it was the bride herself, thinking ahead to the day this hangs above the fireplace.

Here's what decades of doing this has taught us: nobody remembers to ask for the posed shots in the moment. They're too busy living the day. That's our job — to know which ones matter before you do, and to make sure you have them when you're looking back in year 10, not just scrolling in year one. 

Whose photo like this do you still have hanging up? 

Tell us in the comments, or DM us if you're planning and want to talk through what shots matter most for your family.

@thewestinarlington