r/IndianWeddings

Honestly i would remove the pressure of doing super lavish weddings and spending ridiculous amounts of money just to impress relatives and society.

Half the expenses feel unnecessary and many families end up stressed or in debt for a one-day event. Simple, happy weddings with close people around feel much more meaningful to me.

Looking for help to understand and learn! I have a number of questions and welcome all comments.

Background

My daughter has been with her BF for 6 yrs now and has dropped a few hints recently about going to India and “if we get married we’d have to have two ceremonies (Canada and India)”. I am not a pushy mom by any sense - happy, healthy and safe is my goal for her - everything else is her choice in life.

His family is traditional (Hindu) from northern India with a slightly more modern father. His mother is still getting used to the idea my daughter is not Indian. I want to be sure we are putting our best foot forward and make the best impression on his family when/if the time comes. We have very limited interaction because we are in opposite sides of the world but traditional holiday greetings from both cultures, connecting to inform of health issues for their son and messages of condolence when a family member passed have all taken place.

1. Are there any social traditions that I need to be aware of when meeting them the first time? Gifts? Words? Actions?
2. I am told wedding culture is very big in India and we are not rich by any sense. What is the costs I should expect that are mandatory for the brides side?
3. Is it expected that I wear traditional clothing? Or would that be offensive? The dresses are so beautiful and I would love the chance!
4. Tell me something you think I should know!

Hi everyone,

Randomly posting here to see how this goes. Yes, this is from chat gpt but this is what I asked it to write:

I’m a 27-year-old man a software engineer currently working onsite in the UAE, and I’m looking for a mature, family-oriented life partner.

Before writing my expectations, I’d first like to share what someone can expect from me and my family.

About me:

- I don’t drink or smoke.

- I’m calm, mature, understanding, and someone who genuinely tries to empathize with people.

- I speak less, but I’m a very good listener.

- I believe a relationship should be built on love, respect, trust, understanding, and emotional support.

- I’m simple, caring, family-oriented, and someone who values meaningful relationships over superficial things.

- I believe in balancing modern thinking with traditional values.

- I enjoy music, good food, spirituality, and spending quality time with family.

If I’m with someone, I’ll always support her through every phase of life and do my best to create a peaceful and loving home together.

About my family:

- My mother is a homemaker (or as they call it in the UAE — a “generation shaper”).

- My father is a private doctor in our village.

- My younger brother is preparing for banking exams.

More than qualifications, I value the nature of my family. My mother is extremely loving and would genuinely treat my partner like her own daughter. My father is a caring and grounded person. My younger brother has always stood strongly beside the family, and honestly, because he’s there with my parents, I’m able to work peacefully in the UAE.

The reason I’m posting here is simple — I came across many marriage biodatas, but never really felt a genuine connection through them.

I’m looking for someone who is mature, kind, emotionally understanding, and family-oriented. If she is spiritually inclined, that would honestly be a beautiful bonus because my family values spirituality too.

And lastly, I just want to be honest about life. Some people start ahead, some start from zero. We started from difficult circumstances — probably negative — but today, by God’s grace, we are doing well and continuously growing. I strongly believe my brother and I will build generational stability and prosperity for our family in the coming years.

Not looking for perfection. Just a genuine person with whom life feels peaceful, respectful, and meaningful.

If you feel our thoughts align, feel free to reach out.

I’m(31M tech lead) specifically seeking a Software Engineer / IT professional (F 25-30 years) who is genuinely interested in building a relationship through conversations and discussions, not just surface-level questions. I want someone who:

Loves to talk about ideas, tech trends, books, life, work challenges, future plans, or even random interesting topics late at night

Can have deep, meaningful discussions instead of just asking “How was your day?” type questions

Is career-oriented but equally values emotional connection and intellectual compatibility

Is sincere about marriage and wants a true partner in every sense

I’ve noticed that many profiles focus only on basic compatibility checklists, but I’m looking for real compatibility in thoughts and communication. Someone who can be both my best friend and life partner where we can openly discuss anything, share our perspectives, and grow together.

Looking forward to hearing from the right person.

Hey everyone, I've been sourcing fashion accessories, men's accessories and other products from China to india for a while now. From finding suppliers, high moqs, customs , samples , we handle end to end everything. I know a lot of people here are trying to start their own brand, ecommerce business or finding suppliers to get products for wedding events, corporate events and get stuck at the supplier stage. Reach to me, will take care of everything.

I am 24F punjabi, planning to marry in the next 2-3 years. My boyfriend is an only child and a baniya, so I dont know if his side will have any demands on how grand the wedding should be.

I want to do something lowkey but then i feel it is a once in a lifetime event. Should I go all in? I also dont want my networth to go to zero just because my marital status is changing.
I want to self fund my wedding. My family has zero savings, I dont want to take a loan, or borrow from anyone. Feels stupid, personally. I have 8-10 LPA in savings so far.

Can someone suggest how to finalize reasonably priced venues? Or websites to rent good outfits under 5-10k? Good photographer options? Should I do multiple functions in a single day to save up on venue costs? How do I source jewelery? I feel like I have really poor taste in fashion, and may end up choosing something which won't look great on me, or wont feel culturally appropriate, or bridal-heavy enough lol. Also, MUA options?

So far, what I have clarity on: Minimal outfits (I won't be able to carry anything heavy, I value comfort, rented is better), 50 guests or less, minimal makeup, decent hairstyles, good memories (photos are integral), budgeted but shouldn't have lingering regrets that I should have done more. :")

Planning a wedding and trying to understand the costing because something feels off. Need honest advice from people who’ve recently planned weddings, especially at resort/lawn style venues.

I’ve visited a few places like Kings Club, 100 Acres, Palm Greens, etc (all resorts). Most of them are quoting around ₹20–25 lakh for decoration alone, which is confusing me.

My rough plan:

- Budget: ₹30 lakh total

- Guests: around 150

- Accommodation: ₹5,000–₹10,000 per room

- Lawn/Venue rent: ₹75,000 to ₹1.5 lakh+

- Food: around ₹2,500–₹3,000 per plate max

What I’m not understanding is: if lawn rent is ₹75k–₹1.5L, rooms are separately priced, and food is also separately charged, then how does decor alone become ₹5 lakh per event (and multiple events over 2 days)?

Most resorts are also not allowing outside decorators. They are pushing in-house decor only, and in many places it’s basically a package where only in-house food and decor are considered. I don’t have much issue with food pricing because it doesn’t seem excessively overpriced, but decor pricing feels very high.

Am I missing something major here? Is this normal pricing for resort weddings? Are these quotes inflated because people usually don’t question it?

Would really appreciate if anyone who recently married or planned a wedding can break down where the money actually goes and what a realistic decor budget should be for a 150 guest wedding.

Also atp are Destination weddings somewhere cheaper than tier 1 cities ... given the inflated rates???

Thanks in advance.

Indian weddings are not a one-day event. They're 3–5 days, 300–500 guests, 6 different ceremonies, 4 outfit changes, and approximately 47 people giving you conflicting opinions on the seating plan.

I went through this recently and spent more time managing WhatsApp forwards and Excel sheets than actually enjoying the celebrations. So I built a Notion wedding planner specifically for Indian weddings — not the generic Western ones that assume you have one venue and one guest list.

Here's what's inside:

Core planning — a multi-day event planner, task timeline with owners (because everyone needs to know who booked the pandit), an India-specific vendor tracker, and an advanced budget tracker in ₹

Guests & logistics — large guest list manager (yes, 400+ guests), seating plan, and accommodation & travel tracker for outstation guests

Personal — outfits & jewelry planner, gifts & return gifts tracker, ritual checklists, and a "don't forget" emergency list for the day-of chaos

It's live on Gumroad now. Happy to answer any questions about how I built it or what went into it — and if you're planning an Indian wedding, I'm happy to share the link in the comments.

We’re currently planning a destination wedding in India and feeling a bit stuck, so would really appreciate any advice or recommendations.

We’re based in London and ideally want to do a 3-day Indian wedding for around 150-180 guests, with a 5* full resort buyout if possible.

Our guests are paying for their own rooms as that is the culture here in the UK, but our budget for all meals, liquor, decor, production, MUA, entertainment, outfits etc is 65-70 lakh *including taxes*

We’re looking for something outdoor-focused, and aesthetically beautiful - we particularly love lakeside settings or heritage venues with beautiful courtyards, rather than heavily indoor or ballroom-based weddings.

So far, we’ve looked into the more popular locations like Jaipur, Goa, and Udaipur, and have received quotes from venues such as The Raj Palace, Alila Diwa Goa, and Chomu Palace Hotel.

The challenge we’re running into is that every quote is coming back around ₹20–30 lakh over our budget. We’re now starting to look beyond the most well-known wedding destinations and would love suggestions for:

- alternative locations in India that are still beautiful but less inflated in pricing

- venues that can handle around 180 guests and ideally allow for a full or majority buyout

- any destination wedding planners (India-based or UK-based) who are good with more budget-conscious luxury weddings

We’re open to different regions, we just want somewhere that still feels special and cohesive for guests coming from abroad. Thank you for any help!