Category Archives: Wedding Management

Managing Indian Weddings? We can Lend a Helping hand

I can understand. Managing Indian weddings is complicated. There are so many rituals, events and things to manage. Even people with big teams can go crazy when the show is on.

Here are some activities related to managing Indian weddings and how WedPlan, our wedding management software can help!

Multiple ceremonies and events

Indian weddings typically involve multiple ceremonies and events, such as the engagement ceremony, mehndi, sangeet, haldi, wedding ceremony, and reception. Coordinating all these events can be challenging and time-consuming.

With WedPlan by your side, you can keep track of the ceremonies, dates, samagri, and guests in one place.

Guest list management

Managing the guest list is the most challenging task as Indian weddings often involve a large number of guests. Some are local, some are outstation. They arrive at different times and places. All outstation guests may stay at the same place or in different hotels.

WedPlan helps you to manage your guest lists more efficiently by keeping track of guest RSVPs, dietary preferences, and other important details. You can record their hotel details, and arrival and departure details. Keep all of these in a common database, for everyone in your team to see it.

Budget management

Indian weddings are expensive, and managing the budget properly is very important. Budget overruns can cause a lot of friction.

You can record the entire budget in WedPlan and keep updating this to stay in control.

Vendor management

Coordinating with multiple vendors, such as caterers, decorators, florists, photographers, and makeup artists, is so challenging. Each vendor has its own requirements and contact persons.

Record the details of each vendor and its contact person coordinates and make it available to all your managers. Update at one place and everyone gets the same info.

Logistics management

Coordinating transportation, accommodation, and other logistical requirements for guests and vendors can be very challenging.

WedPlan has a provision for recording information about the hotels, rooms, cars and all such related assets in one place. Very convenient!

Invitation Management

Guest contact information can change dynamically. They planned to arrive by a certain flight but are taking a different flight now.

Your person in charge of receiving the guest at the airport can see the updated arrival details of all the guests through the portal and never miss a guest. Say no to confusion!

But I already have Excel sheets to manage all these, you may ask!

Totally agree. You were managing the weddings till now anyway. However, if you can use a new generation tool that brings all your information in one, convenient place and allows you to access these through a laptop or phone, won’t you like to try and make your life easier?

Ok, this sounds interesting! Can I see a demo?

You bet. Just visit the WedPlan site and request a FREE demo. You will get access to the demo site where you can try out the different options yourself. Have questions? Ping me and I will happily answer your questions and clear your doubts.

Now that you can manage the complexities of Indian weddings more efficiently, saving time and reducing stress, don’t wait for tomorrow!

By using a centralized platform for communication, planning, and coordination, this online software can help you stay organized and focused on creating a beautiful and memorable wedding experience for your clients.

Still Planning Weddings with Diaries and Excel? Here’s A Better Solution!

You know the pain. Planning Indian weddings is a complex task. Dealing with so many events, guests, rituals, arrivals and departures, vendors, tasks, menus… (the list goes on and on) is no easy task!

Tracking all these with diaries or Excel sheets is possible but not the smartest solution. You need to create complex layouts and structures and keep updating these.

Every time this data changes, you must send the updated versions to all the family members and volunteers. Nightmare for sure!

Is there a better way to plan weddings?

Ditch the generic software for your big day and come onboard a software tailor-made just for you. After all, something that fits best in a boardroom cannot make the cut at your wedding!

‘WedPlan’ is the ultimate software for planning weddings for managing Indian weddings because it takes the burden of formatting and creating templates off your shoulders. Your energy should be saved for the more important things like actually enjoying your wedding.

When you use WedPlan, you need to sign-up, login, import the guests’ details (or enter these through a user-friendly form), and you are good to go.

Gone are the days of the hassle of carrying your laptop around, hunting around for information and getting frustrated because you cannot remember which sheet you wrote something down in. With easy access, a centralised database and organised categories, you can now ask your dear sibling or even your friend to log into your family account and get that information in a few clicks.

When you are the star of the event, the focus should be on you and not on messing up notebooks or Excel sheets trying to organise your wedding data!

You can find all your guests’ accommodations, travel plans, pickups and drops consolidated in one place. You shall never forget anyone at the airport nor forget to send sweet boxes to your loved ones to ‘make their muh meetha.’

What’s more? Have doubts about a ritual or a pre-wedding event? Our comprehensive blog is ready with a solution. You can find guides for all such pre-wedding events so you can save that Google search for the outfit-inspo and the phone call to dadi for some heart-to-heart instead.

Check the software for yourself!

Still not sure? Sign-up for a demo and you will get access to a demo copy of the software by return email. See for yourself how this can be the second-best investment you make! (The first being your lovely soulmate, of course!)

Pre-wedding Photoshoot

Pre-wedding photoshoot has become very popular nowadays. It is the newest trend of the millennial generation. Present-day couples consider that good photos determine one’s social image.

According to them, photography trends are governed by social media-Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The moment a wedding date is set, the bride and the groom prepare for the pre-wedding photoshoot making it a top priority of the couple’s check-list.

Why should you opt for a Pre-Wedding Shoot?

Established photographers and wedding industry experts are of the view that there are several reasons for the popularity of pre-wedding photoshoots. Every couple wants to save moments that tell a romantic story of the duo. The brides and grooms prefer the concept of the pre-wedding photo shoot so much because they want to celebrate their romance in a more informal way.

Besides this, there are several benefits of pre-wedding photoshoots:

With pre-marriage shoots, the photographer can understand the exact requirements of the clients in advance. This way he can increase the comfort factor of the couple for the final wedding-day clicks. According to photographers, a pre-wedding shoot is a rehearsal for the wedding day.

A couple can find out how they would look in front of the lenses. This way they can make the necessary changes to their complete look and be their best on a special day. Feedback from the couples is also important for a photographer, as he can change the way he/ she clicks a snap.

Furthermore, the couple also develops a clear understanding of the style of photography of the cameraperson. One can discuss the modifications required in the way of shooting for the main wedding day.

Through this act, a client can develop an essential level of confidence in the photographer and presume fantastic capture on their D-day. It is amazing to know that, photographers include a pre-wedding shoot in their packages to understand their clients better in advance before the wedding day.

How to plan your own Pre-wedding photoshoot

Follow the innovative trend of pre-wedding photo session if you want to collect eternal timeless pictures of your wedding. Usually, a pre-wedding shoot takes place a month before the wedding day. Plan in advance for your pre-wedding shoot so that you have enough time for deciding on different aspects of the shooting.

Choose a well-acquainted photographer according to your budget. Several city photographers offer packages starting from Rs 20,000 or so. A photographer determines the cost of the package based on the manpower, number of locations and set of equipment used for the photoshoots.

Many photographers include the cost of the wedding and pre-wedding photography in one single package.

After you arrange for a photographer, discuss and decide on the locations. If you want a rustic look, shoot your pre-wedding photographs in the outskirts of the city on a pastoral site away from the hustle and bustle of the city. You can also click photos in the old city area for a more classical presentation.

Hire photographers to click snaps in the most natural way in any outdoor location. If you are bold and adventurous you might also prefer boudoir shoots. If you are a fun-loving couple, you can use funny entertaining props. You can even opt for drone photography (which is quite common with the elite class these days).

Besides planning for pre-wedding photography, there are 100s of things you need to prepare well in advance before a wedding. Do not worry! Manage your wedding with Wedplan – Online Wedding Planning Software. Click to request a FREE DEMO and experience the ease of use and the powerful features for yourself.

New Trends in Indian Wedding Industry

The Indian wedding industry keeps innovating. The decor, dresses, invitation cards, gifts have seen drastic changes, compared to even the last year. Now everything is tied in a theme. 

Millennials prefer to adopt several unconventional ways to their wedding. The introduction of  marriage websites are the newest trends of  Indian weddings. At the same time, people are so busy, they are using advanced tech tools to plan the weddings.

Additionally, find out why it is important to have a website dedicated to your wedding. 

Creating a wedding website 

It is quite common to create a wedding website nowadays. NikhilWedsNeha.com type sites are easy to come by. While some get these designed by considerate friends or use online tools available for this, others involve professional designers to create a wow effect.

Wedding websites can do a lot

Couples planning to showcase their wedding events, can select whatever option suits them. Some are just posting the different events and later, sharing photos of these events. I have also seen people create a blog like journal where they pen details of how they met, how they fell in love, how they are spending the pre-mariage days and like.

These websites can also act as a medium of communication between the bride/groom and their guests.  Couples use the website to inform the invitees about the wedding venue location, marriage date & time or gift registry (if any). 

Inform:  Let your  guests know everything about your upcoming wedding 

Share your pre-wedding, wedding and post-wedding details with your guests. Include the following information and make the site more useful:

  • Add a map to the marriage venue so that your guests know how to reach the place.
  • Inform your guests if you have any exclusive plans for your wedding (e.g:  if you are inviting any special singer on your sangeet night or you are having a DJ night or even the dress code).
  • Brief your outstation guests about the lodging arrangements or any pickup/drop facilities.
  • Let them also know about the auspicious time ( muharat) of the significant rituals.
  • Tell your guests about food arrangements. Let your guests know if you have plans for a buffet, sitting facility or combination of both.     
  • Let them know if you have chalked out any exclusive ideas for your wedding ( any special theme or destination etc)

E-album: Store your memories to cherish in future 

You can store your wedding photos and upload videos on the site. This be very useful for the guests who could not attend the different rituals and events. You can also invite your guests to upload their photos (set these up for approval before going live or you might get some naughty photos up too).

RSVP: Provide RSVP options in your website 

People these days are quite busy and thus sending invites and collating the  RSVPs can be time-consuming. You can ask your guests to RSVP on your own website. This activity will save time and money of both you and your invitees. Wedding websites have exclusive features,  they will let you keep track of the RSVPs.

Security – protect from prying eyes

You should consider adding a password protection to your website, at least sections of it, if it contains sensitive information. Many guests may not want to have their photos posted publicly. Similarly, you may also not want to put all photos, videos etc for general public consumption.

In this age when tech has taken over almost every industry and everyone carries a sophisticated computer and camera in their hand (aka the mobile phone), you don’t want to stay behind. Get an attractive website done for yourself and enjoy!

Wedding Planning

Planning the various events, keeping track of the guest invitations & different events, and 1000s of tasks cannot be done by as single person. You need a team of friends and family members who have to work together in taking care of the different aspects of the organisation.

WedPlan is a great tool to take the stress out of the intensive planning required to execute the wedding with perfection. No bouncing around of Excel files. Everyone updates the central database and accesses the latest information.

Click Here for a  FREE DEMO of WedPlan

Tamil Wedding Rituals – Elegant & Rich

Tamil wedding rituals are known for their elegance. The ceremonies are detailed and unique in terms of traditional richness. Marriage rituals extensively display the heritage imbibed from Vedas and Puranas.

Besides acting in accordance with the customs laid in the religious texts, they also perform certain other rites known as the Loukika Custom. However, wedding rituals vary from the Brahmin (Iyer) and Non-Brahmin communities in several contexts.

If you happen to attend a Tamil Hindu wedding, you will be charmed by its time-honoured aspects. When a Tamil family plans a marriage for their son/daughter, many find a suitable match for their children through matchmaking, while others approve love marriages also.

In the event of an arranged marriage, the families match the horoscopes of the prospective bride and the groom. When these match, parents of both candidates exchange vows to symbolise the union of the two families.

Below, we have given the major pre-wedding, wedding day and post wedding rituals prevalent in the Tamil culture and the significance attached to them. Besides these, there are many small and typical rituals which might differ from one family to other.

PRE WEDDING RITUALS

The following rituals are common to both the Brahmin and Non-Brahmin communities.

Panda Kaal Muhurtham- Worshipping the ancestral deity

It is customary for every Indian family to worship their ancestral deity (kula devata) before embarking on any important occasion. Tamil marriages are also not different, Panda Kaal Muhurtham is an important pre-wedding ritual held on the eve of the wedding day.

The familial Lord is symbolically represented by a bamboo pole, which is a portrayal of fertility. It is a short programme where both the bride’s and groom’s parents along with their relatives offer prayers to the ancestral deity for a smooth marriage process.

The significance of Panda Kaal Muhurtham: It is a common belief that evil spells can harm the bride-to-be and groom-to-be. Thus, it is important to pray to the divine and seek his blessings for an undisturbed wedding process.

Sumangali Prarthanai – Prayer for married women ancestors ( Loukika Custom)

In Sanskrit, Sumangali refers to a married woman whose husband is still alive. The Sumangali Pooja is a pre-wedding ritual organised to offer prayers to the women ancestors of the family who have died before their husbands.

In this ritual, five or seven married women within the families are invited who are considered as the embodiment of the deceased Sumangalis. All invited Sumangalis are required to be present at the occasion wearing a nine-yard sari (Madisar). These invitees are then worshipped and are treated with a traditional feast on an authentic way.

The ritual of Sumangali poojai is different from one family to another. A lot of variation regarding the ritual is seen among the Brahmin and non-Brahmin Tamil families.

The significance attached to this ritual: In Hindu tradition, it is a common belief that only Sumangali ( a married woman who is not a widow) can perform auspicious ceremonial activities. A married woman is also considered a representation of the Goddess of prosperity, wealth and luck. It is a way of blessing the soon-to-be married couple for a prosperous married life through the personification of the deceased ancestors.

Pallikai Thellichal- Ritual of sprouting grains in earthen pot (Puranic)

Another significant pre-wedding ritual is Paalikali Thelippu / Karappu performed by the bride’s family and it signifies fertility. Paalikai mean earthen pots that are prepared a day before of the wedding and are spread at the base with mango leaves (mavilai) and sand.

In this custom, married women decorate 7 clay pots with sandalwood paste and Vermilion (kumkum) powder, and then fill them with curd and 9 types of pre-soaked grains including green gram, black gram, mustard and paddy seeds. They leave the grains to sprout, thereafter, unmarried girls (Kanya) immerse those pots into the nearby water body with a wish to feed the fish on the grains.

In this ritual, the sprouted grains are compared to the bride and the groom. When the grains are consumed by the fish, it is believed that the guardian angels present in all eight directions are invoked. It is expected that the celestial beings bless the couple for a happy and healthy life.

 Naandhi ShraaddhamReverence to ancestors

Naandi Shradham or Vriddhi shraaddham is yet another essential ritual for both the bride and the groom’s families. It is a custom to invoke the ancestors to seek blessings for the prosperity of both. Fathers of the bride and the groom take part in the worshipping ritual at their own homes. In earlier days, groom’s father carried out

In earlier days, groom’s father carried out nandii before the groom started for the bride’s home. But nowadays, this ritual is performed at the marriage venue itself on the day of the wedding and sometimes a day prior to it.

The ritual requires appeasing the presiding deities or the Nandi Devatas. A leaf-laden branch of the pipal tree is installed and is cleansed with milk. The ceremony finally gets completed after a dhoti and a saree is presented to the marrying couple.

Eight to ten Brahmins are invited to the respective homes of the bride/groom and a traditional feast is arranged. It is also customary to offer fruits, coconut, flowers, betel /betelnut, sweets and traditional clothes (veshti angavastram) to the Brahmins and ask for their blessing for the wedding alliance.

NichayatharthamThe Engagement (Loukika)

Nichayathartham is the formal engagement ceremony between the bride and groom that takes place in the presence of all elders of both the families. The function is held the day before the wedding which starts after paying homage to Lord Ganesh (pillaiyar), vanquisher of all obstacles. Then, both the bride/groom’s families announce their final agreement to the wedding.

The groom’s family gifts a traditional South Indian silk saree, and traditional jewellery to the bride as a gesture of acceptance. Similarly, bride’s parents also gift the groom with a new set of clothes as their acknowledgement of the marriage. The bride and the groom then change into the new dress gifted by each other’s family.

Groom’s sister and bride’s brother also play an active role in this ceremony. There is a custom of gifting two dolls by the groom’s sister to the bride for playing (Vilayadal). To show their recognition for their future brother/sister-in-law, groom’s sister and bride’s brother apply vermillion (kumkum) and sandalwood (Chandan) tilak on the bride’s/groom’s forehead respectively and offer a floral garland too. After this, the bride and the groom exchange rings in the presence of friends and relatives.

In addition to the above, Tamil Brahmins also perform Vang Nischay (Loukika) – a ceremony of exchanging Nalikera coconut and Thamboola, betel leaf/nut between both the families in the presence of elderly members to acknowledge the marriage alliance.

  • Lagna Patrika: a contract by both parents about the performance of the marriage and reading of the invitation card by the priest at the groom’s place.
  • Pongi Podal (Loukika): a feast organised at the aunt’s place for niece (bride) and nephew(groom) to wish them for their new life ahead.
  • Janu Vasam (Loukika): Janu means knee and Vasam mean cloth. In earlier days, a Brahmin boy after receiving his upanayanam (sacred thread ceremony) and entering into the life of Brahmacharin (celibacy) was expected to wear just a white cloth till his knees and lead a saintly life till he got married. Finally, on the eve of his wedding day, he was presented in front of the would-be bride’s relatives for people acceptance. But, nowadays, the ritual is limited to the procession and public approval only.
  • Vritham and Kappu Kettal (Vedic): It is an essential ritual for the boy for whom marriage has been fixed. Before he gets married, he needs to take permission from his father (Guru) to end his Brahma Charya Vritha (celibacy), to marry and lead a life of a Grihastha (family life).

Wedding Day Rituals

Mangala Snaanam – A Purifying Bath

Like any other Hindu marriage custom, Mangalasnanam or a purifying bath is an integral ritual of a Tamil Wedding. It is a practice of ceremonial bathing of both the bride and the groom with turmeric (Haldi), Vermillion (kumkum) and oil. Elders anoint the mixture on the soon-to-be couple at their respective homes before the purifying bath.

The ritual takes place at the break of the dawn on the wedding day. According to Indian tradition, the significance of this early morning bath is to refresh the couple’s bodies by lessening stress and initiating positive energy for an extensive wedding process.

Wedding Ceremonies

Wedding in Tamil Nadu is mostly organised during the early morning hours and the ceremonies last for about an hour or so. Close families and friends are invited to attend the marriage ceremony and bless the newly wed couples. The function is finally followed by a traditional feast.

Mappillai Varavetpu – Welcoming the Bridegroom

The wedding ceremony starts with the arrival of the groom accompanied by his relatives and friends. He is given a warm welcome by the bride’s younger brother. He also receives greetings “Aaraathi” from two married women from the bride’s family. Bride’s father treats him with due respect and thus the groom is escorted to the wedding stage.

Kaasi Yatra – Groom’s pilgrimage

Kashi yatra is a very intriguing ritual of a Tamil Wedding. The groom plays the part of abandoning all material desires and proceeds for the pilgrimage to Kashi. At this point of time, bride-to-be’s brother blocks the groom’s journey and woos the groom back to the marriage hall. In return for this service, the bride’s brother receives a gold ring as a gift from the groom’s family.

This ritual can differ from one family to the other. In some families, bride-to-be’s father requests the groom to accept the daughter as his life partner (when groom pretends to go to the pilgrimage) and persuades the groom to return to the family life.

Finally, the groom agrees to take responsibility of the bride and he is finally escorted to the wedding place.

Wedding Attire

The bride wears a traditional silk saree (Kanchipuram) in a red tone with thick golden borders and is decked in heavy gold jewellery. The groom wears a white dhoti, a shirt with a golden border or sometimes sherwarni. Traditionally, he also wears turbans (thalappas) on the wedding day.  The bride (manamahal) arrives at the wedding site with the Tholi (Bridesmaids), her relatives and her friends and she and the groom (maapillai) sit around a priest on the stage set for the wedding (mandap).

Kanyathanam & Kannika Thaanam – Arrival and giving away of the Bride

Similar to the ritual of Kanyadan ceremony of any Hindu culture, Kanyathanam is the ritual when bride’s father hands over all responsibility of his daughter to the groom and the groom, in turn, accept her and assures her parents to provide her with a life of fulfilment.

It is a very emotional ritual because after the bride arrives at the wedding site she is made to sit on her father’s lap. This ritual symbolises a father letting his small daughter who played in his lap to go away with someone whom he thinks perfect for taking responsibility of.

Sapthapathi – Sacred Seven Steps

Next in the ritual line is Sapthapathi, an essential element of any Hindu wedding. The bride and the groom take seven steps together encircling the Holy Fire as a harbinger of their new life. With each step, the priest recites hymns from the holy verses to unite both the souls thereafter.

The significance of the seven steps: the groom and the bride promise to carry on with their life together while following the four purposes of human existence: Dharma (religion and ethics), Artha (wealth and prosperity), Kama (love, fertility and family) and Moksha (spiritual liberation).

Thaali Kattu – Tying of the Gold Necklace

Sapthapathi is followed by Thaali Kattu ritual. The groom presents the Bride with Koorai (wedding saree) and the Thali (gold necklace). The Koorai and Thali are circulated amongst the family gathering so that they can each bless the items. The bride then leaves the Manavarai ( wedding stage) in order to change into the Koorai (Silk Saree). After she returns to the Manavarai wearing the

After she returns to the Manavarai wearing the Koorai, holding a garland for the groom, he ties the Thali (gold necklace) around the bride’s neck, signifying the change in her marital status amidst traditional wedding song kettimelan. The couple is thus pronounced as husband and wife.

Finally, they exchange garlands to the beat of the Thavils (drum) and music of Naathaswarams (classical pipe music).

Ammi Midhithal- Treading on the Grindstone

Another significant post-ceremony ritual is the Ammi Midhithal (Treading on the Grindstone).  It is a ritual where the bride is required to place her feet on a grindstone, after walking around the bridal platform thrice. The moment she walks on the grindstone, her new husband adorns her second toe with tiny ringlets (metti) and symbolically shows her the Arundhati (Alcor) star.

The Significance of showing the Arundhati (Alcor) star and wearing metti: Hindu legends relate Arundhati, the wife of sage Vasishta as an extraordinary woman. She is remembered for remarkable loyalty and devotion to her husband. During marriage ceremonies, she is invoked by the groom by asking the “bride” to look at the Arundhati star and be like her throughout her life.

The metti is worn by both the bride and the groom. According to traditions, as wearing a gold necklace (mangalyam) by the bride indicates that she is married and any other men staring at her would instantly know that she is married, likewise wearing a toe-ring by the men would inform another woman that he is married to someone else.

Wedding Games

A collection of meaningful games are played in the post-ceremony phase but vary widely between families.

These games were played in olden days in the period when arranged marriages were strictly prevalent and the bride and the groom could never meet beforehand. These were tricks with an intention to introduce the newly-weds to each other so that they could overcome shyness and unfamiliarity they had. In modern times, these games are played only to keep the tradition alive.

All the games are quite interesting and relate to posterity and child care. In one trick the priest drops a tiny toy into a vessel of water, and the newly married couple push their hands hard into it, trying to be the first to retrieve the toy. This is to signify that the winner will have his/her say on the gender of the first-born child.

This trick becomes more entertaining when the priest (for the first few times) only pretend to drop the toy in while leaving the couple to search in vain. This process is mainly to provoke the couple playfully come in close contact with each other for the first time.

Another game proceeds when the groom’s Angavastram is fashioned into a makeshift cradle and a rock is placed inside it (symbolising the first born). He gently shakes the cradle to put the baby to sleep, while the bride hums a lullaby. It is essential that the priest splashes some turmeric-water on both the bride and the groom as if the kid has peed in sleep.

Wedding Ritual practised by Tamil Brahmins:

  • Maalai Maatral, Oonjal, Sambandhmale (swing ceremony and exchange of garlands): A Loukika custom, held before kanyadanam, it is a ritual wherein the bride and the groom exchange floral garlands three times to begin their holy union. Married ladies of the family offer milk and banana to the couple while they are seated on a swing.

POST WEDDING RITUALS

Sammandhi Maryathai- Exchange of gifts

After the marriage ceremonies are over and before the bride leaves for her new home, both the bride and the groom’s family gather together to exchange gifts to mark the beginning of a post-marriage relation. The gifts can range from jewellery, clothes or artefacts.

Then comes the most sentimental segment of any marriage, the time for parents and relatives to bid adieu to the bride from her parental home. Both she and her spouse receives blessings for a happy married life.

Grihapravesham- Welcoming of the bride

When the bride finally reaches her destination, the groom’s mother welcomes her with much love and adoration. Groom’s mother performs symbolic rituals similar to any Hindu Grihapravesh ceremony and invites her to join the family forever.

Groom’s family organises several post-wedding rituals which are helpful to make the bride feel at home. These occasions are meaningful and are also filled with fun and enjoyment.

Reception: Inviting guests for a feast

It is a modern inclusion to the post wedding rituals. Groom’s family hosts a reception party and invite friends and other relatives to bless the newly married couple. The guests are also treated to lunch or dinner according to convenience.

Tamil weddings are a great affair as they intricately follow customs and traditions laid in the Vedas and Puranas. Though many have been transformed with a modern touch, yet a classical feeling is still kept intact.

If you want to plan and manage a wedding in your family, WedPlan: The Online Wedding Planner Software takes the stress out and helps you to organise everything super-easy. Request a FREE demo and check it out yourself.

How Can Wedding Planners Get More Clients

Wedding Planners - Get More Clients

Want to get more clients for your wedding planning business? Wondering how to do it?

Here are some ideas that should help:

The success of every business depends on effective marketing strategies. Impressive advertisements, PR and branding play a key role in attracting customers to your wedding planning business.

Networking

The initial step is to try and reach your prospects through Networking.  You can join associations and clubs where your prospective customers come often.

Get to know the other person rather than bluntly pitch your business. Of course, you should give a short introduction where you tell something that will arouse the curiosity of the other person so that he is tempted to ask for further details.

They may not need your service right now but will be happy to refer business to you.

Advertisements

Next step is to make your business known to general people. An advertisement is a great tool to create awareness but you should advertise only in places where you can hope to get in front of your ideal customer.

You should advertise in a magazine popular in a locality rather than the city’s most popular newspaper. This will allow you to manage with a lower budget. You can also hire stalls in a targeted exhibition like Vivaah.

Use B2C search portals like Justdial or Indiamart to enlist your business to reach out to the people who enquire about resources by calling or visiting their sites.

Online Promotion to Get More Clients

In today’s world, a strong online presence is a must for any business. You, as a marriage planner should have a decent online presence to gain good visibility in your prospects’ mind.

If you serve a local geography, get registered with Google Maps through Google My Business program. This can refer some really targeted, local prospects to you.

You also need to have a website where you can list your services and showcase the events you have done earlier. Nothing beats the impression generated by real pictures of the decoration themes and satisfied, happy clients.

Applying even a few online marketing strategies to your website will put you ahead of scores of other me-too websites.

Blogging & Social Media

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you are well aware of the social media revolution sweeping the world. Create a blog and share good tips. Your potential clients will get to know about your skills and will get in touch when they have a need for your services in their family.

Share your knowledge about the latest trends in the wedding industry. Try to become a thought leader. Discuss the new trends in the wedding market. Run a survey, ask open questions to your readers about what they like and what they don’t in the marriages they attend.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN, Instagram, Snapchat etc are very powerful media. Join these if you can set aside some time daily or weekly to interact with the people. These media have such a strong traction that you can generate a powerful word of mouth within a few days or weeks.

The Power of Testimonials

You must develop a process to get a testimonial from each of your clients once their event is over. It will be great to have at least a few video testimonials but you can also get a written testimonial with a photograph of the client.

Most of the people are at a loss about what to write in the testimonial. You can use this template to guide them:

  1. What were your expectations when you hired us?
  2. How well did we meet these expectations?
  3. What specific benefit did you get by hiring us (like cost savings while buying things, saved time to look after the business, managed to have unique decoration, the food was awesome).

Some people will ask you to write the testimonial on their behalf. Avoid this. Your self-written notes will sound similar. Also when they write good things about you, they get a sub-conscious signal to refer you to their acquaintances.

Referrals Get More Clients

As mentioned above, a reference from a friend or family member can convince a potential client much more than your best Powerpoint presentation can. Feel free to ask your satisfied clients to refer you to their associates.

If they are happy, they will feel good about helping their friends organise a great event with your help. To keep this desire alive, you should consider staying in touch with your clients by sending them periodic cards. A small, tasteful gift can work wonders with the well-connected clients.

Every time I receive an anniversary card and a bouquet from my event organiser, I feel a strong urge to refer him to someone to return the gesture. Leverage this principle of reciprocity.

Vendor Partnerships

You must be having a good relationship with several vendors whose services you use when doing different events. If you develop a good mutual understanding with them and refer regular business to them, you can definitely expect them to refer you to people who ask them for good resources.

Wedding professional circle is close-knit; wedding vendors see one other at various weddings they are hired for. They know each other’s strength and thus can endorse you for any upcoming wedding event.

Use Modern Tools

Your clients want their events to look the best. This is a social status thing.  If you use the modern tools and concepts in the events you organise, you create the impression of a well organised, contemporary company with a good grip on the new trends. This helps you garner more business as well as charge a decent fee for your services. You don’t have to fight for the change.

A very useful tool in this context is WedPlan: The Online Wedding Planner Software. When you use this, you make your team very efficient and therefore, you can spend much more time thinking up smart new ideas for the events.

Check out a free demo! You will be happy you did.

Client Service Tips for Wedding Planners

Client Service Tips - get an A+

Customers are your prized possessions and as a wedding planner, you should continuously strive for various ways to improve your client service quality.

Here are some client service tips which will enable you to organise an eventful nuptial.

Brides/grooms-to-be hire you to plan and coordinate their marriage because they are short on time and/or ideas and need a helping hand. Either they are busy with their professional life or they want to spend more time with family and friends. Thus, ensuring a smooth execution of the event becomes your responsibility.

While others are working on delivering the expected, you should plan something extraordinary that your clients did not even expect.

Continue to read below and discover ways to enthrall your clients.

Exclusive offers – Be extraordinary

* In India, it is quite common for a bride and her family to face typical emotional stress before and after marriage. She will be leaving her parental home and start a new journey with a new family. In this state of mind, a would-be bride will appreciate if you go beyond your specific role as a Wedding Planner and arrange for exclusive meditation and yoga classes to ease her stress.

* Your client might be one who is going to settle abroad after the marriage. Ask her if you could enroll her in a relevant foreign language class at a nominal fee.

Pre-Marriage events – Add a special touch to the wedding

Bengali culture has a ritual of hosting the last feast (aiburobhaat) especially for the bride or the groom by their families, before the marriage:

* You can provide them with food vouchers or a generous discount from their favourite local restaurants where they can have a great time.

* Introduce this ritual among clients of other cultures (while sustaining their own custom) and impress them with authentic Bengali traditional cuisine experience.

Mehendi is a popular pre-wedding function of all north Indian marriages. It is an all-women ceremony organised at the bride’s home where dholki is played and a traditional folk song (suhaag) is sung. Although it is quite different nowadays with choreographers and DJs, yet this idea makes the program more unique.

* Introduce colour themes in the occasion. Ask relatives to wear a similar coloured dress and have fun.

* Organise singing competitions among the bride’s/groom’s families and acknowledge the winners with hand-made prizes.

Venue Decoration – Experiment with themes

* Make special lighting arrangements to create a dramatic effect during important rituals such as exchange of garlands or sindoor dan.

* Decorate the wedding venue with pictures and decor from some exotic destination wedding location and provide a destination wedding experience locally.

Hospitality arrangements for children and senior guests

* Keep a children’s corner in the wedding venue where children of all ages can have fun while their parents get busy with the marriage rituals and socialising.

* Provide comfortable seating for senior citizens with a special large screen TV so that they can enjoy watching the rituals. Employ one or two volunteers from your end to take special care of the elderly.

* You can also arrange for a wheel-chair to take an elderly guest from the date to the mandap.

Innovation – Important client service tips

* Bride/groom’s transportation: Ditch the idea of using only cars. You can get the groom to ride a mare (ghori) or an elephant. Introduce vintage ideas such as horse-drawn chariots and make the procession more enjoyable. Similarly, use traditional palanquin (doli) for the bride when she finally leaves her parental home.

* Your gift: A romantic gift for the newly-weds on their first night will really tug at their heart strings.

Whether you are an established wedding planner or new to the industry, you need to understand your clients well before laying out plans for them. There are no hard and fast rules for a great client service. Having an empathy for them and a willingness to walk an extra mile is all you need. They depend on you – don’t let them down at any stage.

Plan and manage the logistics with WedPlan online wedding planner software and focus on the creative aspects where you can carve a special niche.

Crazy offer for Wedding Planners – Call for Details

Are you still planning client weddings with the good old Excel?

Your business is to provide a great experience to your clients, not struggling with Excel. Doing it the hard way only gets you more frustrated and leaves a scope for damning errors.

Move up to the shining new tool – WedPlan.

Software for Wedding Planners

WedPlan helps you to plan and manage the complete wedding through a modern, efficient software that your entire team can use together – 24×7 from anywhere in the world. This frees you to focus on serving your clients (what makes you money).

Take a demo and see how you can move to the fast lane – easily and without spending a fortune! Visit www.WeddingPlanning.in

Shhh… We have an offer you simply cannot refuse. Ask Arun (9831027107) about it.

Customer Testimonial: A D

The best reward for a software publisher is a good customer testimonial. I am happy to share the one received from A D (full name withheld on request).

“I subscribed for the WedPlan service in August 2015 for my wedding which was coming up in January 2016. WedPlan made my wedding planning very structured, and its well-planned and meticulous features never gave me an opportunity to miss out on any detail whether it is ceremonies, gifts, events, vendors, card distribution, etc.

Foreseeing my marriage in early 2015, I had already started preparing a detailed guest list on Microsoft Excel with my parents but the comprehensiveness which WedPlan allows in its own data of guest list is simply amazing. It allows one to go into great detail such as providing individual preferences and facilities for guests, setting reminders about serving them on certain dates and occasions, etc.

WedPlan’s interface is pleasing to the eye, easy to use, comprehensive, and easily accessible across mobile devices. Further, on incurring any difficulty, the WedPlan team, especially the founder, Arun-ji is just a call away from fixing one’s issues. The team indeed is very proactive and understanding and it is a pleasure to work with them. The WedPlan team is kind enough to follow up on its services regularly and this made me appreciate their services very, very much.

I would highly recommend WedPlan to all, especially non-tech-savvy individuals because they will be really surprised as to how easy this software will be to use practically and allay the tension and feverish nervousness in the midst of executing a big, fat Indian wedding.”

Thanks AD. We will continuously strive to make clients like you happier 🙂

The free, no-obligation demo can be requested here.

Common Wedding Planning Mistakes in Indian Weddings

Indian weddings are elaborate and require extensive planning. Small slip-ups can come in the way of flawless fun and guest satisfaction. Most wedding planning mistakes happen because you are getting too much stressed looking after everything yourself. Careful planning and timely execution can help in a big way.

Let’s look at some of the common goof-ups and bloopers which have the potential to undo your hard work, leave you embarrassed or your guests disappointed.

Budget considerations: You must draw up a carefully thought-out budget with broad and detailed views. But we Indians are so often found guilty of it. The moment you let emotion take precedence over your rationale, know that you are in for trouble.

You need to deliberate and match your expectations with available resources at every point and plan accordingly. Plan a budget effectively and save yourself from over-blowing it.

Consult all stakeholders: Consult all stakeholders like the bride (or the groom), your own family, and close friends for new ideas and get a draft budget. Some areas will need you to loosen the purse strings to get the wow factor while you can sit tight in other areas. If you have hired a wedding planner, he/she can give you an idea of the expenses involved in the different aspects.

Don’t miss out on an important guest: Ah! This is such a real threat to so many Indian weddings. We tend to miss out on some important family members or business associates. Start building your guest list early and refine often. Approach the list group wise like own family, maternal side, paternal side, in-laws, business associates, clients, vendors etc. Keep in mind that you will end up adding at least 25 guests to the list at the last moment.

Create separate guest lists for various events: Every guest is not invited to every event. You need to mark guests event wise. So you may be inviting 300 guests in one event and 800 in another.

Invite your guests as early as possible: It is only natural that you would want your closest friends and relatives to be available for your nuptials. They should be informed about the wedding schedule as early as possible.

Cards are sent much later but you should send “block your date” notices early so that they can make their plans. Outstation guests have to book tickets which become costlier if not booked early.

Request R.S.V.P: This is still not very popular in India but the concept has many advantages. You can get a fair idea of how much accommodation you need for outstation guests. You can request RSVPs in email invites. Call and confirm with those who have not responded to the emails.

Steer clear of busy vendors: Popular vendors are busy. They will have multiple assignments on the day of your events. However, you must ensure that they personally supervise your functions or appoint a senior level guy who can take quick, on the spot decisions when needed.

Don’t feel shy to negotiate rates with your vendors: We are often too shy to ask for discounts or negotiate rates with our vendors. Most vendors keep some margins to reduce rates on request. However don’t squeeze them so much that they are forced to cut corners.

Constantly follow up with your vendors: You need to be regularly updated on the progress of the different activities status and take note of any impediments that the vendor may be facing.

Work closely with your makeup artist: The bride and the groom need to discuss the planned make-up in sync with the wedding dress. This will result in a harmonious look. If you are not well-rested, no makeup in the world can make you look gorgeous.

Give enough time to your photographer: The photographer needs to meet your family people a few times so that he can identify all the members fairly well. This will ensure he can take good shots and cover them well during the different ceremonies.

Discuss beforehand the songs your DJ would play: It is very common for us to appoint a DJ for the wedding. You should review and / or guide him about the mood you want to build up and he should be guided as to which songs to play and not to play. You don’t want him playing a popular raunchy number during a wedding function.

Try to avoid inaccessible venues: The venues get booked quickly and identifying and booking venues should be done at a very early stage. Some great venues may become a misfit during different seasons. A lovely outdoor venue will be useless in the hot summer season while a low-lying venue will be inaccessible during rains. Transport connectivity & parking facility are also important considerations.

Ensure that your venue has the basic amenities: A lot of venues don’t have proper basic amenities. It would be prudent to check whether it has standard washrooms and lavatories, first aid kits and proper security arrangements in place. If your venue lacks these amenities and the management cannot help, you should make those arrangements from your end or have some backup options.

Check whether your venue has a separate antechamber for the bride: This is a very important requirement which is often overlooked. A bride needs a small private chamber to freshen up, rest her back or just catch up in private with her mom or sister for a word or two before or after the wedding, away from the glare of the camera and the prying eyes.

Familiarize yourself with the venue beforehand: It is extremely important that you and close members of your family visit the venue multiple times before the wedding. You should know the venue like the back of your hands. You should know which stall has been put up where and which room is for what purpose. Don’t act like a ‘guest’ in front of your guests on the all important day.

Make proper seating arrangements: A lot of times we forget to make proper seating arrangements for our guests. Often, there are kids, expecting mothers, elderly as well as sick guests who may be inconvenienced by the lack of enough seats. Have enough number of chairs and importantly get them placed strategically so that they can be availed easily.

Try to have backup plans: The most important advice that I give to all my clients and friends is – don’t leave anything to chance. If you are hosting your wedding in an open space, make plans for unexpected weather. Don’t let it play spoilsport. If you are having a destination wedding, arrange for transport facilities to take your guests around. Don’t hope for things to fall in place on their own. It is always wise to be prepared for any kind of contingency.

Monitor your buffet spread: Start the buffet a little early so that the guests who are in a hurry can be served. Ensure that the food is hot and the containers are regularly refilled. The guests should not be kept waiting for food to arrive once a container in the counter has been emptied. If your guest list is primarily non-vegetarian with a few vegetarian invitees, there have been instances where not enough attention has been paid to the vegetarian stalls.

Delegate duties to responsible members of your family: You cannot manage it all alone. Assign responsibilities of different departments and functions to family members and friends. Review the progress regularly though.

Attend to all your guests. Some guests are super-special. However, you should personally attend to each of your guests. Ensure that they are comfortable and enjoying the rituals. Ask those close to you to be vigilant and see that no guest leaves unattended or dissatisfied.

Drink enough water and follow a proper diet: So often we stop eating properly before an important event in our life because we are so tensed. This is just the time when we should be eating a good diet and having enough water.

Feel happy and wear it on your face: Marriage is a happy union of two souls. Always wear a radiant smile on your face. Make your guests feel comfortable. Drown in the gaiety. Happiness is infectious. If you look happy, people around you will be happy too. Don’t sit with a stressed or grumpy look.

I wish you all the best for your wedding and hope that you don’t get anxious or nervous. I also recommend that you take the help of a professional and reliable, end-to-end wedding management software, WedPlan, developed by Ebizindia.

With this, managing the logistics becomes easier and you can focus on the creative aspects and most important – the occasion.