Wedding at home · Timeline
Wedding Preparation Timeline: From Fixing the Date to the Day After the Vidaai, What to Do and Book When (Shadi Ki Taiyari Timeline)
The biggest problem with a wedding at home isn't that there's a lot of work; it's that all of it piles up in the last week. If the work is split in the right order as soon as the date is fixed, the family spends the wedding day with the guests, not running around on the phone. This timeline is for weddings held at home and in the village: which job comes when, and what to book when. A son's and a daughter's wedding differ a little; that's covered in full in the son's wedding and daughter's wedding guide.
As soon as the date is fixed
These come first, because saava (auspicious) dates fill first:
- Book the tent house and halwai: give the date, place and rough guest count and confirm the date. There's no fixed number of days for a tent booking; the earlier the better
- Ghodi, baggi and DJ (son's wedding): with the ghudchadhi date and time
- Decide the place: courtyard, lane, roof or a nearby plot; if it's a plot, get the owner's permission now
- A rough budget: tent and decoration, food, clothes and jewellery, other costs; tell the tent house the budget and it plans the items within it
Don't worry about the advance: at Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra, if a booking is cancelled the advance is refunded in full the same day.
A month to six weeks before
- First guest list: a separate estimate for each function, because the bhaat, the wedding and the bahu-bhoj have different numbers
- List of functions and days: roka or engagement, bhaat, haldi-mehndi, ghudchadhi or baraat, pheras, bahu-bhoj, which on which day
- Talk menu with the halwai, so the kit and ration lists can be made
- Send the space's measurements and photos to the tent house; the plan for the pandal, stage and kitchen gets made now
- Print the cards and plan who hands them out
A rough count of how much is needed for how many guests is in how many guests, how much setup.
Two to three weeks before
- Decide the decoration: stage, gate, mandap, colours; if you like, visit Khorra and see the items and designs yourself
- Lights and generator: jhalar for the house, lane and pandal, and what will run on the generator; see what size generator
- By season: coolers and fans in summer, a waterproof roof in the rainy season, kanat all round in winter
- Count the relatives staying over: how many gadde, rajai and dari, and the baraat's janwasa
- Start buying rations and supplies; the gas cylinder comes from the family, so arrange that now too
A week before
- Final guest count to the tent house and halwai; chairs, durries and utensils are decided by it
- Prepare the space: ground cleared and levelled, a place for animals and the tractor-trolley, overhead power lines; the full checklist is in preparing the space before the tent
- If the pandal is in a lane, talk to the neighbours
- One person for each job: tent and power, kitchen, welcoming guests, the baraat; name one person each
Before the tent: the halwai's kit
- The halwai's kit arrives first: sweets start a day or two early, so the bhatti, utensils and kitchen shamiyana come before anything else
- If there are earlier functions like the bhaat or haldi-mehndi, their smaller setup is timed to match
The day before
- The tent goes up: usually a day before the wedding: pandal, stage, kanat, durries and carpets, then decoration and lights
- Have one family member there who can show the space, the stage direction and the kitchen corner
- Switch the lights on in the evening and check once, the generator too
The wedding day
- In the morning walk round the whole space once: paths open, wires covered, bhatti away from the pandal
- Keep the tent house's number (99918 64283) saved; if you need anything more, like extra chairs, call right away
- Safety points are in the tent safety guide
After the wedding
- If there's a bahu-bhoj or reception, the same pandal often stays and only the decoration changes; say so at booking
- Taking things back: after the function the tent house packs everything up; keep the house's own things separate from the tent items so they don't get mixed
- If you liked the work, write two lines on Google with your village and function; it helps other families choose the right tent house
Date fixed? Call or WhatsApp 99918 64283. Tell us the date, village and rough guest count, and we'll write down beforehand what fits your budget.
FAQ
When should wedding preparations start?
As soon as the date is fixed. First book the tent house, halwai and ghodi-baggi, because saava dates fill first. Then the guest and function lists a month before, and the final count a week before.
How early should I book the tent?
There's no fixed number of days; the earlier the better. If the date is free, things can be arranged even a few days before, but saava dates fill first. At Bharat Tent & Light House, Khorra, if you have to cancel, the advance is refunded in full the same day.
What should we do a week before the wedding?
Give the final guest count to the tent house and halwai, have the space cleared and levelled, talk to the neighbours if the pandal is in a lane, and name one family member for each job.
When does the halwai's kit arrive?
Before the tent, because sweets start a day or two early; the exact day depends on when the halwai starts. The tent goes up after that, a day before the wedding.
When are the tent items taken back after the wedding?
After the function the tent house packs everything up and takes it away. If there's also a bahu-bhoj or reception, say so at booking; often the same pandal stays and only the decoration changes.