South Asian Wedding Vendors Part I

DJ- $5,000, Makeup Artist- $2,000, Caterer- $40/head. MC that can pronounce your South Indian grandmother’s name- priceless.

If you have already started planning your big day, you know that over a dozen vendors are required to pull off a successful event. Professional and reliable vendors that go the extra mile will help make your wedding flawless. Here’s Part 1 of my quick rundown of the vendors you should be looking into:

1) Wedding Planner: No, this is not a Lamhé pitch. But, I can’t stress the importance of having a wedding planner. I know couples that have spent hundreds of thousands on their wedding without hiring a planner, and things just went haywire on the day of. Is it really worth it?

2) Venue: A lot of couples don’t realize how much fun they can have with choosing the perfect venue. Traditional hotel venues are perfectly great- just don’t forget that you also can do museums, concert halls, country clubs, tents, beaches, etc.

3) Makeup Artist: The right makeup artist can make or break the bride’s day. This person will literally be in your face all day, so make sure she/he has the type of positive energy you’ll need to get through your special day tear free. It goes without saying, that the artist should have history of timely delivery and an unblemished repertoire.

4) Caterer: There are so many great South Asian caterers. But, you don’t have to pigeon hole yourself to just South Asian food. Many of the brides I have worked with have chosen to hire two or three caterers that each specialize in a different international cuisine. This definitely adds some spice to the wedding day and guests love the variety.

Have a good night! I’ll be posting Part II of my vendor list next time.

South Asian wedding planning blog

I have been planning South Asian weddings for years now. What turned out to be a hobby has slowly evolved into a livelihood. There is something about the culture and vibrancy of South Asian weddings that I find absolutely alluring. Add in the occasional inter-faith element and the weddings become gorgeous cultural explosions. The number of resources available to South Asian brides in the United States has multiplied four fold over the years. The landscape is dynamic and the options are limitless.

So where do you start once you’ve said ‘yes’? So many of my clients have come to me saying they were overwhelmed with the myriad of choices. But, really, too many options can’t be a bad thing. It’s just a matter of knowing what you want... and knowing what you want usually entails knowing what’s actually out there. Day in and day out, I’m meeting vendors, flipping through bridal magazines, meeting brides and researching the latest trends. With all this information swirling around in my head, I decided it was about time that I write it down for those who may be able to use it.

South Asian weddings are so exuberant- vibrant colors, flowing lenghas, intricate jewelry, tradition, lively music, dance, henna, mouth watering food- and the list goes on and on.I hope this blog will give you some new ideas and help you truly enjoy the process. I also encourage you to share your ideas, comments, and real weddings with me and other readers here.

Signing off now- catch you again soon!