“Bachpan se hi mujhe shaadi karne ka bahut craze hai, by God!” I completely related to Geet’s sentiments in Jab We Met, until I actually started planning my own wedding. While settling down with your man is the most beautiful feeling, the road that leads to the D-day makes for a crazy journey. Here are 12 things no one tells you about wedding planning.
1. Everyone has an opinion!
From Dadiji to Bua to all your cousins, everyone suddenly wants to be heard! They’ve all got advice on what you should wear for the functions, what you must have on the menu, what jewellery to buy, how to deal with the in-laws, where to go for honeymoon, which wedding photographer to call… And all this advice is drastically different from each others’! Try this: smile, give them all a hearing (they mean well!) but go with what is best for you, and will make you happy.
2. Ye kharcha to socha hi nahin tha?!
No matter how minutely you plan your budget and control your expenses, at least one unexpected kharcha will happen! On the wedding day, you could fall short of mithai ke dabbe or you may need an emergency shamiana arrangement if it starts pouring. Solution: have an emergency fund at hand at all times.
3. Your man will not care about the planning
We’re just letting you know, he might not care (as much as you) about the colour of the roses in your varmala or if the stage has a white or red sofa. So cut him some slack and let it be! Which doesn’t mean he gets a free pass, just that you should use his inputs strategically. On the plus side, you can now plan your dream wedding without interference.
4. Thoda bahut ladna jhagadna is OKAY!
So many decisions to take, so many choices and your entire family wants to have its say. Spats are bound to happen! Don’t be disheartened, just try and steer things smoothly.
5. Oooh, that’s a whole lot of options!
Your decorator is going to bombard you with endless albums of stage designs, drapes, flower arrangements, table decorations and what not! And trust us, you’ll be tempted to keep flipping. The best way – choose the colours and the theme that speak most to you, erase everything else from your mind, and then work out the details.
6. Invitation ek, log anek!
Bua ke bhatije ki behen ka ladka. Ummm…we’re totally confused now! Guest lists can become totally cray, cray. The big question of whom to invite and whom to leave out is always going to loom over your head! So, take a deep breath and start by dividing your list into relatives, friends, colleagues, hobby class friends etc. Also list down all your functions so you can have some people coming in for just one ceremony while others could be invited to more. That way you may be able to oblige everyone! It’s also a good idea to send out your Save The Date’s well in advance so if in case anyone is unable to make it, you can invite another one in their place.
7. Yummy in my tummy!
You know what’s the best part about planning a wedding? Food tasting! Trust me, I enjoyed that bit even more than shopping! It also means that all that last minute weight that you were planning to shed, umm, it might not happen! So do keep some time out every day for quick exercises, take the stairs whenever possible and be as mobile as you can possibly can.
8. Baby Doll or London Thumakda…?
My friends drove me mad over the sangeet performance. What else do you expect when 8 girls get together? So yes, your friends too are going to have the hardest time zeroing down on one song. And you’re totally gonna get pulled into these discussions. Best thing to do? Just ask them to do a medley! Better yet, put on your bride hat on so they know you’re not the one to be bothered 😉
9. Beta, yeh to hamare riti rivaaz hain
Don’t get us wrong, we’re all for following the family rituals. But guess what? Even after all the planning, there will be some rituals that you might be ambushed with at the last moment. It’s best to have your mum speak to all the elders in your family so you’re well prepared in advance. Make lists of all the things you need and keep checking off stuff that’s been arranged for.
10. Family lovin’
Planning a wedding makes you realize just how amazing your family is. They’ve skipped office, given up on precious sleep and travelled long distances in kadakti dhoop just to make your day perfect. Tauji is making sure your guests’ travel arrangements are in place, while your cousin is fetching people from the airport and another one is making sure no one got left out of the mehendi list. Ain’t no better place than home and no people better than your loved ones 🙂
11. You never thought this would happen!
But it does. For once in your life, you despise shopping! At some point, you will hate to enter another store or pick up yet another pair of earrings for your trousseau. All the suits will look the same and going in for another trial will be nothing short of torture! So firstly, start your shopping well in advance and meticulously plan all your outfits according to the ceremonies! Your outfit trials are unavoidable, so keep calm and carry on!
12. Congratulations, you’re now a certified bridezilla!
We bet you’ll have at least one bridezilla moment! Either you’ll be obsessing over your wedding ring or shrieking at your younger sis for no fault of hers. You may drive your family mad over the decor or spend nights browsing through Pinterest boards. It’s okay, you’ll all just laugh over it later! However, it’s a great idea to calm your nerves by indulging in a spa therapy once in a while. As a bride-to-be, you totally need it!
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