March 8, 2024
At Coleen McKay, our team have planned, designed, and delivered countless luxury Indian weddings over the years, from small affairs to large lavish celebrations.
We certainly know what it takes to host the perfect Hindu wedding. Whether you choose the English countryside or the French Riviera, our team are experts in curating the perfect wedding.
We often receive enquiries from couples who are unsure of where to begin with their wedding planning, what budget they are required to have, and the general process they should expect from a wedding planner. Want to find out more?
In this article, we are going to explain the process of Indian wedding planning, how it all works, and the starting budget required — regardless of the destination.
Initial Enquiry
After the initial enquiry and online call, our team will send across a detailed quotation outlining the services provided by your wedding planner and the associated costs. Generally, our pricing model is 10% of the budget spend + travel and accommodation.
We love to discuss with new couples their wedding plans, ideal venue types, and preferred destination. We do have a detailed list of venues on our website that couples can view for some inspiration if they are unsure of where they would like to get married:
👉 https://coleenmckay.com/preferred-venues/
You’re on board
Great! You’re on board! We couldn’t be more excited to work together and start planning what will be an amazing and wonderful wedding experience. What comes next?
Once our new couples have decided to partner with us, we send across a wedding contract and deposit invoice for signature and payment. Once the paperwork is complete, our team will build your bespoke Aisle Planner account and issue your invitation to log in. Aisle Planner is the brilliant online tool we use with all our couples — it allows you to view your budget, checklist, guest list, supplier contacts, and so much more. We like to keep all planning and correspondence in one central place, and Aisle Planner is perfect for that.
You’ve scheduled your onboarding call with the team, they’ve walked you through Aisle Planner and dived straight into your venue consultation. Phew! Now we can begin the venue search!
The team will get to work on your venue search, considering all the information you shared during your consultation and coming back to you with a shortlist of venues that match your wedding vision and budget.
Let’s talk budget
The venue search stage is the very first stage of planning, and by the time we reach this point, our team will have already discussed potential budgets with you and provided a breakdown on Aisle Planner.
Hindu weddings generally follow a similar pattern of events and are usually spread over two days: with the Sangeet/Mehndi on the first evening, and the baraat, wedding ceremony, lunch, and evening reception on the following day. Other smaller religious ceremonies may take place before the main wedding day.
Budgeting can be tricky, as final spends depend on various factors like the destination, location, venue type, catering, level of extravagance, and number of guests. Couples typically need a minimum budget of £100,000 (or EUR) and should remain flexible as this may increase during the planning process.
With a guest list of 100–150 guests, we would expect a final budget in the region of £150,000, give or take 10–20%.
When we discuss budgets, we like to identify the most important spend areas for each couple — whether that’s authentic Indian catering, open bar, or headline entertainment. Not every couple prioritises flowers, decor, or mandap design.
Budgeting is all about compromise, so it’s essential to have those conversations early to identify key priorities and the areas that can be scaled back.
We encourage couples to speak with their families, create a wish list, and use that to determine what’s most important and what can be eliminated or adjusted.
For example, some couples prioritise photography over videography, while others choose to make their own stationery like menu cards or place names.
When choosing your venue, we recommend including at least one venue visit in your budget. While not all couples visit multiple times before the wedding, most do want to see the venue in person — so it’s worth budgeting for a 2–3 day trip with flights and accommodation.
Timeline
Here’s a little snapshot of what to expect from us timeline-wise when you book us for your wedding planning.
We like to work to deadlines and aim to have everything fully planned 3–4 months before the wedding. Yes — really! While not all couples allow this much time, we aim for it wherever possible. It’s so important to have all suppliers booked and confirmed at least three months in advance.
Throughout the planning process, we schedule recurring monthly meetings to check in, track progress, and set clear goals for the coming weeks. We also offer unlimited email support between calls, so you’ll always feel connected and in the loop.
Once all your suppliers are booked and confirmed, our focus shifts to the logistics plan and on-the-day schedules.
Work with us
We would be delighted to work with you and provide more information around planning your wedding celebrations. Our 2025 diary is almost full, and 2026 is filling up fast!
To find out more or to get started, email Coleen at coleen@coleenmckay.com — we’d love to schedule a welcome call and talk all things wedding planning.
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