“An Indian wedding is a party, not a performance. If you end up marrying THE ONE, then everything has gone perfectly.” – Some very wise person

They say hindsight is 20:20, and after almost half a decade being married, there are so many things I wish I could tell the young(er) me on my wedding day. Well, that can’t happen now. But, if you’re getting married in the near future take my advice.

So here are, 5 learnings from my Indian Weddings –

 

  1. Perfection over people!

I spent the months before my wedding planning the perfect celebration, and in an attempt to get every detail right, I somehow turned from bride to bridezilla! But do I remember anything I ever fussed about? Do I remember the décor of my wedding or the colour of the earring I wore in my Mehendi? Hah! Not even the fuzziest idea. What I do remember are moments—my brother cracking silly jokes when my eyes got misty, my dad refusing to let go when it was time to leave, my friends spiking my water glass for Dutch courage. You’re going to be around people you love and at weddings, that’s all you’re going to need.

  1. Bad gifts are a real thing at an Indian Wedding!

No one appreciates a wedding gift registry more than a couple that chose not to do one! As you probably guessed, I was in the said category. And what did I spend my first few weeks of married life doing? Opening gifts that I never love and then storing them in a cupboard that I will never open. And to top it all, I still had to spend money on the stuff I needed post the wedding.

It was one of my worst regrets! All those months of friends and family asking me what I wanted and me not giving a straight answer ranks high amongst the stupidest things I have done. It was a loss all around. I think if my guests know what I did to their wedding gifts, they would probably regret spending money on us too. So please, do a registry. You will love it and your guests will love it. You can check out WeddingWishlist.com for ideas on how to create the perfect wedding gift registry.

Indian wedding

Gifts at Indian Wedding

  1. Go paperless & help save the world!

You have seen Sonam Kapoor do it and also a lot of other celebrities. It’s got to be the best solution to saving some time, energy and environment. I spent days coordinating with the invitations team. And after they were finally done, my parents spent weeks going over to distribute them. Now compare that to sitting comfortably at home and emailing or Whatsapping all your guests to come to the wedding. Instead of spending tons of money to get the perfect paper, foiling and calligraphy, do a beautiful e-invite. Websites like www.minted.com or www.paperlesspost.com will do one for you at a very attractive price. Use the money you save for an amazing honeymoon or a new flat screen you have got your eye on.

  1. Get smart with photography!

I was so obsessed with getting my wedding photos right, that I got a photographer for every job—regular, candid, video, short film! What I didn’t realize is that your families and friends make for the best photographers. A recent wedding allowed guests to click pictures from disposable cameras. They would click pictures and then leave the camera on their way out. She got some of the most fun, natural photos of her wedding!! So make it approachable and casual. Do a photo booth, a polaroid counter or disposable cameras. So, basically just let your guests have some fun with the photos.

  1. Enjoy the party

Monica may have threatened Joey w­hen he called her wedding a ‘party’, but just this once, I will have to disagree. Let’s get real—it is a big, grand party. And unless you plan to win a Nobel Prize, it’s probably the biggest one that will ever be thrown in your honour. So ENJOY the limelight. What needs your time, attention, head and heart is your marriage, not the wedding. Just loosen up and make the most of this day.

Hope you liked and also agree to the points I shared from my Indian wedding. Do share your experience and learnings in the comments below.

 

**This is a guest post in collaboration with weddingwishlist.com.

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