An Indian wedding has a lot of moving parts: two families, several functions, a muhurat that cannot move, and a guest list that keeps growing. A checklist will not make the decisions for you, but it does make sure nothing important is left until the last week. Use the one below as a starting point and adjust it to your family's traditions and timeline.
Before anything else: the muhurat and the season
For most Pune families, the wedding date starts with the muhurat. Confirm the auspicious dates with your family priest first, and ask for two or three options if possible, because the right venue and vendors may not line up with the first choice.
Keep the seasons in mind as you plan:
- Peak wedding season. Many Hindu families avoid weddings during Chaturmas, the four months from Ashadhi Ekadashi to Prabodhini Ekadashi, so muhurat dates open up again with Tulsi Vivah, shortly after Diwali. The winter months and early spring then fill quickly with venues, caterers, photographers and decorators, so start enquiring once your date is fixed. Ask your priest whether Adhik Maas or any other pause falls in your year.
- Summer. April and May are hot in Pune, but weddings continue until Chaturmas begins. Use indoor, air-conditioned spaces for daytime ceremonies and the lawn for later evenings.
- The monsoon. Pune's rains usually run from June into September, with showers possible into early October. If your date falls in this period, plan every outdoor function with an indoor alternative, and talk to your decorator about covered walkways and rain-safe lighting.
Nine to twelve months before
- Agree on the overall budget with both families, and who pays for what.
- Confirm muhurat options with your family priest.
- Ask your priest which rituals your family follows (sakharpuda, kelvan, simant pujan, halad) and which need a space of their own, so each gets its own slot and venue.
- Draft a rough guest list for each function: sakharpuda, mehendi, haldi, sangeet, wedding and reception.
- Decide which functions are combined and which are separate.
- Shortlist venues, visit them, and ask for written quotes. Ask each venue which spaces suit which function, what the quote includes and how the date is confirmed.
- Once a venue confirms your date in writing, fix the remaining dates around it.
- Find out what your marriage registrar asks for (age proof, photographs, witnesses) so registration after the wedding is not a last-minute scramble.
Six to nine months before
- Book the photographer and videographer, and agree what each function needs.
- Choose the caterer or finalise the in-house menu options. Our post on how to choose a wedding menu and our catering page can help.
- Meet decorators and settle the look for each function; our event decoration page explains how we plan it with you.
- Shortlist the bride's and groom's outfits, and start jewellery planning.
- Arrange accommodation for outstation relatives; our guide to outstation wedding guests covers arrivals and stays.
- If the engagement is still ahead, plan it now; our engagement ceremony ideas may be useful.
Four to six months before
- Finalise the guest list and collect addresses and phone numbers.
- Design and order invitation cards, and plan a digital invitation for WhatsApp.
- Book the mehendi artist, the makeup artist and the DJ or band.
- Confirm the priest and the list of pooja materials for each ritual.
- Plan transport for the varat (baraat), the bride's arrival and guests' shuttles if needed.
- Begin pre-wedding health, skin and fitness routines if you want them.
Two to three months before
- Send invitations, starting with elders and outstation guests.
- Attend menu tastings, if your caterer offers them, and fix the final menu.
- Confirm decor designs, flowers and lighting for each function.
- Plan the sangeet performances and start rehearsals; our mehendi and sangeet venue page has ideas for the evening.
- Arrange return gifts and the rukhwat display if your family keeps that tradition.
- Brief your DJ or band on the venue's music timings in writing, and ask them to keep the sound within legal noise limits.
One month before
- Have final fittings for all outfits.
- Prepare a detailed schedule for each day and share it with both families and all vendors.
- Track RSVPs and give the caterer an updated guest estimate.
- Assign a trusted relative or friend to coordinate each function.
- Confirm every vendor's arrival time, contact person and payment schedule.
- Pack the ritual items, the mangalsutra, rings and jewellery list.
The final week
- Confirm the final guest count with the caterer at the stage they ask for.
- Do a walkthrough at the venue with the decorator and the coordinator.
- Check the weather, especially in the monsoon, and confirm the indoor backup for any outdoor function.
- Prepare envelopes for vendor payments and tips, with names written on each.
- Keep an emergency kit: safety pins, a sewing kit, medicines, chargers, snacks and water.
- Rest. A bride and groom who sleep well enjoy the day far more.
On the wedding day
- Hand the schedule to your coordinator and let them run it.
- Keep a family member in charge of gifts and envelopes.
- Make sure the couple eats a proper meal; it is easy to forget.
- Take a few quiet moments together to look around and enjoy it.
Music timings and the rain plan
Agree both with us before you fix your date, because they shape the sangeet, the reception dances and any function you plan for the lawn. Music is allowed till 10 PM. If it rains, the AC hall is the backup for lawn events.
Planning your wedding at Balkrishna Banquets
Balkrishna Banquets in Mundhwa, Pune has one AC banquet hall and one open lawn, so families can hold ceremonies indoors and move to the lawn for an evening reception. We plan the decor with you and confirm what applies to your dates in writing. The wedding venue page walks through both spaces; when your muhurat options are ready, share them in an enquiry or on WhatsApp at +91 90969 99947. Reply time: same day (next morning if after 8 PM).
