Indian Wedding Ceremony Timeline

Happy Wedding Wednesday! Your wedding date is approaching fast and you need to get the timeline ready for your various vendors! Wondering where to start from? Here is a timeline of events specifically tailored for an Indian Wedding Ceremony. This timeline will walk you through how to plan your Wedding Day.

This is a two part series: Today we will be focusing on the Ceremony Timeline, and tomorrow we will talk about the Reception Timeline. For this post I am going to assume that the ceremony starts at 12:00pm. You can adjust this passed on your Ceremony timings. I have also included some sample songs for the Ceremony as suggestions.

Wedding Ceremony Timeline

Time	Event
9:00 AM	The wedding planner, and the hairdresser meet the bride at her residence/ hotel room.
9:30 AM	The wedding planner meets the florist, mandap decorator, DJ, and the videographer at the ceremony location. Direct them to the loading dock. Brief them about the venue logistics and set up.
9:45 AM	(1) The photographer arrives at the bride’s hotel for getting ready pictures. The make up artist meets the bride.(2) The Groom, best man and Groomsmen start getting ready at the Groom’s hotel room/ residence.
10:00 AM	The wedding planner ensures that the ceremony set up is on schedule.
10:15 AM	The wedding planner gets the boutonnieres and corsages from the florist, and helps set up the, programs on the chairs, reserved seating, memory table with a statue of Ganesha, votives, flower petals, guestbook and, pictures at the entrance of the ceremony area.
10:30 AM	(1) The ceremony setup is completed.(2) Wedding ceremony site setup photos are taken.(3) The Groom, his family, the best man and the Groomsmen arrive. (4) The limousine picks up the Bride, her father, mother, and bridal party from the Bride’s hotel room/ residence. (5) The ushers arrive at the ceremony site, and the wedding planner goes over the seating plans with them.
10:45 AM	(1) The photographer and Punditarrives at the ceremony site.(2) The DJ checks on the microphone for the Pundit, and starts playing shehnaiimusic.(3) The wedding planner sets up the pooja supplies and thalis at the mandap and flower baskets for the flower girls. (4) The Bride, Bridesmaids, and the Parents of the Bride arrive at the ceremony site. They all gather in a separate dressing room at the Ceremony Site. (5) The wedding planner hands over the marriage license and the dakshina to the Pundit. The ring bearer and the flower girls arrive at the ceremony site.
11:00 AM	(1) Pre-ceremony pictures of the Groom, his family, his best man and Groomsmen in the Ceremony Site Gardens.(2) In the mean time the Bhangra Dancers, DJ and Dhol player get ready for the Baraat.
11:05 AM	The Baraat assembles at the Ceremony Site Entrance. The Groom gets on the horse, Bhangra Dancers start dancing, and the dhol player/ DJ starts playing the music.
11:15 AM	The Baraat procession begins, as the family joins in the cerelbration.
11:40 AM	Milnis take place. The Bride’s mother performs aarti on the groom and Bride’s family welcomes the groom’s site.
11:55 AM	(1) The guests are directed to their seats by the ushers.(2) The wedding planner briefs the Bride, Groom, and bridal party on the ceremony lineup and hands the ring bearer the ring pillow, and the flower girls their baskets.
12:00 PM	The Processional music begins and DJ cues the wedding planner for the ceremony to begin.
12:02 PM	The Groomsmen escorts the Bridesmaids, the Maid of Honor enters with the Best Man followed by the ring bearer and the flower girl.
12:04 PM	DJ cues the wedding planner and changes the music. The Bride along with her parents walk down the aisle, everyone stands up.Song: “Jashn-e-Bahara” from Jodhaa Akbar
12:05 PM	The ceremony takes place.
1:00 PM	(1) Bride and Groom sign marriage certificate. (2) Aashirwaad Ceremony.
1:10 PM	The Recessional takes place.
1:15 PM	(1) Announcement made for guests to proceed to Foyer for snacks.(2) Immediate family asked to stay back for pictures at the mandap.(3) The wedding party heads for Post Ceremony Pictures.
1:30 PM	Post ceremony pictures are taken at the Ceremony Site gardens.
2:30 PM	Post ceremony pictures finish and the bridal party heads to the hotel/ bride’s residence to freshen up.

 

Wish you Good Luck as you prepare your wedding timeline! Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s post on Indian Wedding Reception Timeline.