One of the most exciting aspects of wedding planning is going shopping in India. Glitz and glam await and having all your clothes, jewelry, accessories and invitations just makes everything so much more real!
Before You Go
- India’s not cheap. The biggest advantage of shopping in India is the variety and availability of so many more items compared to the US, Canada, UK etc. You might end up spending the same amount you would have if you shopped at home but you’ll get so much more for it in India.
- Read up on the latest fashion trends before you go. Many stores will start to seem homogenous as everyone carries the latest trends. If you want something else, consider getting your clothes custom-made.
- Wedding Party and others’ Measurements. One of the biggest favors you can do for yourself is to have the entire wedding party’s measurements in a spreadsheet. Put it in Google Drive and print out a few copies.
- Write out all invitation text in a Google Doc as well as printed out. Make sure you’ve had at least 2 people proofread i
- If you’re going to have people RSVP online, setup the website, passwords, links etc. everything, before you leave.
Salwar Kameez measurement guide
Men’s sherwani measurement guide
Time of year
- December is a super busy time of year for shopping. Expect the best inventory, higher prices, higher competition for pieces and packed stores.
- February/March/April: lower prices and less inventory
- The monsoon season is a mixed bag. There are a lot more vacationers in India but on days with rough weather, fewer people venture outside.
- Diwali season from September – November is always busy. Loads of people are shopping, so expect higher prices and more traffic.
Bespoke Clothes
While You’re There
Make sure your invitations are mailable in the US, Canada or wherever you’re getting married. We’ve seen people’s invitation costs skyrocket when they get back because they got some unique shapes or materials that couldn’t be mailed through regular mail, and instead required special delivery.
If you’re including a response card-envelope in the invitation, complete a card yourself and make sure it’s easy to write on. Make sure the envelope is big enough to mail in the US, Canada or wherever you’re getting married. One couple we heard about, had to create an alternative means to collect RSVPs when their response envelopes were too small according to US Postal rules.
Bring back extra invitations, inserts etc.
On The Way Back
Keep the receipts organized and make sure they’re detailed: we heard about a bride whose items were seized at customs because the customs officer thought they were worth more than allowable amount. And they didn’t have their receipts or documents to prove otherwise. She didn’t get her stuff back until after the wedding! So she had to go shopping all over again in the US!
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