Site visits make all the difference when it comes to selling Indian weddings. Catering Sales Managers that are familiar with Indian weddings have probably experienced at least a few Indian wedding clients where a whole entourage shows up for the site visit.

The wedding venue is kind of a big deal.

The wedding venue sets the tone for the entire wedding and anchors decor, food and beverage, entertainment and everything else. So yeah, often the couple, their parents, siblings and maybe even grandparents show up for a site visit.

I’m sure some Catering Sales Managers have found that odd. After all, isn’t the decision up to the bride and groom? Well yes and no.

ProTip for Catering Managers: One of the reasons the whole family, such as the grandparents, attend the site visits is cultural. Eastern cultures by nature are collectivist. There’s a greater focus on relationships and roles and status within a social system. Western culture is individualistic where each person sees him/herself as relatively independent of others.

Read this article to understand more about collectivist vs. individualistic cultures.

Bringing the grandparents along for venue site visits is their children and grandchildren’s way of showing them respect. This gesture signals that the grandparents’ opinion and blessings are important.

{Site Visits Are When Things Get Real}

Wedding venue site visits are the bride, groom, and their family’s chance to tangibly envision what their wedding at that venue would be like.

{Rational & Emotional}

Buying one’s wedding venue is part rational decision and a lot part emotional decision. I’m sure you’ve encountered brides and mothers-of-the-bride who got emotional during site visits. It’s because being there makes the whole thing so real.

So take that and run with it. Point out these finer details that appeal to your clients’ emotions that also happen to be things your competitors aren’t talking about.

• Where the bride can watch the baraat as it’s happening
• The bride’s path from behind-the-scenes to entering for the ceremony
• Where the milni will take place (North Indian and Punjabi weddings only).
• Layout options of the ballroom for the reception
• Any outdoor cocktail hour options
• Options of where the escort cards could be setup
• Where the hospitality room will be and the setup details, policies, costs

{Conclusion}

Catering Sales Managers that take the time to understand Indian culture and the emotional aspects of buying a wedding venue will do so much better in closing Indian weddings.

Above, you’ll find 7 specific, non-obvious details that will impress clients if catering managers bring them up during site visits. All the best!

---

I hope this article has been helpful to you. If you have comments, questions or stories you’d like to share, feel free to post them in the comments below. Follow ShaadiShop on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest – whatever your preferred media is, as we frequently publish articles for venue sales and catering teams.

Schedule a demo to learn more about marketing your venue on ShaadiShop. We offer low investment packages for venues just starting out in Indian weddings as well as options for venues looking to increase marketshare and still options for venues that are knee-deep in Indian weddings seeking consulting and more personalized services.

---

 

Contact us for more info.

---

{ShaadiShop Testimonials}

“We just booked a full Indian wedding through ShaadiShop at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort. In addition to the business, we appreciate the exposure ShaadiShop creates about our venue, as the couple didn’t know about our resort until ShaadiShop told them about us. Additionally, we appreciate the pre-qualification work that ShaadiShop does to match couples and venues that are a good fit for each other. We had all the info needed to conduct the initial meeting. What a great service for venues to market to the South Asian community!” – Angie Florence, Catering Manager at The Waterfront Beach Resort, Huntington Beach, CA

---

“We’re so glad we joined ShaadiShop to market this hotel to the South Asian community in the Orange County area. Every wedding we close from their leads returns more than 3x our investment. Moreover, they pre-qualify leads and educate consumers creating a much better sales cycle for our catering team. Venues looking to reach this market, join ShaadiShop!” – Ryan Hurd, Catering Sales Manager, Wyndham Anaheim Garden Grove

---

“Shaadishop helped me not only find venues but also understand how they work, the fees, and tips that I wouldn’t have otherwise known. Definitely a need service in the desi community. “ Hinna S., Bride

---

“Cannot say enough good things about the service from Samta and ShaadiShop who helped us research venues for our wedding this year. We wanted a non-hotel venue, and to get married within 6 months. ShaadiShop immediately found us venues, contacted them and educated us about all the things we needed to think about while selecting a venue. They put all the info together in a fabulous, super impressive, spreadsheet that helped us compare venues – seriously amazing and such a great help. Working with them made the whole stressful process MUCH easier and I can’t believe it was all free! ShaadiShop’s website is fantastic and such a great service for South Asians – so glad I found them!” Anjli S., Bride

---

“We’re so glad we used ShaadiShop to book our venue. The info on the website is amazing and then they gave us such personalized attention! They were such a valuable resource for selecting venues, helping us understand policies and logistics. Their suggestions saved us a lot money too! They really understood us, what we wanted and helped us get it. AND it’s free! So glad there’s a service like this for South Asians. Awesome that there’s something like this for South Asians!” Janki K., Bride

---

“I worked with ShaadiShop to find a venue for my daughter’s wedding. The website is easy to use and has so much useful information. ShaadiShop made everything easy for me – getting quotes, suggesting venues, explaining fees and policies. Most importantly, my daughter and son-in-law are happy with the venue. ShaadiShop is a great and service for our community. I’m so glad I found them!” Charu S. Bride’s Mother