How to plan a wedding in India from the US

3 min read Updated November 4, 2026

A floral mandap set up outdoors for a South Asian wedding

Many couples living in the US still marry in India, where most of the family is. Planning from 8,000 miles away is very doable, but it works differently: fewer, more deliberate trips, lots of video calls, and family on the ground doing the in-person parts. Here is how to split it up.

Plan the trips first

Most couples manage with two or three trips before the wedding. Lock in the dates early, because flights around the South Asian wedding season and the holidays fill up and get expensive.

  • First trip (12 months or more before): see venues, meet the planner and caterer, and agree the dates with both families and your priest.
  • Second trip (a few months before): outfit fittings, tastings and a walk-through of each venue.
  • Arrive early: give yourselves a week or more before the first event for final fittings and to get over jet lag.

Decide what you can approve over video

Décor mock-ups, menus, invitations, photographer portfolios and most vendor meetings work fine on a video call. Venues, outfits and anything you need to touch or taste are better in person, or handed to someone you trust.

Pick your people on the ground

A planner in India, a parent, or a sibling usually acts as your eyes and hands between trips. Agree up front what they can decide alone and what needs a call with you, and who signs vendor contracts. Give them, and everyone else helping, access to the same guest list and event details so nobody works from an old spreadsheet.

Contracts and payments

  • Get every vendor agreement in writing, with what is included, the payment schedule and the cancellation terms.
  • Decide how money will reach vendors in India, whether that is bank transfers from the US or a family account in India, and keep every receipt.
  • Check exchange rates and transfer fees before you agree on a budget, and leave a buffer.
  • Ask your bank, and an accountant if needed, about limits and reporting for large transfers.

Guests coming from the US

  • Send Save the Dates early, so friends can sort visas, leave and flights.
  • Put travel tips, hotels, airport pickups and what to wear on your wedding website.
  • Collect arrival and departure details so family in India can arrange pickups and rooms.
  • Plan a livestream for those who cannot travel, and mind the time difference: India is 9.5 hours ahead of US Eastern time while daylight saving is on, and 10.5 hours when it is off.

Keep everyone working from one place

With Pyaar & Prema, parents, siblings and your planner in India can work in the same project with their own logins. Invitations reach family on WhatsApp, guests RSVP for each event on your wedding website, and relatives who cannot travel can watch the livestream.

Frequently asked questions

Yes. Most couples make two or three trips, approve much of the planning over video calls, and rely on a planner or family in India for the in-person parts.

Usually two or three: one early to choose venues and vendors, one a few months before for fittings and tastings, and arriving at least a week before the first event.

Twelve to eighteen months is common. Popular dates and venues book early, and you will want time to schedule trips.

Give them access to the same guest list and event details. In Pyaar & Prema, collaborators get their own logins to the same project, so parents and planners can update logistics together.

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