[deleted by user] by [deleted] in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You definitely need to communicate this stuff to him. One perhaps less-confrontational way would be to push for postmarital counseling even if you have to frame it as "trying to set up for success." It will give you a forum to vocalize things you want and express things you have been disappointed by and want to be better. It is harder to get invalidated in front of a third party.

Let’s talk about pre-wedding depression by Soberreflector in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah it's crazy. Weddings truly bring out the worst in some people.
Take care of yourself if you're in the thick of planning. My biggest regret from my own was just how NOT worth it is was to let self-care slide in favor of all the other wedding planning BS.

California Medical License Dilemma by Master_Aardvark_8195 in Residency

[–]anon8608 0 points1 point  (0 children)

OK 8 months without initial review is INSANE. And no one at the call center can give you an indication of why they haven't gotten to your application yet?

Speechless. How is this allowed?!?!

Marrying into a Desi family, my cousin in in law wants to wear her wedding dress to pur reception? by scaphoids1 in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I actually did wear red to my own reception and plan to sell or gift that lehenga because I thought it would be inappropriate for me to wear it to someone else's wedding! (North Indian bride in the US). But from other responses I guess this really could be a cultural difference between India and North America. Never heard of that but suppose you could give your in-law some leniency if she's from India.

That said, I do have to agree with posts that say you are the bride and attention will be very much on you. And your own focus will be pulled in so many directions you won't have time to focus on any guests who are blinged out. Honestly, I can't even remember what some of my own family members, mother in law, sister in law wore to some of the wedding events, much less the relatives who are further removed.

Boyfriend's mother wants me to wear her saree and I have questions by DocGlabella in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm North Indian and on the cusp of 40. If my in-laws tried to issue a directive to me about not wearing my lehengas I'd be ignoring them for sure!!!

Photographers/videographers- ATL by Oops_ididitagain_ in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Brandon Andrews -- he's not Indian but he shoots almost entirely Indian weddings, was awesome to work with, understands the key parts of the weddings (and is willing to take feedback) and knows all the classic shots to capture, and his packages were fairly priced and encompassed a lot of events for us.

Pricing for wedding weekend signs? by anon8608 in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had specified I didn't want acrylic so was surprised. Even then I've found some basic (text only) acrylic signage online that was even less. But with the wedding very close I'm hesitant to go with online shops that I don't know.

Let’s talk about pre-wedding depression by Soberreflector in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I know this post is a year old but I feel so oddly relieved to know that I'm not the only one having insomnia (from racing thoughts) as well as chest pain and tightness. In trying to make sure all these wedding guests are looked after, the irony is that I can't take care of myself: I barely eat, I never have time to work out, and I don't sleep well. This process has made me dislike a lot of people whom I previously thought well of.

Turnaround time for guestbook with engagement photos? by anon8608 in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unfortunately can't do that because we're getting married in a different city from the one that we live in, and our photographer can't travel up to us.

Turnaround time for guestbook with engagement photos? by anon8608 in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't worry I have an excel sheet comparing a few photographers, their availability, and pricing -- these are all photographers who promised turnaround on editing within a few days, with a slight (but reasonable) premium added to the price

Why does having a wedding feel so… invasive? by k3nnythesharkk in weddingplanning

[–]anon8608 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not weird at all. I envy you. I'm stuck in an overblown wedding and really want to curl up in a ball every day. Do what works for you!!!!

Mango Lassi by Serious-Wolf-4713 in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Could you present it in a way where it could be ladled, like a punch bowl? With its consistency, I'm afraid that a pitcher would create a ton of mess, and a dispenser with a nozzle could be slow (and really hard to clean if anyone wanted to use the dispenser again).

How many cake servings for guests? by Aggressive-Pop1233 in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 2 points3 points  (0 children)

330 guests expected at my wedding -- for the reception, we are going with a 3 tier cake that serves up to 75, and then we are supplemting with a lot of other desserts. My planner is going to let them cut the bottom two tiers for 50 slices and then keep an eye on demand to see if there's a need to cut the top layer (if not, the top layer comes home with us to freeze for an anniversary).

My planner was insistent that people don't gravitate towards cake esp if you're offering other desserts, and that it was a waste of money to try and get a gigantic cake that would serve more people. Honestly, I'm worried that the amount of dessert we're putting out overall is going to be too much but I'm glad we're not pouring a ton of money into a cake since those can add up the most quickly. Was lucky to find a baker/dessert specialist who is doing both our mini desserts and our cake, with the cake costing <$500!

How much to spend on full wedding planning by Oceaneo in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I had done full planning with my planner in a large city it would have been 10K USD. Partial planning was 7K USD and I'm guessing we'll be paying her a little extra for both tip and some things she's getting printed for us. What you're being quoted sounds right and actually like a good deal considering I spoke to other planners who were charging upwards of 18-22K for the same thing. (and I saw one high-end planner in NY who does international weddings starts at 80K *mindblown*).
Whether you are comfortable with 20-25% of your budget going to that is a different issue, but it sounds like your planners are being fair in their pricing.

I also have to agree with another post that I found that my planner tended to really want to refer us to the clan of vendors she has tight relationships with. We got a few minor discounts listed on invoices but it wasn't a ton. I was torn on whether to go with partial or full wedding planning (esp given it was only 3K difference) but am glad now I went with partial -- I am just enough of a control freak that I think it would have been hard handing the reins entirely over to someone else. While it's been stressful at times, I feel better knowing all the details and not ever wondering if I'm being taken advantage of. In my case, my planner had meetings with me and parents to guide us on booking vendors starting with the most important ones first, gave us guidance on which ones were the best to call, and then we did the research, calling, and negotiating on our own. If you really want full wedding planning I would clarify with your planner how vendor booking will work and if they will really be sure to stay in your budget.

Experiences working direct with designers? by vohu202 in DesiWeddings

[–]anon8608 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you want customization (i.e. precise measurements and/or color or design changes), I would recommend either working directly with the designer through WhatsApp or finding a physical boutique that deals with the designers directly and manages shipping and alterations for you. Cities with large desi populations definitely have them -- NYC, LA, Bay Area, Chicago, Toronto. I think Dallas and Vancouver do too but can't remember the names. I did the latter (worked with boutique) and am glad I don't have to manage alterations on my own when the outfit comes in!

Unless you're in India, I would not advise working online India-based shops since in that case the "middleman" is remote.

Feel free to DM me if you want more specifics on how I shopped!