It takes a village, a wedding planning village

The single most important part of wedding planning is picking your DREAM TEAM of vendors. Picking the right team from the start will put you in the path of success quickly, minimize your future required efforts, and maximize the chance your wedding turns out better than you had ever imagined.

Do they pass the test?

For each vendor you select, you must make sure they pass your test:

1. Do they have a track record of past success? Ask for portfolios!

2. Do they have easily accessible reviews from real past and current clients? Check multiple review platforms to make sure there are no hidden grenades lying around! Do the reviewers look real, and have they posted reviews for other companies before or after?

3. Do other vendors in the community know and respect them? This isn’t the most important factor, but it’s certainly a cherry on top to know the vendor you are selecting is well respected in the wedding industry community.

4. Do they respond efficiently (this is a tricky one because being too available might be a sign they aren’t really in demand, but we do think it’s important the vendor won’t leave you hanging for a week plus without a reply)?

5. Do they simply claim to be the best or do their clients also widely and often claim they are the best? There is a huge difference from what we have seen with even others who try to provide a similar service to us at Shaadi Destinations. We rescue far too many couples each year who wasted weeks and months making no progress or who didn’t receive proper protections and the ample benefits they deserved.

Vendors, vendors and more vendors

But who do you need to ask these questions of? Here is a list of every vendor you will need to hire to build out your vendor dream team!

1. Caterer – Do we really need to explain? The food must be legendary, or your wedding will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. We are close friends with all the best chefs in Mexico and the Caribbean and we test their food monthly, so we can provide you with accurate and up-to-date information, pictures, and reviews here!

2. Decorator – Find a warehouse that has the aesthetic you are looking for. Send pictures of your inspiration and ask them to mockup a table or lounge set, etc. that matches your vision. See how close they can get there and review past work as well.

3. Florals – A great florist won’t mind putting together a centerpiece that is based on your inspiration pictures to show you what they are capable of. Ask away!

4. Audio Visual – Most resorts will charge very hefty fees to use an external AV vendor and it’s almost never worth going that route. Preferred AV vendors have all the equipment you need, have local storage units for last minute cable needs, and have all the liability waivers and insurance documents needed to protect you and the venue.

5. Photographer – Is there any better way to remember the most important day of your life than to look at your pictures? Needless to say, this vendor choice is critical. Past work is by far the best way to gain confidence they can produce what you are looking for. Delivery time is essential to confirm prior to hiring this vendor. Make sure it’s worth the wait to you.

 6. Videographer – Similar to photography, videography and cinematography is super important. This is the video your future kids will watch! Can the produce a compelling story line in a 12–15-minute highlight video? What’s their delivery time?

7. DJ and MC – Most couples come to us already knowing who they want to hire for this category, but we always have great recommendations! Past destination experience is always a great value add here as there is a big difference in events in the US vs in destination. How to communicate with the AV company, knowing what back-up cables to bring, and how to handle a mobile baraat in destination is really important. Can the MC also play dhol? Are you signing a contract with a DJ Company or are you signing a contract that specifies the specific DJ you love within the company? Be sure either way.

 8. Dhol – Is there a local dhol player you can leverage for the baraat? If you love having a dhol player at your evening events on the dancefloor, it may be best to hire someone from the US to fly out! Do they travel with their dhol or will you need to rent it locally?

9. Baraat – What options does the venue allow or already have contracted for couples? Some allow animals like horses, some have cart paths for vintage cars or otherwise, some have a pier where you can take a yacht or jet-ski from, some allow sky diving on to the venue, and some even allow helicopters to land on premise! The possibilities are endless, but don’t forget to ask!

10. Entertainer – Another boundless vendor category, but one you shouldn’t forget. Entertainers are easily a great way to keep up with the Indian wedding tradition of amping up weddings year to year! In recent times, aerialists pouring champagne at the cocktail hour, drone shows where hundreds of drones are launched above the venue to create designs and messages, hora loco where entertainers on stilts and with props get guests loose and grooving fast on the dancefloor, traveling bhangra troops, live painters who sketch the ceremony live, and even live musicians playing the flute during the ceremony as live background music or who can play traditional Rajasthani instruments during the cocktail hour are getting very popular.

11. Hair and Makeup Artist – An obvious one, for sure. Review past work and understand pricing. Definitely ask about how many services can be provided before each event. If you are flying someone in, be sure to see how you can also add a local company to handle the needs of your closer friends and family in a more cost-efficient way.

12. Mehndi Artist – Many of our destinations already have great mehndi talent, but depending on your taste and budget, you can certainly find amazing artists to fly in as well. Reviewing past work, ensuring they will bring enough staff for guest mehndi, and identifying if you can scale up the mehndi team with local artists is key.

13. Priest or Pundit – We have a list of Hindu Pundits and Sikh Priests who are more than willing to fly out for destination weddings, just ask us! But not to worry if you prefer to keep the travel budget lower, many of the destinations we serve already have excellent Pundits and Priests who routinely perform destination weddings each week and always get a seal of approval from past clients. The key thing here is to ensure who you hire is willing to customize the rituals and timeline of the event to meet your needs.

14. Wedding Planner – A great wedding planner can relieve you of immense stress, can make this list of siloed vendors feel like a real dream team, and can orchestrate a symphony of moving parts despite any and all obstacles including inclement weather or execution gaps by other vendors. Most importantly, great wedding planners let you enjoy each precious moment on your wedding weekend. Not having to think about if décor is being set up right, if your welcome bags reached your guests, if the food items are clearly labeled for dietary restrictions, or if family heirlooms and ceremonial items or pictures honoring loved ones who couldn’t attend are being attended to and not lost is a wonderful feeling.

15. Destination Wedding Travel Agency – Hey, that’s us! No agency has hosted as many Indian destination weddings as Shaadi Destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. We are a team of previous destination wedding brides and grooms who have come together to offer a one-of-a-kind service to guide, protect, and empower our couples to have the wedding of a lifetime that will never be forgotten. Our service and knowledge is free but couples who work with us make smarter, informed choices and save thousands (and even tens of thousands) of dollars. It’s a no-brainer to reach out to us rather than try doing everything alone, uninformed, and without the negotiation power Shaadi Destinations provides. Let’s chat 😊

Shaadi Destinations is the premier, award winning, modern-day destination wedding travel agency for South Asian couples seeking a streamlined process, incredible experiences, and a party friends and family will never forget! We save our couples thousands of dollars while throwing them the wedding festivities dreams are made of.

We live and breathe destination weddings - with just one consultation, you will be light years ahead in your destination wedding planning process. In less than one week, Shaadi Destinations will find you the most perfect resort that meets your needs, your budget, and your desires. With our vendor relationships and pre-negotiated exclusive perks at resorts across Mexico and the Caribbean, we are confident we can find exactly what you are looking for. You'll find we have the best rates, best incentives, and best booking experience.