The Velvet Knot Journal
Wedding planning,
demystified.
Honest guides on cost, timelines, traditions, and what really happens behind a well-planned Indian wedding.
Joota Chupai: The Shoe Stealing Ritual, and How to Keep It Fun
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Joota chupai is the ritual in which the bride’s sisters and cousins steal the groom’s shoes when he removes them to enter the mandap, then refuse to return them until he pays a ransom. It is the most theatrical piece of comedy […]
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Sehrabandi: The Groom’s Ceremony Before the Baraat Leaves
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Sehrabandi is the ceremony at the groom’s home in which a veil of flowers or beads, the sehra, is tied to his turban just before the baraat departs. It is the groom’s equivalent of the bride’s chooda ceremony, and it marks the […]
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Chooda and Kalire: The Punjabi Bride’s Bangle Ceremony Explained
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 The chooda ceremony is the Punjabi ritual in which the bride’s maternal uncle gifts her a set of red and ivory bangles on the morning of her wedding. Kalire, the golden umbrella-shaped ornaments, are then tied to them by her sisters and […]
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Mehndi Ceremony: Meaning, Rituals, Regional Styles and What Actually Happens
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 The mehndi ceremony is the henna function held one to two days before an Indian wedding, where the bride’s hands and feet are decorated in intricate patterns. It is part ritual, part celebration, and in most families the most relaxed event of […]
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NRI Wedding Venue Selection in India: How to Choose and Contract a Venue You Have Never Seen
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Never book an Indian wedding venue off a gallery. Run a live video walkthrough on your shot list, send a trusted proxy, verify capacity by seated dinner rather than the brochure number, and get vendor policy, closing time, wet-weather plan and room […]
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Planning an Indian Wedding on a Short Trip: The NRI Two to Three Week Execution Plan
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Budget 16 to 21 days on the ground, and treat that trip as execution, not planning. Venue, date, planner, guest list and the big four vendors should all be contracted from abroad 6 to 12 months earlier. Only four things truly need […]
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NRI Wedding Trousseau Shopping in India: The Logistics and Money Guide
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 A bespoke bridal lehenga usually needs three to six months and two or three fittings, longer than any NRI shopping trip. So decide first: commission early with remote fittings, buy off the rack and alter, or use an overseas stockist. Budget Rs […]
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NRI Wedding Money Transfer to India: How to Move, Hold and Spend the Budget Without Losing Lakhs
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Move wedding money through an NRE account, not a parent’s resident account: NRE funds stay freely repatriable, NRO funds do not. On a Rs 60 lakh wedding a 1 to 3 percent exchange rate spread costs Rs 60,000 to Rs 1.8 lakh, […]
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Visas for Wedding Guests Coming to India: The NRI Family Guide
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 Every guest holding a foreign passport needs permission to enter India, and the right answer differs by category. Indian passport holders need nothing. OCI cardholders need a valid card matched to a current passport. Most other foreign nationals use the official e-Visa […]
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Planning an Indian Wedding from New Zealand: The Complete NRI Guide
By Team Velvet Knot · Reviewed by senior planners · Updated for 2026 There are no direct flights from New Zealand to India, so every guest faces an 18 to 24 hour one-stop journey. Plan one consolidated trip, not three. Budget NZD 60,000 to NZD 210,000 for a 200 to 300 guest wedding, and avoid […]
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