What types of weddings can you plan?

Our team has experience with different types of Indian Weddings hosted in Portugal:

• Hindu weddings

• Sikh weddings / Anand Karaj

• Ismaili weddings

• Fusion weddings where multiple ceremonies are combined

  Additionally, our team of planners can help plan for the events surrounding the wedding ceremony such as mehndi, sangeet, haldi, mandvo, choora ceremony and more.
  

  You can look through our service page to see what types of wedding ceremonies we have helped plan and what other services we can offer.

What if I want Indian catering at my wedding?

We work with different caterers across Portugal that can provide Indian food (South Indian, Gujarati, Punjabi, vegetarian, non-vegetarian or custom), as well as a fusion of Indian and Portuguese dishes. Additionally, some of the wedding venues that we work with also provide Indian catering services.

What other vendors do you work with?

We work with DJ, photographers and florists who have experience in south asian weddings in Portugal and who will understand the particularities of an indian wedding.

Do you provide decor services for weddings?

Yes. We work with various vendors to provide you the ultimate decor for your mehndi, haldi or sangeet, as well as for your wedding, should you require a Mandap setup or only flower decorations.

Why do I need a wedding planner?

We recommend hiring a wedding planner if you are a couple that wants to have a destination indian wedding in Portugal without having to take on the stress of dealing with wedding planning.

Planning an Indian wedding can be overwhelming due to the extent of the events and guest counts. According to a recent Zola survey, 60% of couples feel overwhelmed about setting a budget and 54% don’t know where to begin their vendor search). Planning an Indian wedding in Portugal while living abroad can add to the stress as there are language and cultural barriers that could impact the planning process. There are also particularities in dealing with the vendors and the decors that an experienced planner will have come across and can offer expertise on, so that you don’t have to worry about. 

Wedding planning can also consume a lot of your time (in a recent Zola survey, 46% of couples admitted planning during their workday ) as you need to research vendors, reach out for quotes and then make a decision solely based on an e-mail and instagram pictures.

What is the difference between wedding planning and wedding coordination?

All couples will have a 100% involvement in the planning of their wedding. The nuance is in the execution of the plan. This is where a wedding planner comes into the picture. 

Wedding planning takes into account the entire process of planning the wedding in collaboration with the couple. The difference is that the planner will execute the plan, from the research of vendors, to the elaboration of the menu. When couples book a full planning service, they do not have to worry about finding vendors in a foreign country, they simply have to provide their requirements and the planner will find vendors that can execute the requirements of the couple. 

Wedding coordination suits couples that want to execute the planning themselves but want to offload the coordination of the scheduling of events to the coordinator. 

Couples that plan and execute their own wedding will have done their research and booked their own vendors. They will define the schedule of the events and provide that schedule to the coordinator, who will ensure a thorough flow of events up until the reception. This includes: ensuring that the vendors who need to setup are here on time, making sure that the execution of the decor and menu is done according to the couple’s requirements, making sure that the couple is not going through any wardrobe malfunction on the day of, making sure that the vents are starting on time. 

Couples often wonder why a coordinator is necessary, if they can offload responsibilities to a close family member or a friend. For Indian destination weddings specifically, your guests will most likely be on vacation at that time and offloading the execution of events in a foreign country where English might not be the primary language might create more tension than anything. Your guests will also have their share of stress getting ready and ensuring that they make it to the venue. As a bride or a groom, you will also want to get ready without being bothered by vendors who are arriving to setup but don’t know where to go. A day of coordinator ensures that your day runs smoothly without you having to take on that extra stress. 

How early should I start planning my wedding?

Couples who choose Portugal as their destination typically start planning their wedding a year and a half in advance. Great venues get booked as early as two years in advance. We recommend that you start planning your wedding as soon as you have a date in mind, to ensure that the venues and specific vendors that you are looking for are still available on the day of your events.

I still have questions. Can I speak with someone?

Please send us an inquiry at info@vivahportugal.com and a member of our team will get back to you as soon as possible.