Over the past 25 years, we have worked with thousands of amazing couples across the world. Recently we have seen many couples spend a lot of time, money and energy trying to figure out what to do. Across the world we have seen Indian wedding ceremonies online and in person that might've really benefited from this blog. Although we can't help them, we would like to help you in your planning process. We have some great tips that will make everything smoother and better. 

When making this blog we kept our couples in mind. Half of the Indian weddings we DJ are with both the bride and groom being of South Asian descent (Hindu, Christian or Muslim). The other half of the weddings we do are mixed or fusion weddings where one person is from South Asian descent and the other is not (White, Black, Hispanic or Asian). 

10 Tips for an Indian Wedding Baraat Notes:

• We have seen how couples, their families and guests react when these tips weren't followed
• The baraat needs to reflect your tastes and style 
• This blog should help you figure out what you want and need. 

These are ranked in terms of importance.

10 Tips for an Indian Wedding Baraat

Here is an example of our baraat's

1) Think about the time of year

If you are booking the venue one year in advance, you will have a good idea of how the weather will be next year. Some couples will visit a venue in the spring and plan a wedding for the winter. In their minds everything will be the same. You have to think about how your venue will look when you are getting married. During winter will it be so cold that no one will want to go outside for the baraat? In the summer will it be so hot that people keep running back and forth between the indoor AC and your baraat? If you are booking less than 12 months in advance, look up how the weather was a year before your wedding in the city you are getting married. This may seem obvious but so many couples accidentally overlook it. 

2) Backup Plan

Often couples see fun videos and photos online of baraats and say "I want that". You can be faced with a lot of different obstacles which we will discuss in this blog. The purpose of the 10 Tips for an Indian Wedding Baraat is to help couples. Even if you think there is absolutely no chance needed for a backup plan, make one. This will save you a lot of hassle later. If you want a free timeline so you have the right flow of events, fill out the form on this site and we will send it to you. 

3) Music

This can be anything you want. Keep your guests in mind and think about songs that most of them will enjoy. This can be all Indian but it doesn't have to be, we can play anything you want. Since we do a lot of fusion weddings, we know how to turn this into a great time for everyone. Some of the best footage of the groom having a great time usually comes from the baraat. Check out this video. 

3) How long should it be? 

You probably wanted this to be long, but make sure everyone including your families, vendors and priest are trying to move at the pace you want. Sometimes there is a lack of communication which causes things to go off schedule. Having a planner may help you with problem. Check out our list of suggestions for planners. The longest baraat we have ever done was 2 hours. The shortest was 5 minutes. 

4) Water

Whether its hot or cold outside, you need to stay hydrated. Its a lot more important during spring and summer seasons than winter and fall but its needed all year round. Typically during warmer months there is a lot of ice in it and during colder there is little to no ice. Have a water station where the baraat ends for sure. If you can have two, then do it where the baraat starts also. 

5) Route

Keep the route short so you can spend more time dancing and less time walking. If the route is too long you will need to constantly keep moving which your guests will not enjoy. The most fun part of the baraat is usually when everyone is dancing in one place without walking. Try to pick a route that will look good in your pictures and video. No route can be perfect but you can avoid ones that are really bad. 

6) Your ride

Over our 25 years of djing Indian weddings, we have seen so many different ways the grooms can enjoy their baraats. Most choose horses, and you can contact Shannon for these services. They usually come riding the horse but you can also get a carriage to ride with a sibling, parents or best men. Its meant for a max of 4 people. Some grooms may ride along in a car. This can be a family member of friends car. You can also rent cars based on your tastes (sports, luxury, muscle, truck, etc). We have seen many other ways including speed boats, gondolas, jet-skies, motorcycles, Slingshots, helicopters and even elephants. Check out one of our baraat's featuring an elephant. 

7) Special Effects 

Since baraat's are one of the only times the groom can truly have his moment, you have to make it lit. Couples have been looking for ways to make their wedding different. Special effects is the way to go. Check out this video where we show you some of the fun things we can do. The Co2 canon for a spring or summer baraat is a must. Not only does it look amazing in pictures and video but it will help cool you down. Smoke bombs and confetti look amazing all year around. If you are looking to make your baraat epic, contact us today. 

8) How do you battle the heat? 

Glad we covered the ice cold water above but there are of other things you can do. Personalized umbrellas, sun glasses and sun screen can be given out as favors during and it will help keep everyone cool. Give your guests fans to beat the heat. These can be paper fans or small battery operated fans. 

9) How do you battle the cold?

It may seem obvious to you that during winter time people will wear their coats and jackets but that may not be the case. Let them know on their invitation, RSVP confirmation, wedding emails and any other chance you get. This way they can figure out what they want to wear and how to stay warm. Personalized shawls and gloves can also be given out as favors and it will help keep everyone warm. Along with the water mentioned earlier, you should keep warm drinks outside like tea, coffee and hot chocolate. If all else fails, alcohol and dancing will keep them warm. Here is an example of one of our winter baraats:

10) Rain/Snow 

If you are lucky enough to know ahead of time that its going to rain or snow on your big day, move to your backup plan a week before the wedding. Worse case scenario you moved inside and the weather is great outside. Use the outside for your first look, bride and groom photos, bridal party pictures and family pictures post the wedding. In most cases, its the other way around. You keep telling yourself it wont rain but it does and you don't have a backup plan or you didn't use it. We usually bring inclosed vehicles which makes it possible for us to still provide our services in the rain. Check with your photo and video team to see if they will cover your event in the rain. Most will not since it will ruin their cameras. Don't risk it and move inside. If you want a free timeline so you have the right flow of events, fill out the form on this site and we will send it to you. 

A wedding is the happiest moment in your life and you should vendors that you love. Over our 25 years of bringing joy to thousands of couples, the DJ Riz Entertainment team has been a part of thousands of couples dream wedding weekends. Given these points, if you would like to talk about music and lighting for your wedding contact us here. 

If you liked the 10 Tips for an Indian Wedding Baraat blog, check out our blogs focused on Venues,  Vendors, and Music.