Frequently Asked Questions

We recommend beginning the planning process 18–24 months before your wedding date. This allows sufficient time to secure your preferred venue and dates (especially at peak-season resorts), coordinate group travel bookings, and manage the complex logistics of a multi-day Indian celebration. For very large weddings (200+ guests) or high-demand destinations and peak-season resorts, 24 months is ideal. Shorter timelines of 9–12 months can still work for many celebrations — contact us to discuss your timeline.

Start with a free consultation with our team. We'll walk you through the entire process — from destination shortlisting based on your vision, guest profile, and budget, to understanding what a realistic timeline looks like. If you feel overwhelmed before you speak with us, our goal is for you to feel completely at ease afterward. The planning process has a clear structure when you have the right team.

Absolutely. We can step in at any stage. Whether you already have a venue booked, just a date, or nothing more than a vision, we'll assess where you are, identify any gaps, and take over the coordination from that point forward.

The cost varies significantly based on destination, guest count, package tier, and the scope of events. As a general guide: our Signature package starts at $8,000 CAD (planning fees only, excludes venue/catering), a full-service 100-guest 3-day wedding in Mexico (all-inclusive) typically runs $80,000–$150,000 CAD total, and a Royal-tier wedding — a private Riviera Maya villa buyout or an Atlantis Bahamas celebration for 150+ guests — can exceed $300,000 CAD. Our packages are transparent — we provide complete investment breakdowns before you commit to anything.

Our package fees cover our planning, coordination, and management services. Venue, catering, décor, travel, accommodation, and entertainment are separate costs that we help you source, negotiate, and manage. We provide fully itemized estimates so you understand the complete investment from day one.

Our packages are structured based on the real scope of work involved in managing a multi-day Indian destination wedding. That said, we understand budgets vary. Book a consultation and let's discuss what's possible within your parameters.

This is one of our core specializations. We handle group travel coordination including room block negotiations with resorts, charter or group flight arrangements, airport transfer coordination, and a dedicated travel support contact for your guests. We also advise on visa requirements for guests traveling from India and other countries. Your guests will receive a detailed travel guide and have a direct point of contact for their questions.

We provide guidance on visa requirements for all your major guest origin countries, and we connect you with trusted immigration consultants who specialize in travel visas for family gatherings. We build visa timelines into the overall planning calendar to ensure no one misses your celebration.

Most of our clients host between 75 and 200 guests. Under 50 can feel thin for a traditional Indian celebration; over 250 requires careful venue and logistics planning. The "right" number is deeply personal — some families want everyone, others prefer intimacy. We'll help you navigate those conversations.

Yes — and this is exactly our speciality. We coordinate with pandits and granthis who travel internationally or are based in your destination. We source all required ritual materials (including items that may need to be imported), arrange for a functional hawan kund or Anand Karaj setup, and work with the venue to accommodate ceremony timing and structure. We've facilitated Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, Jain, and interfaith ceremonies across all our destinations.

This depends on the destination and the type of ceremony. Many countries allow legally recognized marriages for foreign nationals — but the requirements vary. We advise all clients on the legal marriage process in their chosen destination, including whether a separate civil ceremony is required. Some couples choose to do a simple legal ceremony in Canada before or after the destination celebration.

Yes, with the right planning. We work with specialized South Asian catering partners in each destination and have experience coordinating Indian menus at resorts that have never offered them before. This involves importing spices, coordinating live stations (chaat, tandoor, mithai), and briefing local culinary teams. The result is genuine Indian food, not a "fusion compromise."

Every client gets a dedicated planner, a shared planning portal, and a WhatsApp group for quick communication. We hold structured monthly video calls to review progress and address questions. For the three months leading up to the wedding, we increase touchpoints to weekly. On wedding days, you have our team's direct numbers and we're on-site or on-call throughout.

Yes. For all packages, a senior Shaadi Sands team member is present on-site for the full duration of the wedding events. For our Luxe and Royal packages, we send a full on-site team. We do not manage weddings remotely.