Project Management 1

Destination Wedding in Varanasi

PRESTIGE INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

AND RESEARCH, INDORE

Project Management Assignment

Sem III – F

TOPIC: DESTINATION WEDDING IN VARANASI HOSTING 100

GUEST WITH BUDGET OF INR 30 LAKHS

SUBMITTED TO SUBMITTED BY:

Name: Dr. Ranjana Patel Ma’am Name (s):

AyushiAgrawal (1121213992)

KinjalkRajpurohit (1121214320)

MridulMundhra (1121213634)

RichaAgrawal (1121213717)

Yusuf Takliwala (1121213704)

MBA FT Sem. 3 Section-F

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Index
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Indian Weddings - Overview

India, one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse countries in the world, is home to a
variety of wedding rituals that range from elegant and sophisticated to exquisitely detailed. The
idea that entire families and communities are involved when an Indian couple marries
contributes to the intricacy.

According to wedding professional, “Indian weddings have historically been seen as a union of
two families rather than just the bride and groom. The wedding might last from three days to a
week and usually has a number of events.”

Mehendi and Sangeet

"Sangeet is a chance for friends and family of the bride and the groom to meet together. They
communicate with one another, dance, sing, and play instruments. They occasionally even make
fun of the bride and groom. The bride's family is throwing the celebration, which also serves as
chance for the families' members to meet one another.

An Indian bride participates in a Mehendi ritual at the Sangeet, when she and her female family
members and friends come to get henna applied. Two or three women are hired to do the actual
designs for the bride and her female guests in the traditional Mehendi ritual.Using a paste made
from dried and powdered henna leaves, the artisans paint complex designs on the hands or feet of
the bride and her loved ones. Henna is thought to protect against evil, encourage conception, and
draw good energy to the soon-to-be married pair.

The groom is supposed to find the names of the bride and groom that are "hidden" in the bride's
artwork. There is also a proverb that states the closer the tie between a husband and wife will be,
as well as how well the bride will get along with her mother-in-law, the darker the henna colour.
Therefore, brides frequently allow henna to dry for up to eight hours!.

The Wedding Procession

The day of the majority of Indian wedding ceremonies begins with the groom being led to the
altar by his friends and family in a procession. The groom makes his dramatic entry during this
"ceremony inside a ceremony," known as the baraat, while mounted on a white horse. A lengthy
line of his relatives and friends welcome him inside while singing, dancing, and yelling
traditional Indian greetings. It's an exciting show!

Subsequently, the bride and her family welcome the groom, and the pair exchange MilniMalas,
floral neckpieces. These represent how they accept one another.
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The groom wears a long jacket called a Sherwani and fitting pants called Churidars during the
Baraat. He has a large, ornate brooch called a Kalgi placed to the Safa, or turban, that he wears
as a head covering.

The groom and his entire family are warmly welcomed by the bride's parents and other relatives,
including uncles and aunts. They then lead the groom and members of his family to the altar,
where they are given special seating.

The Ritual within the Mandap

Hindu marriages often take place outside under a Mandap, though it may also be constructed
indoors in inclement weather. One of the four parents is represented by each of the wedding
canopy's four pillars.

At the Mandap during the ceremony, any siblings and both sets of parents rise up. It is frequently
the bride's maternal uncle who leads her down the aisle because the father is already at the altar.
The brother of the bride is also included in the event. The bride and groom get rice from him,
and they then toss it into the ritual fire pit.

The Mandap is elegantly decorated towers or pipes enhanced with curtains, fabric, and flowers,
the officiant, bride, groom, and bride's parents sit beneath the Mandap. The sacred fire stands
front and centre underneath the Mandap. For safety, the fire can be kept small and contained in a
brazier or dish. “Agni” the god of fire, is said to sustain life and thus gives life to the marriage.

The ceremony begins with the bride's parents presenting her in a custom known as KanyaDaan.
The Mangalphera, or "walk around the fire," is a ritual in which the bride and groom clasp hands
and circle the contained fire.

Each time the bride and groom circle the fire, it stands for one of their main life objectives:
Dharma, which is morality; Artha, which is wealth; Kama, which is self-gratification; and
Moksha, which is spirituality.

The Pandit, who chants verses throughout the ritual, links them together while they conduct the
Mangalphera. The couple rushes to their seats as soon as they are finished walking around the
fire, since it is said that whoever sits down first will be the dominant one in the marriage.

Another tradition involves the priest taking the bride and groom's scarves and tying them before
having them walk around the fire. To conclude the prayers, each person is given a mixture of
flowers, rice, and herbs to offer to the sacred fire at the mandap'scentre. This method is known as
Havan.

Seven steps are taken as they make a commitment to stand by one another and coexist
peacefully. This is Saptapadi. Each step symbolizes a marriage vow, a commitment to one
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another and a promise to look out for one another. The priest bestows blessings for a bountiful
harvest, good fortune, everlasting joy, progeny, peace, and friendship.

In order to signify that the bride is now a married woman, the groom will then apply a red
powder to the middle of her forehead and tie a necklace made of gold, black, and occasionally
diamond beads around her neck. The bride's present from the groom is known as the
mangalsutra.

Friends and families will also shower the newlyweds with flowers in hopes of their happiness
and prosperity.

The Reception Feast

An Indian wedding menu is often served buffet style, since many items involve a gravy sauce or
“Makhani” and would be difficult to serve pre-plated. A typical menu might feature seven to 10
appetizers followed by four or five main entrées, plus rice, yogurt, salad, and naan, a type of
bread.

At the end of the meal, a wide variety of Indian cookies and sweets are served, such as silver-
wrapped cashews, kaju, which is a fig-filled cookie, halva, and others made from heavy cream,
cheese, and nuts.The food never ends! Once the buffet is opened, it’s replenished all night, as are
the desserts.

Anywhere from 300 to 500 people are usually invited to a typical Indian reception. To them, it’s
a celebration with family and friends and the people within their society.

The grander scale also is apparent in the way the bride and groom are showcased at the
reception. Indian couples are typically seated on a raised stage, which is beautifully decorated.
Elaborate structures, backdrops, drapes, fabric, flowers, and candles are all involved in bringing
attention to the special couple.

The BouBhat takes place on the afternoon following the wedding day. The groom’s family and
friends are invited for lunch, and the close relatives of the bride are also invited. At this event,
the bride is formally invited into the family, the groom pledges responsibility for her food and
clothing, and as a sign of fulfilling that pledge, he gives her a new sari and serves her food.

Blessings: The Aashirwad

Sometime after the wedding, the families hold the Aashirwad ceremony, where they exchange
gifts. The bride’s parents, close relatives, and family friends go to the groom’s house and give
him their blessings, maybe along with a token gift. In like manner, the groom’s family goes to
the bride’s house and offers their blessings. Usually, the bride is given gold or diamonds on this
occasion by his parents.
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But Aashirwad is really about the blessings. Aunts and uncles from both sides come to give their
blessings to the new couple. In a culture that highly values the input of the elder family
members, this is perhaps the most appropriate way to begin married life.

Varanasi –Spiritual Capital of India

Varanasi is known as one of the oldest inhabited cities in the whole world. Many historians and
experts believe that it is as old as five thousand years and some claim that it is even older.
However, since ancient times only, the charm and beauty of Varanasi have been an unmatched
spectacle.

Even today, if you want to witness something sacred and soulful then you should head to
Varanasi. The vibe of the city, as a symbol of spirituality, is such that those who want to attain
nirvana in this life have an intense desire to die here.

Thus, many also call Varanasi, the Spiritual Capital of India. The magic about Varanasi lies in its
ancient architecture and its association with Vedanta. It is believed that Lord Shiva himself had
once walked upon this very land and founded the city of Kashi, i.e. Varanasi.

Varanasi, being spiritually rich and sacred city provides spectacular backdrops with the river
Ganges running through it and its numerous ghats that make it look so ethereal. The vibrant
colors of red and orange breathe life into the city, painting a breathtaking picture while the colors
of the city are in harmony with the sky during sunset, and the river reflects a painting of its own.
All this makes it a beautiful destination for weddings.

Project Title

Siddharth Sharma and Kiara Agrawal destination wedding, to be held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

Important Dates

Wedding dates – 10th and 11th January 2023

Engagement date – 10th may 2022

Project initiation date – 15th May 2022

Project timeline – 8 months (15th may 2022 – 15th January 2023)

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PHASE 1 - Initiation

1. DEFINE PROJECT GOALS

- To organize a country themed wedding in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh to accommodate
100 guests.
- Help the couple implements and manage all necessary tasks within the scope of this
project that are required to host a successful wedding event.
- Work within the couple’s budget, providing professional, detailed, and caring
services at reasonable rates.
- Assist and guide the couple in making informed decisions by evaluating vendor
contracts and recommending clarifications.
- Provide support and solutions to unexpected occurrences.
- Finalize and execute the wedding program.

2. BUSINESS CASE

This charter proposes the business case of planning a destination wedding for Siddharth Sharma
and Kiara Agrawal, named the 8-month Wedding Project. This project has been initiated in
response to Siddharth Sharma’s engagement by his parents. It aims to provide the couple with a
legal wedding, a memorable wedding experience and leave all parties involved with a sense of
enjoyment and satisfaction. The wedding is to be held in Varanasi on the 10 th and 11th of January
2023, given the time constraint of 8 months, budget restricted to 30 lacs INR, and invitation list
of 100 attendees.

3. PROJECT CHARTER

With a budget of INR 30 Lacs and a timeline of eight months, Prestige Wedding Planners will
successfully plan and oversee the Siddharth Sharma and Kiara Agrawal wedding to the extent
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that the happy couple will be legally wed with 150 attendees in the holy city of Varanasi on
January 10th and 11th , 2023.

Project Name: Siddharth Sharma and Kiara Agrawal Destination Wedding plan in Varanasi,
Uttar Pradesh.

Project Description: To provide a quality wedding and meet the couple’s satisfaction and
expectations

Project Objectives: The team at Prestige Wedding Planners will plan your wedding in
alignment with the preferences you have provided. Each deliverable selection will be clearly
communicated to you and you will have an opportunity to review and give final approval. Once
you approve each item, we will implement the chosen solution.

Project Deliverables: Assist in hiring, coordination and execution of local vendors for the
following services:

- Food and beverage service

- Venue for ceremony and reception
- Music and entertainment
- Flowers and decorations
- Attires

Project Risks: Weddings themselves bring with them special risks. The major risk is the
possibility of the wedding requirements, preparation and coordination might go over the
designated budget. There is also the possibility of any members of the entourage will have an
uncontrollable circumstance like illness. Possible risks include wedding cancelled, wedding date
changed, music/entertainment below quality, catering below quality, photography and
videography not up to the mark and others.

Project Budget: Not to exceed INR 30 Lacs

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Project Milestones: 

● 20/5/2022 - Review and sign necessary contracts

● 30/6/2022 - Select venue
● 1/7/2022 to 30/9/2022 - Select entertainment, decorator, caterer
● 15/10/2022 - Determine audio-visual, photography, video needs
● 31/10/2022 - Secure Transportation to Varanasi, finalize attires
● 15/11/2022 – finalize choreographer, photographer, videographer and beautician
● 30/11/2022 - Prepare and circulate invitations
● 31/12/2022 – Confirm attendees, collect all the collaterals and attires
● 10/1/2023 – Arrival at Varanasi early morning
● 10/1/2023 to 11/1/2023 – Enjoy the events!!
● 14/1/2023 - Final payments due

Project Team Members:

Role Name
Overall Project Manager Mridul
Manager – Production Yusuf
Manager – Hospitality Ayushi
Manager – Entertainment Richa
Manager – Logistics Kinjalk
Manager – Food & Beverage Saksham

4. PROJECT STAKEHOLDERS
- Parents of Bride and Groom – Responsible for funding the 8-month wedding
project, setting the budget and time constraints and setting the requirement of a 200
attendees guest list along with the legality of the wedding.
- Bride and Groom – Responsible for making the decisions and approving the choices
and schedule proposed by the Project Manager.
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- Guests – They are not responsible for any aspects of this project. However, their
satisfaction is integral to the satisfaction of the couple and their parents. A primary
goal of this project is to please all the guests invited to the wedding.
- Project Team Members – Work with the project manager for coordinating and
implementing tasks for successful completion of this project.

PHASE 2 - Planning

1. Define Scope
In Scope
Scope/Major Deliverables/Proposed Process:
The project deliverables shall include: wedding ceremony and reception site arranged and fully
decorated; catered dinner; cake; wedding music; photographer; guest list; guestbook, wedding
invitations; wedding day schedule; wedding day transportation; ceremony programs, wedding
dress, hair, makeup, and accessories, groom attire

Out of Scope
The main thing out-of-scope is control of the weather, traffic, and going over budget.
Also, the proposed budget will not cover:
∙Cost of wedding dress and bridesmaid dresses
∙Cost of Wedding rings
∙Groom and groomsmen attire
∙Honey moon
∙Transportation of guest
∙Lodging of guest
∙Bachelor/ bachelorette party
∙Wedding rehearsal dinner
∙Hair and makeup

The project will not be accountable for the listed deliverables: bridesmaid luncheon, bachelorette
party venue and date, bachelor party venue and date, bridal party venue and date, bridesmaid
dresses, groomsmen outfit, honeymoon, gifts for the bridal party; wedding rings

The Project Team will bring about these deliverables by: providing a breakdown of budget
allocations; researching costs of services, reservations, and products needed for the wedding;
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providing a detailed breakdown of booking choices, including ceremony and reception sites,
catering arrangements, cake arrangements, choices of wedding decors and themes, choices of
wedding music, photographer choices; arranging wedding attire, fittings, and alterations;
providing a detailed schedule of tasks that need to be carried out in a timely matter by week for
the wedding; developing and analysing the proposed choices and ensuring that it aligns with
budget available; ensuring that all bookings, reservations, and arrangements for services,
products, equipments are made in a timely matter; developing a contingency plan in case of
problems.

2. Project plan

3. Budget baseline
a. Management fees of Event Planner – 3,00,000
b. Travel to Varanasi and back home (25 pax)
- train tickets (2 way) – 60,000
- Station to hotel cabs + coolie (2 way for all the guests) – 15,000
c. Day 1 - 10/1/2023
- Breakfast (100 pax): 250 per person – 25,000
- Lunch (100 pax): 600 per person - 65,000
- High tea (80 pax): 150 per person - 12,000
- Sangeet Dinner (100 pax): 800 per plate - 80,000
- Fireworks and pyros - 50000
- Music DJ – 5000
- Choreographer – 15000
d. Day 2 – 11/1/2023
- Breakfast (100 pax): 250 per person – 25,000
- Lunch (100 pax): 600 per person - 65,000
- Mayra event music: 20000
- High tea (80 pax): 150 per person - 12,000
- Band – 25000
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- Pandit for phera and all poojas - 21000

- Reception dinner (100 pax): 1200 per plate – 120000
- Cake - 5000
e. Day 3 – 12/1/2023 (Departures)
- Breakfast (100 pax): 250 per person – 25,000
- Tiffin (100 pax): 250 per person – 25000
f. Sundry expenses
- Dhol, photographer, makeup artist – 1,00,000
- Local sight-seeing – 35,000
- Emergency services (3 cabs, ambulance, fire control) – 25,000
g. Hotel stay- 5 lakh (2 days)
h. Garden and decor- 5.5 lakh (2 days)
i. Jewellery and clothes - 6,00,000

Total Estimated Budget is – Rs.

4. Define roles and responsibilities

5.
Role Name Responsibilities
Overall Project Manager Mridul Overall supervision of the project

Manager – Production Yusuf Stage setup, venue decoration and lights and
sound

Manager – Hospitality Ayushi Arrival and departure of guests, room

allocation, sending event reminders and other
miscellaneous tasks as and when they arise
Manager – Entertainment Richa Artist management, music system, couple
entries and fireworks
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Manager – Logistics Kinjalk Arranging vehicles for guests and their

luggage from and to railway station and
airport, arranging for vehicles for artists and
ensuring stand-by vehicles for emergency
needs
Manager – Food & Beverage Saksham Food quality check, floating of snacks, timely
arrangement of food stalls, other tasks as and
when they arise

6. Proposed Vendors List

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Phase 3- Execution
Execution is all about delivering the promises made during the pitch and giving the plans a
shape. It is the most practical stage in the process of wedding planning and all the success of a
wedding depends upon the execution.

Here is the timeline of execution for Sid and Kiara’s wedding:

8 months before date:

 Draft up your guest list: a preliminary guest list was made and around 100 guests were
named to witness the wedding in the city of Varanasi. This is important step as it is
directly related to your budget.
 Decide on a country or region: The venue and date was decided, also we made sure to
check which seasons have the best weather (and no hurricanes).
 Work out budget: we worked on the budget and the wedding contract stating which all
services will be rendered and excluded deliverables. This includes most of the typical
wedding items, but also travels expenses like airfare and accommodations.

6 months before date:

 Send out Save the Dates: For a destination wedding, we send them out early in order to
give the guests plenty of time to make travel and accommodation arrangements (and
plenty of notice to save up their vacation days!).
 Plan any additional wedding-related events: Since destination weddings require travel
for almost all parties involved, they're naturally longer celebrations. We have considered
hosting additional events, such as a welcome party or post-wedding brunch. Planning
these events early will enable us to add them to our RSVP card.
 Work with your wedding venue and caterer to create the menu: we finalized the venue
and caterer and discussed the menu as per our requirement and budget. Also booked and
reserved them for our wedding date.
 Finalized entertainment & decorator: along with the menu and venue we have booked the
production team, decorator to avoid last minute rush and save some bucks in early bird
offer.

4 months before date:

● Determine audio-visual, photography, video needs: After discussing the wants and desire
of the couple and their family about the Videography, photography and AV aids, our
team got in search of perfect vendor to cater our demands.
● Secure Transportation to Varanasi: To avoid long waiting list and high fairs, tickets for
20 people boarding to Varanasi from Indore via Bhopal were booked.
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● Schedule dress fitting and get the wedding attire design finalize: Wedding dresses for
both bride and groom were finalized from their favorite boutique.

2 months before date:

● Finalize the guest list and get those invitations out! : Early yes, but also necessary when
planning a destination wedding.
● Continue booking vendors: We have our venue and caterer locked in by now. We did
book the following:
 DJ or Band
 Cake Maker
 Rentals & Linens
 Hairstylist/Makeup Artist
 Choreographer
 Photographer and videographer

1 month before date

 Arrange welcome bags for your guests: They may include a welcome note, wedding
itinerary, maps, locally made treats, or travel-sized essentials.
 Finalize and confirm:
 Tickets and hotel bookings.
 Guest list and meal.
 Panjit ji and all other accessories required in the ceremony.
 Shot list with your photographer/videographer.
 Menu, beverage, and catering details.
 All rental delivery times and pickups.
 Song list for ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception with your DJ and/or
band/musicians.
 Timeline for the reception and who's giving the toasts.
 Confirm attendees/guests: Through phone call we confirmed the presence of each guest
for making necessary arrangement for them.
 Collect all the collaterals and attires: We then collected all the collaterals and finalized
dress for the wedding couple.

15 days before date

 Start putting a packing list together: we gave ourselves plenty of time so that no items are
overlooked.
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 Send anything we can't take with us on the plane to our on-site wedding coordinator (i.e.
any reception decorations, wedding favors, welcome bag items or paper goods): We made
sure to use a trusted and timely shipping method and get insurance for our package(s).
 Put together your own Wedding Emergency Kit.
 Speaking of emergencies: Check the weather report, and if things look iffy contact our
venue to make sure a contingency plan is in place.
 Final payments for vendors.

One day before the event

 Arrive at our wedding destination: we wanted to show up a few days ahead of our guests
so we're there to greet them. we also:
 Do a walk-through of your ceremony and reception venue.
 Meet with your coordinator and other vendors.
 Have a tasting with your caterer/cake maker.
 Make sure welcome bags will be delivered to guests' rooms.
 Make sure makeup & hairstylist are available.

D-Day of Event

 Managed and control the event: we out looked the flow and management of the event.
We also anticipated the last minute needs and wants of the guests to make necessary
arrangements.
 Anticipated risks and mitigated them.