W Square has produced South Asian and fusion weddings across Northern California for more than 15 years: DJ, MC, sound, lighting, LED walls and special effects for mehndi, sangeet, baraat, ceremony and reception. This guide is what we would tell a couple on day one of planning a Bay Area Indian wedding, based on the venues and events we have actually worked.
Picking your region
The Bay Area is really several wedding markets. Each one changes your venue options, guest travel and production plan.
San Francisco
Grand hotel ballrooms, City Hall ceremonies and waterfront event spaces. We have produced weddings at the Palace Hotel, the Westin St. Francis, The Pearl, the Julia Morgan Ballroom, Fort Mason and the Golden Gate Park Celebration Garden, and W Square is a qualified vendor with the San Francisco City Hall Events Office.
City venues come with city logistics. The Pearl and the Julia Morgan Ballroom load in from the street, so setup timing matters. The Celebration Garden in Golden Gate Park has no power, so sound for a ceremony there has to be fully self powered. See San Francisco weddings.
Peninsula
Hotel receptions and historic estates between Burlingame and Palo Alto, including Grand Bay Hotel, Kohl Mansion and the Los Altos History Museum. Smaller historic properties often mean tighter footprints, so plan the DJ, dance floor and lighting placement early. See Peninsula weddings.
San Jose and the South Bay
The heart of the Bay Area’s South Asian community, with hotel ballrooms that handle large guest counts and estates in the hills. W Square is a preferred vendor at the San Jose Marriott and Saratoga Springs, and has produced weddings at Hayes Mansion, Villa Montalvo and Silver Creek Valley Country Club. See San Jose and South Bay weddings and our San Jose Marriott page.
East Bay and Tri Valley
Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon and Danville offer country clubs, event centers and wineries with easy parking. W Square is a preferred vendor at Canyon View and Castlewood Country Club. At Palm Event Center we provide sound and DJ while the venue’s in house company handles lighting, which is a good example of why you should ask every venue what production it requires or includes. See East Bay and Tri Valley weddings.
Napa and Sonoma
Wine country weddings are often a full weekend with guests staying on site. We have worked Carneros Resort, The Estate Yountville, Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Silverado. Outdoor ceremonies and tented receptions here make power and sound planning a bigger part of the job. See Napa and Sonoma weddings, Carneros Resort, The Estate Yountville and Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn.
Beyond the Bay
Many Bay Area couples choose a destination within driving distance: Monterey and Carmel Valley, Sacramento and Elk Grove, the Central Valley, or San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles, where W Square is a preferred vendor at La Lomita Ranch. See all areas we serve.
Planning each event
A South Asian wedding is a series of events, and each one needs something different from your DJ and production team.
- Mehndi. Usually relaxed, with background music that builds into dancing later. Often at home or a smaller venue, so check power and space for speakers.
- Sangeet or garba. The biggest production night for many families: choreographed performances, an MC running the program, stage lighting and a packed dance floor.
- Baraat. Music has to move with the groom’s procession. That needs a portable system and coordination with the dhol player. See mobile baraat.
- Ceremony. Clear microphones for the officiant and readers, plus music cues for entrances. Outdoor ceremonies need sound that carries without overpowering.
- Reception. Entrances, speeches, performances, dinner, cake, first dance and open dance floor. This is where lighting, LED walls and special effects like cold sparks and dancing on the clouds come in.
When the same team covers every event, the music, the MC and the run of show carry through the whole weekend.
Questions to ask every venue
Policies vary by venue and change over time, so get these answers in writing before you sign:
- Is outside Indian catering allowed, and is there a fee?
- Is a baraat allowed, where can it start, and are horses, dhol or amplified music permitted outdoors?
- What are the music end time and any outdoor sound limits?
- Does the venue require its own production company for lighting or rigging?
- What power is available, and is there a charge for it?
- Are cold sparks or low fog effects allowed?
- When can vendors load in and set up, and where do they park?
- Does the venue need a certificate of insurance from each vendor?
Timing
Most of our couples book their DJ and production team 8 to 14 months before the wedding. Summer weekends fill first, and popular venues book further out than that. Lock the venue, then the vendors who set the tone of the event.
Budget for music and production
For DJ, MC, sound, lighting and production, most W Square couples invest $10,000 to $15,000 for a two day wedding celebration. The biggest drivers are the number of events, the number of venues, hours of coverage and how much lighting and staging you add. Uplighting is the add on that changes a room most for the money. See uplighting.
Production basics worth knowing
- Lighting. Uplighting sets the color of the room, a couple’s wash light keeps you well lit in photos, and a custom monogram puts your names on the dance floor or wall.
- LED walls. Great for sangeet performances, slideshows and live feeds. Ask about pixel pitch; we quote P2.6 or finer so the image holds up close. See LED video walls.
- Dance floors. LED floors and custom printed wraps finish the room. See dance floors.
- One power plan. Sound, lighting and video all draw power. One production team planning it avoids tripped circuits halfway through the night.
Choosing your DJ
The DJ and MC carry the energy of every event. We wrote a separate guide on how to choose an Indian wedding DJ, and you can hear our work on the mixes page and in our wedding films.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do most Bay Area Indian weddings take place?
Hotel ballrooms in San Jose and San Francisco host many of the largest receptions, while estates, country clubs and wine country resorts are popular for smaller or multi day celebrations.
Can we have a baraat at a hotel?
Often yes, but each hotel sets its own rules on route, horses and amplified music. Ask before you book.
Do we need separate vendors for DJ and lighting?
No. W Square handles DJ, MC, sound, lighting, LED walls and special effects as one team. Some venues require their own lighting company, in which case we coordinate with them.
Do you travel outside the Bay Area?
Yes. We work across Northern California and take destination weddings.
Planning a South Asian or fusion wedding in the Bay Area? Check your date and tell us about your events.
