Planning from abroad
Planning a Kerala wedding from the US or Canada
From North America the time difference does most of the damage. Kerala’s working day happens while you sleep, so the planning has to be arranged around that, not squeezed into it.
What is the time difference between the US and Canada and Kerala?
Eastern time (New York, Toronto), daylight saving: Kerala is 9 hours 30 minutes ahead. Eastern time, standard: Kerala is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead. Pacific time (San Francisco, Vancouver), daylight saving: Kerala is 12 hours 30 minutes ahead. Kerala runs on Indian Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving.
Which month are you looking at?Send the month or the muhurtham with your name. We reply on WhatsApp with what is open and what the venues are quoting.
| Where you are | Kerala time |
|---|---|
| Eastern time (New York, Toronto), daylight saving | Kerala is 9 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| Eastern time, standard | Kerala is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead |
| Pacific time (San Francisco, Vancouver), daylight saving | Kerala is 12 hours 30 minutes ahead |
When to hold the planning calls
Your morning is Kerala’s evening. 8 am in New York is 5.30 pm in Kerala in summer; 8 am in San Francisco is 8.30 pm. Evening calls from North America reach Kerala before dawn, so book the early slot.
A 6.00 am muhurtham in Kerala is 8.30 pm the evening before in New York during daylight saving, and 5.30 pm the evening before in San Francisco. Write the wedding-day schedule out in both time zones and send it to everyone who will watch from home.
Holidays against the Malayalam calendar
Winter break falls in Dhanu, roughly mid-December to mid-January, which Kerala keeps clear for Hindu weddings. The summer months run from Mithunam, which is monsoon but used, through Karkidakam, which is not, into Chingam from roughly mid-August. A June or late-August date is the realistic summer window. The month-by-month calendar is on when Kerala marries, and the busy dates for the next two seasons are on wedding dates 2026–27.
Money and the rupee figures
Rupee figures on this site convert at ₹1 = $0.0115 (indicative, Aug 2026). A per-plate rate of ₹2,500 is about $29. Venue per-plate ranges for the whole book are on what a Kerala wedding costs. Agree a written payment schedule before any advance is paid, and ask for a receipt for each one.
Getting everyone there
Choose the arrival airport with the venue: Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur are all international. Check current schedules for connections from your city before fixing the venue region. Guests travelling on a foreign passport need an Indian visa or an OCI card, so tell them the date early enough to apply.
Registering the marriage
Kerala registers marriages through K-SMART with video KYC, so the paperwork does not need both of you in the state at the same time, but the memorandum still has a 45-day window. The registration guide has the rules and the documents.
The overall approach, video calls, one trip and decisions in writing, is on planning from abroad. Planning from somewhere else? Read the page from the Gulf or from the UK.
Questions from the US and Canada
What is the time difference between the US and Canada and Kerala?
Eastern time (New York, Toronto), daylight saving: Kerala is 9 hours 30 minutes ahead. Eastern time, standard: Kerala is 10 hours 30 minutes ahead. Pacific time (San Francisco, Vancouver), daylight saving: Kerala is 12 hours 30 minutes ahead. Kerala runs on Indian Standard Time all year, with no daylight saving.
When is a good time to call Kerala from the US and Canada?
Your morning is Kerala’s evening. 8 am in New York is 5.30 pm in Kerala in summer; 8 am in San Francisco is 8.30 pm. Evening calls from North America reach Kerala before dawn, so book the early slot.
Which months can a family in the US and Canada marry in Kerala?
Winter break falls in Dhanu, roughly mid-December to mid-January, which Kerala keeps clear for Hindu weddings. The summer months run from Mithunam, which is monsoon but used, through Karkidakam, which is not, into Chingam from roughly mid-August. A June or late-August date is the realistic summer window.
Planning from the US and Canada?
Your name and WhatsApp number are enough. Add the month you are aiming for and the city you live in, and we will reply at a sensible hour for you.
What happens after you enquire
- A call within one working day. From the planning team, to hear the date, the numbers and the community the wedding follows.
- A written scope and a fee band. What we would do for this wedding and what it costs, before you decide anything.
- A video walkthrough if you are abroad. Shortlisted venues walked on camera in your evening, so the single trip to Kerala is spent deciding, not looking.