How to Plan a Wedding in Less Than 6 Months...

Planning a wedding in 6 months or less is slowly becoming an easier task as brides and grooms are opting out of the traditional 12-18 month engagement. Couples who start early will obviously get their first choice pick of venue, DJ, photographer and the most important part, the dress. However a 6 month timeline is no longer considered an impossible undertaking. There are several steps you will need to take in order to make your dream nuptials a reality.

1. First, you are going to need to pick your venue. Many venues book as far out as a year. Couples who book out further can take their time deciding which venue suits their needs and personalities. With a shorter deadline, you may not have the luxury of visiting a few dozen places before making your decision. Make a list of the top 5 places you know you would like to get married. You also need to keep an open mind when it comes to your date. With 6 months, your date will depend on what each specific venue still had available. Going into your planning process with one specific date in mind, may take you additional time to find a venue that can accommodate you. In most cases you may not find the exact date you are looking for. Research the venues and visit their website to see if you can book a site visit as soon as possible. It is critical you walk into each venue with a realistic expectation of what may or may not be available. Some couples who choose to plan their wedding with a shorter time frame should also consider a Friday or Sunday wedding. In most cases this will also save you money since Sundays are considered off peak days. If you are one of the lucky ones and your first choice venue has a Saturday open. Be prepared to sign a contract on the spot. Make sure you bring your checkbook with you! Waiting to consult your best friend, parents or any other decision maker may prevent you from securing that date. Here is a link to our request for information page to schedule a site visit with one of our sales managers www.peacockgapclubhouse.com/request-info.

2. The dress is the next step. There are so many options for dresses these days. The reality is you may need to visit places that sell ready to wear dresses to ensure you actually have something to walk down the aisle in. The bigger the budget, the better, which can be said for anything. However, if you desire a custom made designer dress, you can actually have a dress made for you in about 3 months. This comes with a very large price tag, so be prepared to come out of pocket a few thousand dollars. Anything is possible with 6 months. Many designers have trunk shows, off the rack sales and sample sales. If you find a dress that may be too big, but you love how it looks on you. Buy it! Your wedding dress can always be altered and tailored to fit you. Make sure you only bring your maid of honor, best friend and/or parent. You want to keep the amount of opinions small so that you can make your decision and move on to other items that need your attention.

3. Once you have your venue secured. Send out your save the dates. Many non-traditional couples are opting for video save the dates or paperless post https://www.paperlesspost.com/. These are creative and fun ways of sending out a save the date and are special ways of capturing a couples unique style and personality. It is also time to select your other vendors. Many times your venue will have a preferred vendors list, with people the venue are familiar with. Many of these vendors block out times in their schedule for clients that are referred by the venue which will make the selection process seamless and easy for you. As soon as you find a DJ, photographer, florist, planner and any other vendor or professional make sure you secure them by signing a contract and placing a deposit. You don’t want to lose a great vendor because of indecisiveness.

4. Registering for gifts, choosing your wedding colors, rentals, bridesmaid’s dresses and cake are smaller decisions that can be made over the course of a few weeks. Your cake maker is probably one of the last “big” decisions you will have to make. Research what wedding trends are popular for this year, when it comes to your cake. Cake pops, cupcakes, dessert bars and candy stations are all the craze these days for the non-traditional couples. These items are also easier to sources and are more accessible to you, which will ease the stress of trying to find a cake maker. If you absolutely have to have a cake, consider a “dummy” cake with a top layer just for cutting and combine it with cupcakes, cake pops and candy to create a fun experience for your guests. It is important to find a local cake maker who may have more time on his or her calendar to make a wedding cake. Many of the larger cake makers book up as far as 2 years out. Have a realistic expectation or plan on spending a lot of money if a cake maker has an opening on their calendar. Here is a link to our cake maker, Christian Roder of Krumbs Cakes, who is always happy to serve our clients http://krumbscakes.com/.

5. As the big day gets closer make sure you keep track of time. Staying organized is key as you do not want to lose track of time and miss any deadlines. Create a binder with all of your contracts, deadlines, guest list, list of vendors, rentals, planner and any other details that are critical for your wedding. 6. One of the last major details will be your actual wedding invitations. Wedding Planner David Tutera suggests staying with small classic invites. There are many online services that can assist you with designing, printing and mailing your invitation. Many of these services can have your custom designs to you in a matter of days. Ensure that you have accurate mailing addresses for all of your guests, to avoid getting any returned to you. Keep an accurate list of all your RSVP’s and always keep your venue and other vendors abreast of any changes that may occur in your guest count. It is also important to ensure all vendors are on the same page, to avoid and mishaps on your big. <br>
The saying “the proof is in the planning” is a very true statement when it comes to wedding planning. At the end of the day, your wedding is one of the most important miles stones in your life. Your planning process should never be stressful! Remember, this day is all about YOU. You will never please everyone and that is the best way to approach this massive undertaking of planning your wedding. Don’t forget to have fun along the way and if everything is not exactly the way you imagined it in your head, then you will have a lot of great stories to tell.