Planning a wedding is a monumental task, but what if you find yourself with a shorter timeline? With the right approach, some strategic planning, prompt communication, and a great team of vendors, you should be able to successfully plan your big day in under six months! Read below for tips & to dos--

1. Set your budget.
     Determining your budget early on is crucial. Identify your priorities and allocate funds accordingly. Consider essential elements such as venue, catering, and photography. Be creative in finding cost-effective options without compromising on quality!

2. Secure a venue.
     Find a venue that still has availability for the time frame in which you are looking to get married in! Think outside of the box, consider renting a tent on your family's property, or inquiring with your local country club which may take on fewer weddings per year. 

3. Hire a full service wedding planner! 
     Offloading as much of this time consuming and stressful work onto someone with a professional background will make for the greatest wedding planning experience! Your wedding planner also has inside knowledge and connections from working in the wedding industry that will make it easier to find and book your vendors last minute.

4. Define your vision.
     The key to a successful wedding is a clear vision. Sit down with your partner and discuss the style, theme, and color palette you both envision for your big day. Whether it's a classy, black and white affair, or a pastel, garden style celebration, defining your vision will guide all your decisions moving forward.

5. Select your priority vendors. 
     Many vendors only book one wedding per day or one wedding per weekend, so securing these priority vendors should be at the top of your list when planning your wedding! These vendors include: photographer, videographer, hair and makeup, entertainment (ceremony musicians, a live band, DJ, etc.).

6. Begin searching for key vendors.
     Typically there is a lull in the planning process between booking priority vendors and searching for the remainder of you vendors, however, with a timeframe under six months, it is crucial to continue booking vendors in order to keep the ball rolling! The quicker you inquire, the more vendors will still have availability for your wedding date. 
     Once you have your budget, venue, priority vendors and vision selected and secured, you may begin working on booking other important vendors! This includes: catering, a baker, a florist, and a stationer. These vendors also have limited availability in terms of the number of weddings they take on, so these vendors are next priority! Opt for professionals who understand your timeline and can deliver exceptional results within the shorter timeframe.

7. Beginning the design process.
     Once you’ve selected your dream team of vendors, you can now move on to the design process! This consists of selecting a color palette, overall vibe, floral design, tabletop rentals, linens, bridal party attire, draping, lighting, and so much more. Your full service wedding planner should have a process for this that would allow you to see different combinations of ideas and prices. You will then select which items you think fit your overall vision the best and secure your rental companies with a deposit. 

8. Stationery and floral design.
     After knowing which direction you are going design wise, you can schedule meetings with both your florist and your stationer, to discus how they will bring your desired design to life! 
     One stationery tip for a shorter planning turnaround would be to skip save the dates and immediately begin working on your invitations! This will allow enough time to design, print, and send your invitations as well as collect RSVPs! 

9. Book your extra vendors.
     Once a majority of your design is squared away, you can begin to focus on booking the remainder of your vendors. These can include: transportation, an officiant, a live painter, photo booth, dance floor or getaway car!

10. Final touches!
     In the final month, focus on the finishing touches. Confirm all details with vendors, finalize all invoices, create a day-of timeline, and coordinate with your bridal party. Host a rehearsal to ensure everyone is on the same page for the ceremony and reception.

When planning a wedding on a shorter timeframe, time is of the essence, so working on steps 1 through 6 as quickly as possible will be the key having a smooth, well thought out wedding day that you can enjoy! Booking vendors promptly will ensure that they are both professional and a good fit for your wedding! Prioritizing booking as soon as possible will also give you ample time to create a payment schedule for each vendor in order to spread out the costs throughout the six month period.

We say you go for it and dive right in to the planning process! We promise you won't regret planning on a short timeframe, especially if we're leading the way! 

X0xo,

Audrey

PHOTO CREDIT