The ManicaPost
PLANNING a wedding is a tall task, particularly for couples with large families and lots of opinions floating around. While some couples prefer to take their time with the process, allowing anywhere from ten months to two years to plan, many would rather make their relationship official as soon as they can. Just look at Amy Schumer and Chris Fischer, who tied the knot so quickly after getting engaged that they had to invite guests via text message. Maybe you don’t want to take things that far, but the idea of tying the knot soon sounds great. How long do you really need to plan a wedding? Consider this your personal guide.
The bare minimum time to plan a wedding
As invitations are meant to be sent out six to eight weeks prior to a wedding, you’ll want to give yourselves at least two or three months to plan. That’s only a few weeks to confirm vendors and a venue before your invites go in the mail, so you’ll have to be really on top of it with decision making and keep yourself very organised.
Flexibility is key
Because many in-demand vendors and venues are booked a year or more in advance, it may be tough to get the team you want when you want it. The key here is to be flexible. Maybe a Sunday wedding will open up more options for you, or you may find you have to spend more time researching pros to get the best person for the gig.
Last-minute weddings make negotiating easier
Since many vendors and venues don’t usually book an open date after around the five-month mark, you have some negotiating power on your hands. Don’t be afraid to ask for a deal after an initial quote comes in, as suppliers tend to be more flexible with last-minute bookings.
Budget wisely when planning in a short period of time
As you’re keen to pull everything together quickly, you’ll have to be financially prepared to spend your budget in a faster than usual manner.
Rather than being able to spread payments out over the course of a year, you’ll need to pay your final balances sooner than most couples do.
Hotels and transportation
Depending on the time of year your wedding will take place, booking hotels and transportation can bring unexpected difficulty for a last-minute wedding. We highly recommend getting these locked in as soon as your venue is finalised.
Divide and conquer
Planning a wedding in a short amount of time is too hard to do solo, so be sure you’re reaching out to friends and family for help when and where you can. It may be that you assign your mum to call all the photographers on your list to find out availability, while your best friend books hotel blocks for your group.
Myth #1: I just won’t have enough time!
This first section may seem broad, but I think this preoccupation itself is broad. Couples worry that they won’t have time to get “things” done, but I fear that this concern is based largely on assumptions and not actual facts. In reality, there are very few things that actually take a lot of time to do. It’s all about organisation.
I know that when I was planning my wedding, I often felt rushed and worried that I would never have enough time to get everything accomplished . . . but guess what? I did – and I didn’t have to give up my day job to do it!
There are, undoubtedly, some things that will take time, and will only end up costing you more money if you have to rush them. However, these things are few and far between, and in almost no case can they not be manipulated to fit a shorter time frame.
Securing the venue you want may be your biggest concern, if you think/know that it is a popular location and may be booked solid for months or even years to come. This can be dealt with . . . but more on that later.
Even if you are planning on DIYing many of the décor for your wedding, with willing bridesmaids ready to pitch in and help, you’re only looking at a few weekend sessions of work if you stay on task.
Once you choose and secure your venue (both ceremony and reception, if different), book your vendors, and get your invitations addressed and sent on their way, there really is nothing left to do minus the small details.
If you’re organised and practical, the bulk of the planning can be done in a very short amount of time.
Myth #2: I know I’ll need time to find the PERFECT dress!
Along the same lines as the overall “time myth,” many brides worry that they’ll be indecisive when it comes to picking a dress, or that they’ll simply need plenty of time to ensure that the dress is truly the dress.
To many brides, the wedding dress is one of if not the most important aspects of the entire wedding. — Online.
