“Let’s Get Married in 3 Months” – a How-to Guide

Not everyone has the luxury of a 16-month wedding planning timeline. Sometimes couples get married in a hurry because it’s easier to find venues and vendors during certain months. Sometimes they just don’t want to wait to be together forever. Here’s how to make it all work on a shortened planning schedule.

Be clear about what you want. When you can envision your theme, your colors, your flowers, your music, and the other key components of your wedding, you make decisions much faster and with much less stress.

Embrace the list. Any good wedding planning timeline will tell you what you need to do. Make a list, and start checking things off as you finish them. Don’t worry that experts say you have to do something a year before the wedding. Chances are, you can do the same thing 3 months before your wedding. You can find a gown, a venue, a hotel, a DJ, a photographer and practically anything else in 3 months if you stay organized.

Be decisive. Don’t take forever to shop for vendors. Imagine yourself shopping for shoes. If you find the right pair at the first store, BUY them. Don’t keep shopping for the sake of shopping. If you like a venue, or a DJ, or a florist, and they’re available, HIRE them and get on with your planning.

Share the work. Many hands make light work. Put your fiancée to work on some part of the planning. Your families and your bridal party can run errands, make decorations, provide transportation, and make other contributions. They’ll offer. ACCEPT every offer. And be sure to show your gratitude.

Hire professional help for your wedding day. It’s probably too late to hire a full-service planner; but many planners offer their services as day-of coordinators. They may guide you toward great vendors, and get you some great bargains; but even if you’ve already hired your vendors and laid out your big day, you’ll appreciate having an experienced professional to help everyone work together effectively, and keep your wedding day schedule running on time. That leaves only one chore for you to do:

Enjoy! Your responsibility on your wedding day is to have fun. Remember, a wedding reception is just a party you throw for your friends. Here’s a quote from Fourth Estate Audio’s web site that appeared in Glamour Magazine: “Never lose sight of the fact that, even if the cake collapses, and your Uncle Todd gets drunk and makes a pass at the minister’s wife, and the sprinklers go off in the middle of the ceremony, at the end of the evening you’re still married; so you win!”