Planning a Wedding on a Tight Timeline
You just got engaged, and now it’s time to get down to business planning the big day. But while many people take a year to plan a wedding, you don’t want a long engagement and are ready to tie the knot ASAP. And really, what’s the point in waiting? The longer your engagement, the more time you have to stress yourself out with every little detail.
While it may sound more stressful to some, planning a wedding on a tight timeline can actually be a less stressful experience and process, as it forces you to be flexible and not micromanage every single detail. Soon enough, you’ll quickly realize there aren’t enough hours in the day — and that can be very liberating. Here are four ways to plan a wedding on a tight timeline.
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Start with a Clear Guest List
While it can be stressful deciding whom to invite on your big day, you’ll want to plan out your guest list as soon as possible. That’s because the number of guests you plan to have at your wedding will impact your venue options. In that vein, decide whether you will allow single guests to bring a plus one or guests to bring their children.
You’ll need to be prepared to make tough calls and expect that they may result in some discord. Try not to let any drama affect you; after all, this is your big day, and it’s up to you to choose who you want to include, and ultimately everyone will understand.
Suss Out Venues Online
Save yourself the frustration of touring numerous venues by narrowing down your options online and aiming for a venue that’s known for hosting weddings. These venues will be more likely to have a streamlined process in place for weddings and reliable vendors that they have experience working with.
You should also ask friends and family for referrals and make a spreadsheet to keep all the details organized. Once you’ve gathered a list of options, search for these venues’ websites to find out pricing and availability to see what will work with your budget and short timeline.
Once you’ve paired down your list to about three options, book appointments to tour them all in-person with your fiancé.
It would help if you also made it a point to arrive prepared with a list of questions to ensure you know all the necessary details and restrictions of each option. Finally, take notes and photos of the details you love during your tour, so you can keep a clear visual picture of each option while making the final decision.
Save Time by Going Digital and Create a Wedding Website
Once you have a guest list, date, and venue nailed down, it’s time to create a memorable wedding website to provide guests with more details about the wedding, including venue information, nearby accommodations, a map, dress code, wedding registry information, and any other wedding-related events.
It’s also helpful to include a list of FAQs that you anticipate. This way, you’ll be able to provide thoughtful responses to questions, especially ones that may be uncomfortable or tricky to answer in-person, like whether guests can bring their children when you’re hosting an adults-only affair.
Therefore it’s good to choose one of the unique wedding themes in advance.
Avoid DIY Projects and Use Preferred Vendors
You may be a DIY queen, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be able to tackle every wedding project yourself. Instead, kick back and hire a professional if it’s financially feasible. There aren’t enough hours in the day for you to craft custom decorations, arrange all the flowers yourself, and create your own wedding cake.
More than that, you’ll drive yourself crazy if you try to take on all of the wedding DIY projects while also planning your wedding on a tight timeline. While the markup on anything wedding-related is typically sky-high, it’s well worth it when you consider how much of your valuable time you’ll save and how much stress you’ll avoid.
You may decide to hire the best San Diego wedding planner to take care of all the details for you.
Savor Every Moment of Your Big Day
With the guest list, venue, invitations and vendors all sorted, now all you need to do is find the perfect wedding dress and wait for the big day to arrive. Create a wedding website, start shopping and get ready to savor every precious moment of your special day.
