Yes, you can do it. But it requires perfect planning. Since you’re no stranger to commitment, it should not be difficult to formulate a plan and stick to stringent guidelines. Stop doubting and start believing you can plan the perfect wedding in just six months.
What’s the Budget
It’s probably the most awkward part of the planning but it’s necessary to work this out first, especially if you’re going to plan in six months. You need to know a total budget. That way, when you speak with vendors along the way, you’ll know what you have and what you have left. The budget also helps dictate the theme, for you could otherwise overshoot or underestimate your resources.
List the Top Five
Weddings incorporate a few to scores of vendors. Six months is not a lot of time to round-up a lot of providers, so you may have to face the fact that top vendors require more notice. However, listing the top five most sought types of providers helps allocate budget, time, and resources. Consider the guests. Would they prefer better food, better music, or a better ambiance?
Go Public When in Doubt
Booking a popular venue in six months could be difficult to impossible. However, don’t get stuck on the prestige of the venue. You could just as well model a ceremony, in the same way, using a nearby park as the venue. Best of all, it’s likely to cost you nothing aside from acquiring the appropriate permits. Alternatively, there’s no harm in asking a friend (or a stranger with a great home) if you could ‘rent’ their house for an afternoon or evening.
Go Non-Traditional
It’s tough to be empathetic with a bride and groom who wants to get married in six months yet demands a traditional wedding. It can be done but perhaps on a smaller scale. Other sacrifices could include having the wedding on a Friday or weekday rather than a Sunday. Also, you may have a better chance of booking a venue for a brunch rather than a dinner reception.
Test the Waters
You’ll want to visit the booked venue, taste a few treats of the baker, and check the playlist of the DJ or band. Basically, you don’t want any surprises at your wedding. Also, don’t be afraid to dismiss vendors who don’t live up to their sales pitch. You can always find alternatives for a photographer, baker, or dressmaker. Don’t fret and definitely don’t settle.
Hire a Secretary
It sounds kind of crazy but so does turning into ‘bridezilla.’ Consider electing a bridesmaid or groomsman to take care of tiny details, like making phone calls and keeping tabs on vendors. It lessens the amount of stress involved in crafting a wedding in six months. Alternatively, you could use a freelance platform to hire a someone to do per-hour work that involves sending invitations, keeping track of responses, etc. Do you love the thought of a wedding at Clevedon Hall but you’re not living in the UK? Hire someone in the area as a remote assistant.
Stress Just the Major Details
There’s no need to stress over minor details but you do need to ensure the bases are covered regarding wedding day transportation, lodging for the wedding party, and keeping in contact with the wedding venue manager. Sure, there are so many tiny things to think about, but there’s only a real need to be meticulous about a few integral things and people. For example, the bride’s father missing a flight is a big deal, but you’ll learn to live if the invitations are a few shades of blue lighter than expected.
Cancel the Honeymoon
Marriage is full of victories. Make the first one a well-produced wedding event. Sure, you’ll feel as if you’re ready for a vacation, but that can wait. It’s a bitter pill to swallow but it’s one less major expense. Plus, the honeymoon is a modern-day wedding custom. Before the 20th century, most did not have money to travel after a wedding or have a huge event to celebrate the marriage.
Remember It’s Not About You
Wedding celebrations are odd in that the event celebrates the bride and groom…who double as hosts (Or, officially, whoever is paying is supposed to be the host.) So, while every attendant is gracious in bringing a present, technically, you’re inviting them to a party. And parties are supposed to be fun. Therefore, a truly successful wedding is one that gets attendants dancing, laughing, and having a great time.
John McCarthy is the Sales and Marketing Director of Clevedon Hall. A family run hospitality business near Bristol, UK. They specialise in weddings, corporate and events. They have hosted events for 7 years and have built a great reputation around the quality of their product.