21 Jan How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months–Or Less!
How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months — A Step-by-Step Guide
Can you plan a wedding in 6 months? Absolutely! The shorter timeline simply means prioritizing important decisions and focusing on what matters most to the two of you. Whether you’re planning a traditional size wedding, a micro wedding, minimony, or an elopement with a celebration afterwards, we’re here to help! Read on for how to plan a wedding in 6 months or less!
Be Flexible
If you’re not tied to a particular month or season, you can snap up a venue’s next open day, whenever that is. You might even get a discount since it’s often harder for places to fill their calendars as a date approaches. There are perks to weekday weddings too, so don’t be afraid of Monday-Friday either (just be sure to give your guests as much notice as possible).
Stay Organized with Digital Wedding Planning Tools
Being organized is one of the best ways to stay stress-free with planning and if you are hoping to pull off a wedding in under 6 months you are going to need some help. Start using digital wedding tools to help you establish your wedding checklist, wedding website, craft a wedding vision board and more. Head over to Pearl by David’s for everything you need to plan the perfect wedding day.
Create A Budget
No matter the size of a wedding or how long you have to plan the event, a budget is always needed. Crafting a wedding budget early on in the planning process makes it easy to start looking at venues and contracting with vendors. When planning a wedding in 6 months or less locking in the wedding budget should be a top priority. Sit down with your partner and decide on what the budget for the wedding is and who will be contributing to the event.
Find A Venue
Finding a venue to say “I do” can be a challenge for couples especially if you are planning a wedding on a tight timeline. As soon as you have set a wedding budget and have an idea of a date you should start your search for a wedding venue. When trying to plan a wedding in under 6 months you should make sure to keep your options open and be willing to look at different style wedding venues and even check out non-traditional venues which can be a great option.
Hire A Coordinator
Weddings are a big event to plan and if you are looking to tie the knot in under 6 months you are going to need as much help as you can get. Hiring a coordinator can be a great way to pull all of the pieces together and take some of the stress off. Many couples think a coordinator or wedding planner is going to be out of their budget but it might be worth the investment.
Think Small
For an especially short timeline, like 30 days, consider limiting your guest list to simplify the preparations. One way to do this: Celebrate the main event with immediate family and host a larger party after the wedding. See our tips for planning a small wedding
We only had 5 months to plan and at most places, it takes up to 6 months to get a wedding dress. Mine only took about 2 weeks to come in!
Jacqueline, Knoxville, Tennessee
Go All-Inclusive
An event space that’s all-inclusive can make your life a lot easier since you won’t have to find separate venues for the ceremony and reception or enlist outside vendors to take care of the food and drinks. Hotels tend to have a range of options available to fit your guest count.
Spread the Word
As soon as you have a venue and a date, share the details with your guests so they can clear their calendars! If you are working on a tight timeline of 6 months or less you can’t delay sharing the information with the important people you want to be present on your day. Sending out save the date cards should happen as soon as you have locked in your date and location followed by invitations which should be sent out 8-10 weeks before the actual wedding day.
Don’t Delay Dress Shopping
For the biggest selection, try on wedding dresses as early as you can so your stylist can help you #findtheone that will be ready in time for your big day! Certain styles are only available by special order, while there are others are ready-to-ship and arrive in days. Grab your bridesmaids, special friends and family and make your bridal appointment !
I came to David’s Bridal with my 3 bridesmaids and my mother looking for my dress, and we found my dress, bridesmaids’ dresses, flower girl dresses, and dress for my mom. All in one day. It made the rest of the planning so fun.
Mandy, Corinth, Texas
Decide On Your Bridal Party
If you are planning on having a bridal whether it is small or big you will need to establish who will be with you on the big day. Decide who you will ask to be in your bridal party with your partner and ask those special people as soon as you can – you will want to make sure they are available!
Get Your Marriage License
You will need to do a little research depending on where you are planning to get married but no matter where you are getting married you will need to get a marriage license before you can say “I do”. Different states have different rules when it comes to how long before your wedding day you need to file for a marriage license so make sure you do your research, especially when working on a short timeline.
Make an Easy Getaway
You have enough big-day details to decide, so think about an all-inclusive resort for your honeymoon. You can also postpone your travel plans for a few months if you need more time to figure out where you want to go!
Whether you’re looking for how to plan a wedding in 6 months or are planning on a longer timeline, we’re here to help! Ready to start your wedding planning journey? Use our free online wedding toolkit to help you plan and stay organized for your special day. Book an appointment at your local David’s Bridal or shop online to find the perfect dress for your upcoming wedding!
Featured image uploaded to David’s Bridal by Nakisa
