Planning A Wedding In Six Months
Couples often ask me if they’re crazy to be thinking of planning a wedding in six months. Is this even possible? 
Well yes it is – anything is possible if you put your mind to it. But you will need to be super focused and decisive as well as being open to a few compromises.
Now obviously this journey will be easier if you have a wedding planner on board. If your budget doesn’t allow for a planner to do the whole thing there are options around partial planning which might enable you to get some help within your budget.
Even with a planner on board, you’ll have a lot of decisions to make in a short time so be prepared for this.
Let’s look at some tips and advice to help you achieve that special day in a short time frame.
First Things First
Right, if you’re a regular reader you will know what’s coming!! ………Budget…….get it nailed straight away.
This should always be the first thing you get sorted but in this scenario it’s absolutely vital. You haven’t got 2 years to save and pay for things on a monthly basis. So you have to be really clear about what you can afford to spend. You can see more advice here on creating your wedding budget.
I think it’s a good idea to choose your bridal party early on as well. Then you can rope them in to help you. Think carefully about what you’re happy to delegate to them. You can see some tips on this here.
Venue
Now you’ve sorted your budget, the next priority has to be your venue. And this is where you might need to compromise. Many venues are booked up 2 years in advance for key Saturdays in the summer.
So you might need to look at days other than Saturdays to be able to secure the venue that you want. You can see more general advice here about choosing your venue. 
You will need to book some appointments to view your short list of venues as soon as humanly possible. But before doing this I would ask them about their availability as there’s no point wasting time viewing a venue which can’t fit you in in your desired time frame.
If you choose a venue where you can have your legal ceremony, reception and evening party all at the same place then this is going to make your planning easier. You will only have one location to liaise with and won’t need to worry about transport or décor for more than one building.
The Legal Elements
If you decide to have your legal ceremony at your reception venue, then as part of your date selection with the venue you need to speak to the local register office too. (This is the office which is local to the venue, each venue is allocated to a specific register office so they should be able to tell you which one they are under)
You need to check that they have a registrar available on your chosen date who can come to the venue and marry you. They will tell you the times they have available on that date. Again if it’s a popular date they might have limited availability so more compromise may be needed here on the time of your ceremony.
You also need to make an appointment to give notice of marriage. This has to be completed at least 28 days before your wedding. You can see more info about this process here.
The Guest List
You’re going to decide on your guest list quite quickly too. Your guest numbers will have a bearing on your venue options too.
Once you’ve got your venue and date sorted, order your invitations. While you’re waiting for them to arrive, move on to the wedding suppliers section. But I would advise you to post your invites as soon as you can to give your guests as much notice as you can. It’s not really worth doing save the dates (unless you do them via email, WhatsApp etc.
Wedding Suppliers
Once you have a date and venue sorted, it’s time to get your suppliers booked.
Make a list of the suppliers you will need, this will vary depending on your venue. For example, do you need a caterer or is this included in your venue?
Prioritise the list you’ve made and work your way through the list. I would suggest you look for your photographer, cake maker and florist first as these tend to get booked up quite early. You can see my tips here for where to find your suppliers.
You may find that you have fewer suppliers to choose from but this will vary depending on the time of year that you’re looking to get married.
What Will You Wear?
Many wedding dress designers have lead times of six to nine months to order a dress but this does vary so contact your local bridal boutiques to see how they can help you.
You may need to choose a sample dress for example – this is one which has been in the store for brides to try on. Or shop at somewhere like Wed2b who have lots of choice instore and you buy the dress there and then.
For men’s suits, if you choose to hire suits, you will have plenty of time to arrange this. However, if you want a bespoke made to order suit, you will need to get this sorted quite early in the process too.
And don’t forget your bridal party, it can take a while to source dresses which will suit a number of bridesmaids so don’t leave this too late.
The Remaining Details
Now you’ve got the majority of items sorted, you can start thinking about the other details. Such as seating plans, menu choices, favours, gifts for bridal party (and anyone who has helped you) shoes and accessories.
Don’t forget as well about booking hair and make up trials as well as any additional beauty appointments like nails and a pedicure. It’s also a good idea to have a series of facials in the run up to the wedding to get your skin in top condition.
The Final Push
In the last month before your wedding, you will need to collate menu choices and get these to your venue along with any dietary requirements.
Make sure you have transport booked if you need it as well as accommodation and your honeymoon if you’re having one. Don’t forget to check your passports!
Arrange any alterations needed to clothing and book collection dates. Wrap the gifts for your bridal party, pack for your honeymoon. Arrange to deliver your décor and seating plan to your venue.
So I help this helps you if you’re planning your wedding in six months or even less! It’s definitely doable but you will need to stay focussed and make timely decisions as well as accepting help from others.
Obviously, I’d love to help you if you’re in this situation. I have a range of planning services which are all tailored to your needs. So you can get some help with any aspects of your planning. You can see more here about my services but I’m happy to discuss specific needs to make sure you only pay for the help you actually need.
Louise
