Just because you want to say I do quickly, doesn’t mean it can’t still be spectacular, large-scale, and surrounded by friends and loved ones. I understand that not all engagements are a year or more in advance. Sometimes, circumstances require you to plan an over-the-top wedding on short notice. Whether it’s due to a family emergency, a job relocation, pregnancy, or life event, or simply because you don’t want to wait any longer to marry the love of your life, planning a luxurious wedding in a short amount of time is definitely possible with the right mindset and approach. If this is you, here are my top tips on how to plan an over-the-top wedding on short notice.
Set your priorities
Before you start planning your wedding, it’s important to decide what’s most important to you and your partner. Is it the venue, the dress, the food, or the music? Once you know your priorities, it will be easier to make decisions and allocate your budget accordingly.
Hire a wedding planner
Hiring a wedding planner is especially important when planning a wedding on short notice. We can help you find the venue and negotiate with personal contacts quicky, source vendors (and call in fast favors), and coordinate all the logistics. A good wedding planner will also be able to work within your budget and find creative solutions to any challenges that may arise.
Be flexible with your dates
When planning a wedding on short notice, you may need to be flexible with your dates. If your preferred venue or vendors are not available on your chosen date, consider alternative options. Weekdays or Sundays may be less popular and more available than Saturdays. Also survey the people that matter most to you before you book. If it’s essential that certain family members be present, be somewhat flexible to their non-negotiable dates too. You don’t want to get married during grandma’s upcoming surgery if you can avoid it!
Prioritize the must-haves
When planning an over-the-top wedding on short notice, it’s important to prioritize the must-haves. For example, if you have your heart set on a certain entertainer, try to book them first. You can always find alternatives for the less important elements.
Make quick decisions
When planning a wedding on short notice, you may not have the luxury of time to make long and drawn-out decisions. Be decisive and trust your instincts. If you have a good feeling about a vendor or a venue, don’t hesitate to book them, with the help of your wedding planner.
Tell guests as soon as you can
Some guests will inevitably not be able to attend on short notice. Get real with that idea real quick. And give guests as much notice as possible so as many can attend as possible. Even if this means casually activating the phone tree when the date and location are booked, just to get the ball rolling.
Realize you might not get it all and that’s okay
In life and in all weddings, compromises must be made. Realize that the shorter the wedding planning window, the more compromises may have to come. From your favorite photographer already being booked to selecting a dress that can be made in time. Your wedding can still be over-the-top fabulous but decisions may have to be made. Trust me, no one in the audience will know but you!
Planning an over-the-top wedding on short notice is definitely possible with the right mindset and approach. By setting your priorities, hiring a wedding planner, being flexible, prioritizing the must-haves, and making quick decisions, you can plan a personal, special, and spectacular wedding in a short amount of time.
xoxo,
Mindy
Image by John and Joseph Photography
