Something magical happens when planning a wedding on a short timetable. Clocks literally begin to move faster. January will seemingly morph into June in the amount of time it takes to curl your eyelashes.
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Sadly, there’s no escaping this phenomenon. But there is a way to snatch back a few precious seconds of valuable planning time. See below for a list of time-honored (get it?) Dos and Don’ts.
Dos and Don'ts for Planning Your Wedding in Six Months or Less
DO…
- Utilize websites such as Minted or Wedding Paper Divas to order invitations that are cute, customizable, affordable, and have rush-shipping options available.
- Create a wedding website. For brides on the fly, there is simply no greater way to keep guests in the know (especially if the two of you have a destination wedding in mind). Until your formal invitations are sent, your website will act as a convenient gathering place for all pertinent information regarding the Big Day (think location, accommodations, travel information, a gallery of engagement photos, and a romanticized re-telling of how your love affair began). The Knot and My Wedding both have a large selection of designer layouts to choose from that are easy to personalize (not to mention, just plain cute).
- Consider allowing your bridesmaids to select their own dresses—as long as they adhere to the parameters (Tea length? Maxi? Easy on the cleavage?) of your choosing, of course. Pro tip: Once you’ve decided on a color scheme, it’s helpful to send each attendant a paint chip from a hardware store that matches your selected hue. The result: She’ll have a helpful shopping tool and a dress that reflects her personal style, and you’ll have one less thing crowding your To-Do list. (Note: This applies to flower girls, too. Articulate your ideas and let their mothers do the shopping. It’s so much easier that way.)
- Use the following catchphrases in response to wedding vendors who tell you that, given your timeframe, what you’re asking is impossible: "Do you have a sample of the [insert one: dress, belt, sparkly headband, veil] you’d be willing to sell? Is there a rush fee I can pay to get the product on time?"
DON’T…
- Let your guest list get away from you. If you and your fiancé decide that you want a small, intimate wedding, then come to terms with the fact that you probably won’t be able to invite your entire sorority or your parents’ entire Sunday School class. And that’s okay.
- Waste time obsessing over things that ultimately don’t matter. If your Save the Date addresses have to be written in your/your mother’s cursive handwriting rather than a calligrapher’s steady script in order to be sent out on time, well…that’s okay too.
- Wait until the last minute to order printed formal invitations if you’re using a traditional retailer. After selecting colors and materials, you’ll still need to nail down the verbiage, approve design proofs, re-approve design proofs, stuff each envelope, and more. So get going already!
