by: Christie A. Brogan {11.2.17}
If you pick up any bridal magazine or peruse any wedding planning website, you will find a dozen or more wedding planning timelines…each based on a 12 month (sometimes 18 month) planning cycle.
And, where there’s nothing wrong with taking a year or longer to plan your wedding, I am here to tell you it can be done in less. (In fact, I have been known to say a wedding can be planned in six weeks.) But for the sake of making this a realistic goal (read: you have not planned hundreds of weddings…this is in fact your first – and hopefully, only one), we will set the timeline for 4-6 months. Can it be done? Absolutely.
So, grab the Post-Engagement Checklist. Why? Setting a solid foundation will make for a smooth planning process. Set your budget. Set an estimated headcount. Decide on a style or theme. And, then the fun stuff. Using a 6-Month Wedding Planner like this one from weddingwire.com, you get a step-by-step approach to managing the same tasks in less time.
Of course, there are Pros and Cons to the shorter planning timeline…
- There’s less time to change your mind again and again. Trust me when I say the longer the planning timeline, the more likely you will be to second guess your choices.
- You will need to remain open-minded and flexible because your first choice may not always be an option.
- Shorter planning period can sometimes mean a smaller budget especially if you are paying for the wedding yourselves.
- You will have to ask for help, but you may also be surprised how happy everyone is to lend a hand.
No matter the length of time you take to plan your wedding, remember this…it should be FUN! Enjoy it.
Personally, I will be undertaking this 6-month wedding planning “challenge” for my own wedding scheduled for April 2018. (We are signing the venue contract today.) And, just so you don’t think I have an unfair advantage…I’ll be planning the wedding far away from the comfort of our wedding venues and community of wedding pros in Wilmington. Stay tuned for the updates.
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Christie Brogan {Co-Founder & Partner – 128 South and Bakery 105 in Wilmington, NC. Founder of SocietyWed (#societywed) , Entrepreneur, Small Business Mentor, Event Planner, Wedding Geek, Writer, Business Innovator, Idea Maker, Boot Camp Betty, Yoga Nut, Animal Lover, Avid Reader}