If you are reading this post, you are probably engaged and excited to get the wedding planning started. Below you can find some helpful tips on how I planned my wedding in under three months WITHOUT a wedding planner!
1. Find your gown and bridesmaid dresses. I know what you’re probably thinking, why is this the first step?
With planning a wedding in under three months you will most likely need to purchase a gown off of the rack. I knew that my gown was one detail I was not willing to compromise. Your bridesmaids gowns can usually take 12 weeks to send, and that’s with using the expediting feature. You want to ensure you give your bridesmaids plenty of time to get their gowns and have time for alterations before the big day.
2. Have a partner who is willing to help. There is no way, I could have planned my wedding without my husband picking up the pieces during those weekly meltdowns when I felt like I was in over my head. It does help that he is super organized. If your partner chooses to not be hands-on in the wedding planning process, be sure to hire a wedding planner.
3. Purchase a wedding planner book. My maid of honor was so kind to gift me my wedding planning book and it was my holy grail during the process. This book was very detailed in helping me plan and no details were left out. I highly recommend it.
Wedding Planner Marble Gold.
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4. Create your budget.
5. Make a guest list. We opted for a micro ceremony and this was the best decision we could have made given the time frame and budget.
6. Finalize the date.
7. Find a venue that fits your budget. I strongly recommend picking a venue that is a full-service wedding venue, that includes food/drinks etc. We chose The Maker's Son in Los Alamos and it was the perfect choice. Not only did they provide a beautiful location, but the food was also perfect, the open bar was a big hit, and they provided tables, chairs, cups, dishes, linens, and silverware. The only things we needed to bring were flowers and minimal additional decorations.
8. Book your DJ. We chose to book a DJ who hosted a previous wedding we went to. Be sure to hire a professional wedding DJ because our DJ was able to make adjustments and bring his expertise to ensure our day went smoothly and stayed on schedule. We already knew this DJ knew how to throw a party!! It was a plus that he was also our MC throughout the day.
9. Book your photographer/videographer. Due to our budget, this is the one area I felt like I would have changed. We opted to just hire a photographer. Our photographer was GREAT but it really would have been nice to have a videographer who could have documented our special day. If your budget allows it, hire a photographer and a videographer. You won't regret it!
10. Apply for your marriage license.
11. Choose a wedding florist.
12. Order your wedding cake.
13. Hire a Day of Coordinator. We opted out for a wedding planner, but hiring a day of coordinator was NECESSARY! You can hire a professional or a friend of the family who doesn't mind taking control and can stick to a tight schedule. Your DOC is responsible for keeping your day on schedule and they are there to ensure you and you partner have the best time, without having to worry about anything other than simply enjoying every moment together.
Happy planning and congratulations!!
