• Is 6 months long enough to plan a wedding?

    06:26:13 am on March 2, 2010 | by bianca |
    Tags: ,

    My boyfriend and I just got engaged and I am wanting to have a fall wedding, november. But I do not want to wait until 2010. Would I have enough time to plan a wedding for about 160 guest in about 6 months time? Or would it be a lot of stress? We do not have kids and I have a very flexible job. Anyone with experience on planning a wedding would help out!! Thanks.

     

Answers

  • kittenkatt79 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It is absolutely possible, perhaps even easy. You simply need to be flexible about your venue/vendors.

    First off, you need to be active in looking at available venues, and you should book and put down a deposit on a venue ASAP. Then start looking at caterers and photographers - if photography is important to you, look for one now since they can book up early. Same thing with bands/DJs who are in demand

    Certain brands of dresses can take up to 5 months to be made. You can usually put in a rush order for an additional fee (same thing with bridesmaid dresses). Keep in mind that most dresses will not take 5 months, but you should try to pick one you love ASAP.

    Searching out florists, cake vendors, favors, etc. can be left until about 3 months before the wedding, unless you have a particular "rock star" vendor in mind (like Ace of Cakes). I know one bride who didn’t choose a florist until 2 weeks before the wedding and she had some of the most beautiful flowers I’ve ever seen. My cake vendor doesn’t even take deposits until 3 months prior.

    Start looking at all of your options now and be vigilant about it. You should be fine!!!

    Truth be told, I’m finding wedding planning to be incredibly easy and I’m doing a destination wedding… I just try not to stress myself out too much about it. I had a year to plan and now sort of wish I had given myself 6 months instead. I have hardly anything to do now! ;)

  • staboochop 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    weddings are easy. If you want to make it hard you can. But heck a wedding can be planned in a few hours.

  • Bubie 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    its mainly up to your guy’s style, if you want a huge wedding it may take a bit more time..cause planns could fall through at the last moment. but if you want like a small wedding then yeah tht should be enough time..
    Congrats;;
    Good Luck

  • crankyissues 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    I planned mine in about 3 months with about 100 guests…. You’ll be fine. Wedding planning is supposed to be fun, not a chore! Enjoy it!

  • ChibiVidz 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It’s TIGHT but do-able I think!

    Try http://www.theknot.com It’s great.

  • Rachel 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    it is definitely do-able but you must be very organised.
    List lots of things, use websites with tips and ideas, and don’t be afraid to rope in friends and family!!
    :)

  • Katie 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It’s doable. Especially in the off season. First priorities are venue, cake, flowers, photographer, videographer (just the people you hire not what kind of cake and flowers you’re getting). Then the dress that can take a few months to get after you order it. Congrats and no you don’t need a wedding planner!

  • Sarah 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    You have plenty of time. Check some websites, such as theknot.com, or the wedding forum on craigslist.org for advice, make yourself a list, and get to work!

  • Leaf 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    I planned mine in 10 months for 275 guests and I had plenty of time to spare. Just make sure you are super organized and stay on top of everything.

    Congrats on your engagement!

  • kathy s 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It depends on how complicated you want to make it. The first few things you have to do is
    Reserve a church and wedding officiator.
    Come up with a menu and hall.

    Depending on the time frames they give you, you will see how much time you need. You may not be able to get a church or a hall for 1- 2 years. So get going.

  • Shez H 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    6 months is loads of time, I planned mine in 6month…
    I went on the H.Samuels website and printed out a diary list which helped divide all the job to do day by day so there was no stress, like day 1 book the church… dress shop.

    my mate did her’s within a month cause her boyfriend was heading back to the army (now that was stressful)…, Just divide the jobs and make sure the man helps out to take some stress away.

  • chocolatelashe 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It is not too late just sit down one day and write down what you want and break it in categories and take it two weeks for each category that is more than enough time

  • Cee Cee 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    I would be glad to help you. I am a event planner and have done many weddings. I can help you. It can be done. I can give you a free consultation. Please email me at canvcan@yahoo.com

  • Anne 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    You can do it in 6 months. Just start calling for your ceremony site and reception site ASAP ——– get those first then take it from there. Also, go look for your wedding gown now — took 4 months for my daughter’s gown to come in, although many places are alot less time. Still alot of time for that, but you’ll want to get that out of the way as soon as possible- plus save time for alterations and finding just the right dress.

    No reason for you to wait longer then this Fall, it really is plenty of time.
    Good luck and congratulations. Have fun planning.

  • Live Laugh Love <3 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    Well you will encounter stress regardless, you will have to get on trying dresses right away (to be ordered, and altered and such_ and booking a venue/caterer/dj these services are often in demand and need to be booked in advance, give a few a call and see if they have anything available for what you are looking for, if so then I say go for it,

  • Ms FeFe 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    That is enough time to plan the wedding just be prepared to be extremely stressed and busy!

  • Weddingzilla 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    You absolutely can plan a fabulous wedding in 6 months. You need to get organized, book your vendors and shop for your dress.
    Wedding planning can be as fun or as stressful as you make it. If you start out thinking it will be stressful, it will. If you have a can do attitude and the mindset that things will flow smoothly, they will.

    You don’t have a lot of time to agonize over decisions. Make a decision and move forward and don’t second guess your decision. Your first decision is the best one.

    If you need to order a wedding dress, you need to order ASAP to get what you want. If you are lucky enough to be a sample size and find a sale dress on the rack, good for you!

    Here is a web site that will help you plan your wedding and do it without stress: http://www.weddingloco.com

    Good luck, my wedding was planed in 3 months for 300 people, my sister had 250 people and we planned it in a month. It is possible.
    PS…both weddings were fabulous!

  • Textual Sodomy 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    You can do it if you are focused. Just choose a vendor that isn’t popular. Some wedding venues around here are booked for a full two years. Get your dress now so there is time for alterations and such.

  • guitarsoloist07 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    That’s plenty long enough. My sister in law planned her wedding in 3 months and it was beautiful. She was very very stressed but it all came together.
    The main things you have to worry about is the location of the ceremony and reception, and your dress. You need to look for the dress now unless you want to have something off the rack that fits you. They usually cannot tailor them in only a few months. The only thing they can change that quick is the train.
    For the location, start calling around. Most places are booked about 6-8 months in advance. I helped my sis in law with some of this stuff but they knew the owners of the grounds they were getting married on so they made an exception for them.

  • Yellow Rose 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    I’ve heard of it being done in 2 months and it was a large church wedding.

  • Stan W 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    I am assuming that you have your Gown. If not, that is the first thing on your list. Besides that, your biggest problem is getting the dates down for the site of the wedding, reception, Caterer ( if you need one) and photographer. I would do those things right after you get your gown and possibly the bridesmaids gowns. The tuxes can wait a few months.
    To be honest, you will either get those done in a week or at least find out if it’s possible.
    After that your set to go with the flowers and such.
    The only real problem you might have is getting the sites as they are frequently booked a year in advance.
    One thought if everything is booked. Think about a Friday wedding. Most of the places book for Saturday and Friday is open, and they are thrilled to get a Friday booking.Oh and get the invitations started now.http://www.blessedbeginnings.com/Wedding_Invitations_Cheap.html
    There, see? that wasn’t so hard now, was it?

  • Amy Hurt 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    Absolutely….but start now.

    http://www.bridestuff.com/6-months-checklist.aspx

    Use this list to get started. And HAVE FUN!

    Also, you can go ahead and start looking at dresses. David’s Bridal has a cool virtual tool called Dress Your Wedding….play around with it, it will give you some ideas.

  • qtiffany618 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    Yes it is enough to plan it, but if you will be able to pull it off really depends on possible ceremony/reception location availability, and also photographer availability.

    If you are really set on getting married in a particular place, or having an amazing photographer they can often book a year or more in advance.

    I’d say decide on the location and find out what they have available. If your not dead-set on a particular date they may have availability for you.

    As far as the rest of the details, I think you will have plenty of time.

  • CAT1974 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    Congratulations!

    You can definitely do it but I would book your ceremony and reception locations as soon as you possibly can. This may be the stumbling block as so many places book out well in advance. But I’m sure that you will manage to find somewhere wonderful to hold it.

    Once you’ve got your date settled then start dress shopping.

    Here’s a site with some tips to help you plan:
    http://www.weddingideasguide.com/

  • Syreen 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    It’s doable. You just have to stay organized. My most stressful things while planning my wedding are the bridesmaids dresses (but that’s because they live in 3 different cities, and are 3 different body types, so it’s hard to get them together to try them on, and to agree on something)
    My tips are -
    1. Stay organized. Keep a folder with any reciepts incase you need to return something. Saves you stress later.
    2. Book things 1st, before you worry about anything else. Halls, photographers, churches often fill up fast. This is my main concern for you that your first choices and dates are already gone.
    3. Give your guests notice so they have time to arrange their lives.
    4. Use online shops. You save money and time this way. Click click, done. It arrives in the mail a week later. Rather than running around everywhere. I bought my favors online at http://www.fortuneweddingfavors.com (cute little chocolate dipped fortune cookies that were .99 cents each) and they were delivered in about 1.5 weeks from order date. No hassle, and they’ll stay fresh till my wedding.
    5. Delegate delegate delegate. You have bridesmaids, groomsmen, friends, family. Don’t do everything. Lead, but let them do things sometimes. Have them help with invitations, centerpieces, decorations, etc. Picking up alcohol, storage even!

    Hope that helps a bit.

  • katherine m 6:26 am on March 2, 2010 |

    Hey i’m getting married this October cause i got engaged last summer of 2008 but when my parents got married they got married in three weeks of there in engagment but i was not born at the time they had me when they were married for a year and they are still married they have been married for 19 years this fall in September and we are getting married in October so fun. So i’m planning my wedding as well im having fun with it i’m good but now is the time to find your dress i found my for 129 it is on sale right now cause it you have to get your dress now cause if you get one to soon before you wedding and you have troubles with it then you will but in deep water if something happens to your dress thats why im getting my dress in june cause you should at lease have the wedding dress for 5 months in case you find out something is wrong with it i try on wedding dresses last year but im buying my online at davids bridal where they have sales all the time so thats why im buying cheap but the dress looks so pretty i would in this month or next month go test out cake i though at first i was going to be scary or have a lot of stress but soon you will be happy cause you get to have a wedding shower and everything we are going to plan ours next month in june but im like you i cant wait either to get married so we plan it this year just relaxe and have fun with it i’am having fun so just keep doing what your doing also if you want you can look at stuff like for your honeymoon i did i get some sexy clothes even though people may buy some stuff for your honeymoon i would buy something just in case what the person gives you does not fit. Have fun

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