TOP TIPS FOR PLANNING A WEDDING AT SHORT NOTICE
If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that plans can sometimes change at short notice. So, if you’re planning to make the most of Boris’ roadmap and want to get married this summer or your existing plans need to change because of recent announcements, here are our top 5 tips for planning a wedding at short notice.
1. Budget
Before you book anything, agree a budget and stick to it. When you are short on time and often need to make decisions quickly, it’s easy to get carried away and say ‘yes’ to extras that you wouldn’t usually go for. These little extras soon add up and no one wants to be starting their married life with the headache of credit card debt from your wedding! To help you stick to your budget we recommend using a spreadsheet template like this one from Wedinspire, which documents every element of your wedding line by line.
2. Get organised
When planning a wedding at short notice there’s a lot to think about and it can get a little overwhelming if you’re not organised. You need to know what you need to do and when you need to do it. Lists are your friend here as is delegation (make use of our wedding party!).
If you’re not a fan of the traditional pen and paper approach (although there are some stunning wedding planners out there!), check out the online list-making app Trello. You can create lists for each element of your wedding, add checklists for each stage of the planning process and even add images for inspiration or as reminders of what you’ve ordered.
3. Book your venue
Once you’ve got your budget sorted and got your list at the ready, the first thing you need to check off is booking a venue. Not only because this will guide a lot of your other decisions but also with a short notice wedding, you need to let your guests know you’re getting married as soon as possible!
We recommend sending your wedding invites out around 12 weeks before the wedding, to give your guests enough notice. Although if you’re opting for a intimate wedding of close friends and family only, you can get away with not sending formal invites out until closer to the date.
4. Keep calm
We know that planning a wedding can get stressful at times. We know it might seem like you don’t have enough time. We know that many couples take months (even years) to plan their weddings. But it’s fine. Keep calm. Venues and wedding suppliers don’t need as much time as you might think to pull together your dream wedding day. For us as a venue, we can plan a wedding in as little as two weeks and with the pandemic many other suppliers have adapted to having faster turnaround times to be able to react to the changing government advice.
5. Remember what is important
The most important thing when planning a wedding at short notice (or any wedding for that matter) is to never lose sight of what is important to you as a couple. Remember why you are here. You love your partner and want to spend the rest of your life with them. No decision should overshadow that fact. Don’t get overwhelmed by the detail and so caught up that you don’t take time to enjoy yourself and get excited about your wedding!
We hope these tips help you in your wedding planning and would love to hear what has helped you most in planning your wedding!
If you’re considering a short notice wedding, get in touch with our team today here to check our available dates and start planning the day you get married at The Moat.