So, the love of your life has said “I do,” and you’ve both decided that you don’t want to beat around the bush, but instead get married as soon as possible. This is a great idea, as it keeps the momentum moving quickly and the excitement at fever pitch. If you’ve given yourself a target of three months (short, but not too short), then it’s just the right amount of time to plan an unforgettably amazing wedding. Here are a few pieces of advice.
Pick a date and location
Where you get married doesn’t always have to be traditional. You could book a spot at a restaurant, a local park, or even see if anyone you know has a giant backyard that could fit a large group of people! Think outside the box and there is bound to be many locations that will fit the bill, so to speak.
Send out those invitations
You’re going to need to send invitations to make sure people have saved the date. You could do this via social media or email, of course, but as you’ve got three months, there’s still time for a little tradition. You’ll need a lot of nice envelopes, so order a bunch at once and get them in the mail as quickly as possible and wait for the R.S.V.Ps to arrive.
Find wedding attire
You might not have time to get a brand new dress fitted and made within three months, which is why we suggest going second-hand! Someone in your family may even have an old wedding dress that fits you, which has the added bonus of sentimental value. If you don’t like that idea, though, you could also try vintage stores. Another option is to simply purchase a white bridesmaid dress, which will still look beautiful but at a much cheaper price. For men, it’s always possible to rent a suit or tuxedo if you currently have nothing suitable.
Music, food, and drinks on the cheap
For music, there’s no need to hire a DJ when a Spotify playlist is just as good. Just make sure you’ve got a premium account without ads between the songs! As for food and drinks, you could always ask guests to bring a small something and tell them to forego any wedding gift. Wedding cakes are often more epic than they need to be, but you can still buy a beautifully made cake and then simply put on a wedding topper.
You don’t have to provide a full three-course meal for your guests, but could instead offer a buffet, which a lot of people often prefer. Drinks could also be purchased in bulk from a supplier, and whatever’s left over can still be drunk eventually! Bridebox actually made a calculation for how many drinks would be needed for 100 people, which included:
- 13 bottles of champagne
- 12 bottles of red wine
- 12 bottles of white wine
- 7 cases of beer (24 bottles per case)
- 4 bottles of vodka
- 2 bottles of gin
- 2 bottles of rum
- 2 bottles of bourbon
- 1 bottle of scotch
- 33 containers of assorted mixers
- 100 pounds of ice
- Garnishes as needed
Obviously, if you’re not expecting 100 guests, then decrease the amount of bottles!
Hiring a photographer
Lastly, even if you can save a few pennies in other areas, we’d still recommend hiring a professional photographer. You really can’t skimp on experience and expertise when it comes to something like this, as this is your one special day, you can’t afford to hand the reigns to someone not ready for the challenge.