Wedding planning is one of the most exciting times in anyone’s life.  It is full of new adventures, ideas, activities and most of all, love! You and your partner are giddy with excitement and cannot wait to bask in your joy in front of all your friends and family. Although it is definitely one of the most exciting times and everyone is oh so excited, it is also not a time to just kick back and relax. This can cause so many couples to stress out which is totally unnecessary.  Wedding planning should be busy yes, but beautiful and fun. If you have the luxury of being engaged longer than 4-5 months, you have nothing to worry about.  You have plenty of time to do things yourself and get organized.  You will not need to worry about not having enough time.  It really is a perfect time frame. However, if you are getting married in less than 3 months, you have got to get on it and have a plan.  You can’t just wish something and it will magically happen.  You need to know what you want and do it. Wedding planning in 3 months is totally do-able so do not freak out over it.  You and your partner still have enough time to enjoy the process and enjoy each other in the meantime.  There is no need to go crazy over anything. Today we want to share with you a list of things to help you plan your under-3-month wedding.  It is not as hard as everyone makes it seem as long as you go into it with an open mind and know you might have to compromise some things due to time constraints. As long as you are willing to work with that, you will have a great time throughout the planning process. Alrighty, let’s jump in!

• Know what you want.

Yep, there is no way you are going to plan a wedding being iffy on the big things.  That is a luxury you have planning a 6 month+ wedding, but not here! You have to know what you want and dive right in. The best way to do this is to create a big Pinterest board for what you want.  Keep in mind that you will likely have to keep things on the simple side since you will not have a lot of time to plan.  So run through Pinterest and keep all the things that you would be interested in.  Give yourself an option or two in case something is not available due to time constraints. Once you know what you want, you will be good to go.  Have a color scheme, bridal party ideas, reception theme and all of that ready to go.  Once you figure it out, the rest flows smoothly!

• Get a planner

Okay maybe you don’t need a planner and can get it done with your phone.  But use something to keep track of things coming up, what you need to do, appointments and days off that you can dedicate to wedding planning.  Know your limits, but know you might have to stretch yourself a bit thin to get everything done. Make lists! They really help keep track of everything you need to do.  Being organized is the best (and truly only) way to get things done properly in such a short amount of time.  You can do it!

• Make a decision and continue on to the next task

This is not the time to be held up wondering if you should go with the bright pink or blush flowers.  No, decide if pink is what you truly want and make that decision.  Once you do, don’t go back to it! Trust that you made a decision you will love. Becoming decisive is the best thing you can do to make wedding planning quick and painless!

• Hire a coordinator

Have room in your budget? This is one of the best ways you can spend your money! A coordinator will help you make decisions (or make them for you if she knows you well enough!) and be sure you get everything done on time.  She is like a living, breathing planner. Your coordinator will keep track of all your details and make sure your wedding is planned efficiently and then follows a schedule on that day.  A day of coordinator has always been my biggest recommendation to any bride! (If you are looking for a great day of coordinator, check out our vendor guide!)

• Hand off tasks

If you have bridal party, parents, or close friends that can handle some tasks that you do not need to be involved in, ask them! They will certainly be glad to help and it will make your life so much easier! Even give tasks to your fiancé! Maybe music playlist or the flow of the ceremony. There are so many things you do not have to be directly involved with and can save your day if you go ahead and let someone else handle them!

• Set a budget

Budgeting is always one of the hardest parts of the wedding planning process.  Maybe you or your fiancé cannot agree on how much you want to spend on your big day (remember, it does not have to be a large sum to be memorable). Or maybe you do not agree on a venue.  Whatever the case may be, remember that this is going to be one of the most important pieces of your wedding planning. Decide if you will spend $1000, $5000 or $10,000 or what.  Once you decide, totally stick with it.  Don’t look back.  You don’t want to spend extra on your wedding and then feel it later.  Remember you still have a honeymoon to spend on and you do not want to be depleted of savings to start your life together.  Be wise and don’t spend all of your money. Just celebrate your big day and enjoy it no matter how much money you are able to put into it. Now that we have that, let’s break it down even further.  You have an idea of how you are going to work, but still no exact plan.  I don’t know about you, but I like when someone gives me a checklist! It helps me plan out my time efficiently and there is this satisfying feeling about checking things off the list! Planning in three months means getting all the basics done as soon as possible and then using the leftover time to plan out the details.  You should be able to plan things out well enough to still have leftover time. So, here you have the breakdown by month! 3 months before -Book the venue -Send the invites -Book your caterer (if not included with venue) -Buy your wedding dress -Book your photographer/videographer/musicians/DJ -Plan honeymoon   2 months before -Book the florist -Book your cake baker -Buy/rent Groom and groomsmen suits -Buy bridesmaid’s dresses 1 Month Before -Purchase décor for ceremony and reception -Bridal party gifts -Bride & Groom accessories: Bride’s hair pieces, groom’s cuff links, etc. Planning a wedding in 3 months is totally do-able.  We want to help you out and for that reason, we have a vendor guide that will take you to the top vendors for everything you need. From photographers to videographers, to caterers and DJs, we have got you covered! Do not stress about these things.  Email us if you need help, we want to help you create your dream wedding! Let me give you another tip for this time: enjoy! Yes, so many couples miss out on enjoying the occasion.  It is full of adventure, thrill, and magic.  You are about to become one for the rest of your lives.  Your best friend, partner in crime and soulmate will be your one and only as long as you both shall live.  That is worth celebrating, isn’t it?! Take time to enjoy the process.  Do not wait for your reception to celebrate this time and your love, but do it throughout the days leading up to it.  With a 3-month engagement, you still have so much time to plan and have fun at the same time. Another big tip: don’t compare.  Just don’t. So, your friends got married 6 months ago and threw the biggest bash of the century.  Good for them.  They chose their budget, idea and planned and did what they wanted.  Nothing wrong with that.  I hope you celebrated with them and made them feel special. Your turn is here now, and you don’t want that big party? Well, first, do not let anyone pressure you into it.  The party you can plan and afford right now is the best party you can throw, EVER! Kindly tell prying people that you and your fiancé are planning a surprise type wedding if you do not want to discuss your wedding details with them.  There is nothing wrong with keeping everything to yourselves until your big day. Now, say you wouldn’t be opposed to that wedding, but you still can’t afford it.  Or maybe you can’t book the ideal wedding for that kind of party in less than 3 months.  Don’t beat yourself up over it.  Comparison is the thief of joy- we’ve all heard this phrase.  And it is true.  If you compare, you will forget the reason you are doing this in the first place. Plan the wedding you can throw and enjoy it without hesitation.  Don’t compare or worry about others comparing.  Weddings and parties are not a game, they are a momentous occasion to be celebrated! No matter what size the party is or where it is held, it is worth investing every ounce of energy in celebration! Remember that wedding planning is supposed to be fun above everything else.  Gather yourself a few of your closest friends (maybe these will become your bridal party) and have a few brainstorming sessions to get your creative juices flowing.  Once that happens, you will be able to make decisions a lot faster because you will have weighed all the options beforehand. Usually a Maid of Honor is the one doing the majority of duties for the wedding, but with such a short time frame, do not be afraid to reach out to all of your bridesmaids and ask for help.  Create a special google document with a task list of things to do before the big day and give them all access.  Maybe give out direct tasks to some people so you know they will get done.  Either way just let everyone choose what they want to do and go with it! If your mom, grandma, or mother in law is also available, feel free to give them a couple of tasks to tackle, too.  The more the merrier in the great big adventure of wedding planning! Wedding planning in three months is totally possible so do not discount it if it is an option you have that will work for you and your fiancé.  There is something exciting, fun and exhilarating about planning a wedding in no time at all.  It is almost like an elopement, which is dreamy and romantic in itself. Have fun, enjoy the moment and remember you can do it! Leave us a comment if you have any tips for brides planning their weddings in under 3 months.  If you have any questions, feel free to also comment or email us so we can help you out.  We know you can do this and are your cheerleaders here!