Every wedding day is unique. From the venue where the celebration takes place to the floral arrangements, delicious catering and everything else, there are so many variables included throughout. After all, just check out our Facebook or Instagram page and you’ll see plenty of various themes and color palettes you could potentially consider. Nonetheless, one factor that will likely impact your wedding planning experience is how much time you actually have to plan the big day. Some couples have their wedding venue selected over a year in-advance, while others are working off of a shorter timeline. There’s no doubt both can easily be done, but the planning process might look a little bit different for each. On today’s blog, we’ll focus on those with a shorter time frame.
Before we discuss that though, we would first like to say hello to any first-time visitors of our wedding blog. Madera Estates is a luxury wedding venue and event space located close by North Houston and The Woodlands. From the Grand Fireplace to the Hacienda and so much more, our number one priority is always to turn dream weddings into a reality. If you’re currently engaged and searching for a wedding venue near the Houston area, we would be delighted to have you see our venue in-person and meet with a member of our team. To do so, feel free to take a look at our online tour calendar and select a time that works best for you.
Having said all of that, it is now time to learn how you really can plan an amazing wedding on a shorter time frame.
Photo on the thumbnail courtesy of Ivan Garcia Studio.
Book Your Venue and Set Budget Immediately
Generally speaking, most people estimate that it takes roughly one year to plan a wedding. Can it be done quicker than this, say in just 5-6 months? Of course! Is it a tougher task to get it done in a shorter time frame? To be honest, probably so! However, with the right plan of attack from the start, it’s not as difficult as you might initially think. Since there’s not going to be a whole lot of time to waste, you’re going to want to get started on the most important tasks right away. First things first, get your budget established. Think of how much you’re wanting to spend total for the entire wedding and then start breaking it down into individual components, while highlighting any items that are must-haves.
Next up, you’re going to want to get your venue booked as well. Remember what I said in the above paragraph about how “one year” seems to be the consensus timeline for planning a wedding? Well, with this being the case, you have to keep in mind some of the more popular dates might already be booked up. This could be particularly true if you’re planning a fall wedding. Luckily, there are plenty of other options to consider, such as weekday weddings or even working around a 3-day holiday weekend (Labor Day and Memorial Day are two possibilities). All in all, if you have your heart set on a particular venue, go ahead and get your tour scheduled right away. This way, you can get pricing and more importantly, see what dates are available.
Use a Checklist
There’s no doubt that planning a wedding can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re running low on time! While it might sound like the simplest piece of advice, having a checklist to utilize will make your life so much easier. Trust us, you’ll have plenty on your to-do list and the checklist is the perfect method for ensuring you don’t forget about anything along the way. In addition, if the venue you select has an on-site wedding coordinator, that’ll make your life so much easier as well. On the flipside, if they don’t, consider hiring a wedding planner. Long story short, having someone there that can help keep you on schedule and also has experience planning similarly-sized weddings is always going to be an invaluable resource!
Don’t Stress
I know this next point might sound a little ironic, given that we’ve already discussed how complex planning a wedding can be, but the most important advice we can give to couples working on a shorter timeline is to avoid stress. Remember, this is supposed to be a memorable experience that the two of you can enjoy together. The last thing you want it turning into is a major headache resulting in countless arguments. If you feel the timeline you had initially anticipated might be cutting it too close and is making you nervous, consider adding a month or two! Truth be told, it’s probably best to have too much time for planning your wedding, as opposed to not enough!
Save the Dates, Wedding Websites, Invitations and More!
As you’ve likely noticed, a common theme throughout this blog has revolved around taking care of the most important tasks in a timely manner. For instance, with your wedding venue and certain vendors (caterers, photographers, etc), you’re going to want to get those booked as quickly as possible simply because their own schedules are likely already filling up. And as we mentioned above, this is of even greater importance if you’re shooting for a popular season like the fall.
To add to your list of critical tasks for your big day, communication to your guests should find its place near the top of the list. Now you’ll obviously need to finalize your guest list first. However, assuming you’re working on a shorter timeline, not long after that’s set in stone, you’ll want to start spreading the word. Save the dates, wedding websites and invitations are going to be three of the more important duties. Keep in mind that if your time frame is under 5 or 6 months, you may even just skip the save the dates altogether and start with the invitations themselves. That decision is entirely up to you, but with a shorter timeline, there may not be a need to do both.
For comparison purposes, we also have a full wedding planning checklist that our couples are provided in conjunction with their client portal access. This to-do list is based on a 12-month timeline, but can nonetheless be useful even for those with shorter time frames, as it prioritizes tasks from start to finish. In terms of the items we just mentioned, save the dates are set for 6-7 months and invitations are set to be sent out 2-3 months ahead of the big day.
Have You Booked Your Wedding Venue?
No matter if your wedding date is two years from now or just six months away, one of the first tasks you’ll want to complete in your wedding planning process is selecting the venue. Particularly on more popular dates or seasons, wedding venues can book up quite a while in advance. As such, this is not a decision you’re going to want to procrastinate on. As we mentioned in the opening paragraphs, Madera Estates is a wedding venue located in Conroe, TX. With a Spanish and European-inspired theme, we’ve been honored to have had the opportunity to host so many amazing weddings over the years. We offer both all-inclusive wedding packages, as well as venue-only rentals. To learn more about the various packages available, feel free to click HERE to get in touch with our team.
Interested in checking out some of our other tips for a seamless wedding planning experience, click HERE to take a look at our blog. In addition to planning-related blogs like the one you just read, we also like to provide inside looks at real weddings hosted at Madera Estates.