You’re engaged and you can’t wait to be married. Quite literally, you cannot wait. There is a whole range of reasons why couples choose a short engagement period and it can turn the volume up on the normal stresses of wedding planning. It may be that you have time constraints due to an upcoming move, job opportunity or baby. Sometimes it may be that a short engagement suits your personalities, you know you want to be married so let’s get on with it, right?

However you come to be planning a fast-paced wedding it can feel like a huge mountain to climb. It doesn’t have to. Can you plan a wedding in 6 months? Absolutely. And if you approach it right it can be every bit as awesome as one that was years in the making. Follow our timeline below for a 6 month and under wedding that is everything you want it to be.

Month 1 to 2

Plan your budget

No plans however small can be made prior to knowing how much you have to spend. Crunch the numbers and have a firm spending plan before you make the first phone call. It’s helpful to chunk your budget into smaller sections for every element of your day, this ensures you have enough left over to cover every single element.

Book your venue

Make this the very first thing at the top of your very first list. Getting the venue and date down for both ceremony and reception is the most important decision you will make in your wedding planning. Every single other thing you organise will orbit around your venue alongside the time and date of your wedding. The amazing thing about booking last minute? There will be a whole range of offers out there for venues looking to fill gaps in their calendar. This will be particularly prevalent if your wedding falls in the quieter winter season. It’s likely your options will be more limited than couples with a longer lead period but this can make your decision easier with less choice simplifying every step you take.

Send your invitations

Got the wedding in the calendar? It’s time to run down to the printer and send out those invitations. You can usually forgo Save the Dates if your wedding is less than 6 months away and the more notice you can give your guests the better. If you are having invitations made or printed it’s very important to source a supplier who can turn these around quickly. If you’re going for the DIY option then you need to get making now. Once you have a venue tied down and guests on notice you can take a breath and start looking at the details.

Tie in suppliers

This is probably the trickiest part of the whole 6-month wedding plan as great suppliers get booked up months in advice. A way to alleviate this pressure is to get married mid-week or off-season when suppliers are more readily available. Make a list of all the services you need for your wedding day and try to take on any jobs that you can potentially do yourself. Room decoration, flowers, and favours are some of the more straightforward elements you can create, providing a great opportunity to personalise your day. Try to get on the phone and chat with potential suppliers, as not does this speed up the process (it’s far too easy to ignore or put off a reply to an email) it also creates a connection which may make them more willing to flex their schedule.

Month 3 to 5

Find the dress

Often this is the first thing brides do post engagement because it’s the most iconic piece of your wedding puzzle and quite frankly the most fun. However, 3 months should be plenty to source the right dress and have alterations made so that the fit is beautiful. Ways to speed up this element are to buy off the peg and ask a local seamstress to get to work or to hit the high street, which is getting ever better at ready to wear bridal. Now is also the time to plan suits for the groom and his groomsman, pick out bridesmaid dresses, and source any other clothing and accessories you need.

Buy the rings

Now most of the bigger details are taken care of you should pause to pick out wedding rings, a couple of months allows plenty of time for any resizing and engraving. You should also source other wedding jewellery you might need including cufflinks, earrings, and necklaces.

Month 6

Finishing touches

If you have all the key elements in place you can use the final month to polish details. Book in a hair and make-up trial, host hen or stag parties and write the speeches. Confirm every supplier in your list and choose any readings or soundtrack for the day itself. Finally, take a little time to breathe and reflect on the amazing day that is to come. You did it!

Flexibility is the key to planning a wedding in a limited time frame. You may not get your first choice on everything including the venue and suppliers but a little flexible thinking will make it work. Front load the first couple of months with the major elements and leave the latter period before you marry to sweat the small stuff. You can and will achieve an amazing wedding day.