Engaged to Married in Just Six Short Months

To wait or not to wait!

If you are one of the lucky couples who got engaged over this year’s holiday season - Congratulations - not only on finding the love of your life, but on taking that next step towards marital bliss! Having been engaged last holiday season, I’m guessing you’re probably asking when is the right time to actually get married, and is it even possible to consider a wedding this year? Besides your favorite season, you’re thinking about your already crazy life, maybe a cross country move (like I had), and most of all that dirty-word: planning! And so...you’re faced with the question: To wait or not to wait? From a recently married bride to a newly engaged couple, here’s some quick thoughts on when, why, and how, I pulled off my dream, one-of-a-kind wedding in less than six months.

My then fiance, now husband, proposed in mid-February, and quickly proceeded to ask when we should get married. Not realizing it takes 9 months to get many wedding gowns, he suggested, MAY! Yes, three months should do it he thought, until I turned white as a ghost and in a pleading voice asked, “how about late summer, or... maybe early fall?” As it turns out, balancing two careers, the start of a new school year, and a cross-country move, resulted in us selecting late July, just 5 ½ months after our engagement.

Now of course, we could have picked a later date, and many couples do, when found in similar situations. For example, some couples have only been together a short while before engagement, therefore haven’t had time to agree on basic details. For us however, we had been together 2 ½ years, generally knew the kind of wedding we had in mind, and most of all really wanted to start our married life together. We were, by all accounts, ready! And now, just 6 months after our wedding, I can tell you: that while being engaged is great (you’re probably still on cloud nine), being married is truly where-it’s-at!

So if I haven’t convinced you yet to take the plunge this year, here are some simple steps to keep you sane, while ensuring you stay true to you. Follow these steps, and you’ll be sipping hot cider in your monogrammed robes come this fall!

1. Determine what’s important up front. Since you are on a tight timeline, this will be especially important. Deciding what you value, ensures you take time to coordinate the important tasks first, resulting in less stress in the coming months. Taking the time to think about your vision also helps you communicate it to others, who, while always well-intentioned, might forget that this really is your wedding and what you want really does matter! Check out Step #2 - Writing Down Your Vision Statement, from my December post.

2. Get Online. Getting married this year means you want to lock in the big ticket items first, and you’ll want to do so quickly. Usually, this means finding vendors that not only fit your style, but share their pricing and availability up-front and online. For instance, you might have a certain caterer you want so badly that you are willing to plan the whole wedding around them. In this case, book them ASAP!

   On the flip side, traditional vendors often play hard-to-get, which doesn’t work well when working on a tight timeline. Not only learning from my own experience, but we at Weven heard what couples hated and what they wanted. That’s why at Weven we offer customizable options with needed details right at your fingertips! From high-resolution drone footage (making touring on your lunch hour not only possible, but fun), to up-front date availability, you’ll be able to choose from over 40 exclusive venues and book with ease, all helping you plan in today’s fast paced world.

3. Keep your Creative Options Open - If you are looking at a venue that mandates what caterer you select or what linens you use, proceed with caution. While recommendations are nice, requirements are more of a burden. When planning a wedding, you don’t have time to go back and forth negotiating details that matter to you. It’s your wedding, and you really should get to choose. Look for venues or vendors that let you customize. This means you’ll be able to spend more time planning what matters to you (remember tip #1), rather than being forced to select ornate table settings when you really just wanted stand up hors d'oeuvres with signature cocktails.

So if you are ready to take the leap, and decide not to wait, take planning by the horns and know that you CAN have your cake and eat it too--both in engagement and married life, in what’s sure to be your best-year-ever! For a more detailed roadmap, check out my blog from earlier this winter titled What DIY Really Means.