Short notice, off the cuff weddings can be very romantic. You can’t wait a moment longer – you want to get hitched IMMEDIATELY (or as least as soon as possible).
Now, you don’t need to worry about all the pessimists who’ll tell you that you’ll never find a wedding venue that’s free, that you haven’t a hope of finding a bridal hairdresser to groom you, that every single florist and matrimonially expert photographer in a 100 mile radius is booked.
You see what you do is hold your nuptials mid-week, which can avoid all the problems of eleventh hour marriage planning. It can also make the whole ceremony much less expensive and there are some great last minute wedding deals to be had. Many hotels, car hire companies, caterers, bands and DJs offer considerable discounts for weekday weddings. Brides can benefit from a much less hurried service from hairdressers and make-up artists (who will probably be stacking up the bridal clients on a summer Saturday.)
Vivienne Smith is the Wedding & Function Co-ordinator at Quex Park and she’s shared her expertise with us to create a 12 point checklist for couples who decide to tie the knot speedily.
- Check potential dates with principal guests
- Ascertain the availability of a registrar or priest
- Book the venue
- Draw up a guest list and send invitations
- Brief your wedding co-ordinator or planner. They should be able to recommend key suppliers such as photographers, dressmakers, formal hire, florists, cake makers and local bands. They should also be able to advise on local hotels, B&Bs and taxi firms.
- Make a gift list
- Book your hairdresser and make up artist
- Buy the rings
- Book the wedding night accommodation
- Plan menus and running orders with timings with your co-ordinator
- Choose a honeymoon
- Enjoy your hen/stag parties, relax and revel in the day!
In the meantime, Dessy has a useful wedding planning tool to get you started. Thanks to Quex Park for the photography.
Charlotte, you are so right that going with your wedding coordinator’s recommendations for florists and other vendors will really make your life a lot easier. As a former event planner and someone who planned their own wedding in 3 months, I can tell you that you are best off choosing vendors you trust and then letting them do their job. Pick a few wedding details that are really important to you and focus on those. For most everything else give your vendors guidelines, and let them bring their professional knowledge and creativity to your wedding. Finally, I’m trying to figure out how to word this so that it doesn’t sound like a commercial, but I do want to let people know that if they need a huppah, a wedding canopy, on short notice, my company, Huppahs.com, is able to ship rental huppahs to couples on short notice.
Yes – your wedding co-ordinator is there to HELP you. So use them!
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