Planning
a wedding on short notice
07.29.05
Dear Kathi,
I am getting married this September. We have just begun planning
and I know it is really short notice. What is the easiest way to
plan this event with a very small budget and a small amount of time?
I have two girlfriends who have volunteered to help me with whatever
I need.
Jenny, San Diego
Jenny,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I’m glad to hear
you have friends to help. Have you planned a budget yet for your
wedding? Establish your budget and your colors/theme now and you
will have solid guidelines as you plan your wedding.
If you have a small budget, the easiest way to get more wedding
for your money is to schedule your wedding for a weekday during
the day instead of on a weekend in the evening.
Your budget will guide you throughout your planning process. Be
aware that weddings typically go over budget by 20-30%. The small
details that often escape the budget are efficient fees, bubbles,
postage, parking attendants, etc.
Once you have secured your wedding and reception location, your
largest choices will be food, décor and talent. With three
people involved, you might want to divvy up assignments into these
categories.
If your friends have particular talents or interests in any of these
fields, your tasking will be easy. If not, decide now who will investigate
each category.
Ask your friends to seek out referrals for florists, caterers and
DJ/musicians. Once they have found a few recommended vendors, you
can meet with these companies to see if they meet your expectations
and budget.
Food generally eats up the largest part of your budget. Interview
and hire a caterer as soon as possible. Good caterers are generally
booked two months in advance. You can reduce your food costs by
planning your event in the morning or early afternoon and serving
a continental breakfast or lunch. The traditional sit-down dinner
is the most expensive option. If your wedding is scheduled in the
evening, a dinner buffet will help reduce costs. A good caterer
can usually handle many facets of your event including the rentals
and cake. Finding a caterer who is wiling to handle all of these
details will save you time and energy.
Your colors and wedding theme will have a large effect on your flower
choices. Bouquets can be elaborate clusters or single stemmed flowers.
Try to use flowers that are in season. A good florist will be creative
and help you stay within budget.
If you are serving over 50 guests, cake costs can be reduced by
using a small 2-3 tiered cake for photos and presentation and serving
the majority of the guests from a larger sheet cake.
Save money by hiring a photography student or a new photographer
who is building their business.
Many photographers now shoot digital. Include a copy of the disc
in your agreement so you can make multiple prints at a reduced cost.
It is impossible to advise you about every wedding planning detail
within this column. There are many fantastic websites to help plan
and budget your wedding. Go online and search within the broad category
of weddings and you will discover a wealth of free information.
