INSPIRATION
THE
LONG AND
SHORT
OF IT
WHETHER YOU ’ RE ENJOYING A LONG ENGAGEMENT WITH YEARS TO PLAN YOUR WEDDING , OR YOU ’ VE GOT A MATTER OF MONTHS TO GET YOUR NUPTIAL IDEAS NAILED DOWN , THERE ’ S PLENTY OF WAYS TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE TIME YOU HAVE AND ENJOY THE PLANNING PROCESS BEFORE YOU SPEND FOREVER TOGETHER
SHORT ENGAGEMENTS ( 1 YEAR AND LESS ) Some couples can ’ t wait to say ‘ I do ’, and a short engagement is perfect for them ; a wedding is the start of the rest of your lives together , so why wait ?
Although there can be some challenges to having a shorter engagement , cutting down the planning time can also have lots of benefits - especially if you ’ re typically indecisive , because with less time to stress , you ’ re likely to make choices quicker !
Pick Your Place Find out the availability of the venues you like before you make appointments to view them ; that way you won ’ t be disappointed if you find out that the only dates available are years down the line .
Secure Your Suppliers Photographers , caterers and entertainment providers all get booked up months - and sometimes years - in advance , so as soon as you ’ ve got a date fixed , start contacting anyone you ’ d like to have at your wedding to see if they have availability . And , if they don ’ t , they might be able to recommend fellow industry contacts who have similar styles , so don ’ t be afraid to ask for suggestions .
Send Invites Soon While it ’ s often the norm to send your guests a save the date followed by a formal invitation , if you ’ ve only got a few months to go until your big day , consider just sending invites out a bit earlier . If you ’ ve still got details to finalise then you could include a link to a wedding website where you ’ ll update guests once you ’ ve got further information .
Avoid the Dress Stress Some bridal boutiques have long lead times for ordering in dresses , and you ’ ll want to allow time for alterations , too . If you ’ re short on time though , all is not lost . If you ’ ve got more than 6 months to go until your wedding , book appointments as soon as you have your date set , and let the boutiques know your date so that they can advise how long the dress will take to be ordered in from the designer . If you ’ ve got less than 6 months to go , then a great way to save on time ( and cost !) is to consider a second hand or ex-sample dress . Pre-loved boutiques or ex-sample rails in dress shops usually have gowns that brides can take away on the day .
Seek Suggestions If time is of the essence when it comes to planning your wedding , then take some of the stress away by considering
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