Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone

Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone

• gynell1989 member

  

  March 2013 edited March 2013

  New to the website, im glad i found it!!! Did anyone else on here plan a whole wedding by themselves while their fiance was deployed!? and get married on his leave? my fiance deployed this past october and our wedding is in june. he will of course be on leave in june, which basically means im planning the wedding alone. I work full time and have school and a daughter, so the time for this is difficult. we dont want a jop ceremony but nothing huge eithier. Were having 50-60 people and just vows and a dinner ceremony. Ive registered, booked a small venue, picked out my flower arrangments, made a seating chart, picked out invites and thats it. I feel like im missing so much more! i know for sure i need an officiant and a cake left. We want to skip on a photographer due to our budget and they are just ridicously expensive! looking into other photography ideas such as having decorated wedding cameras on the tables for guests to take pics (like a game?) Basicaly my hands are full ive never done this before and would appreciate any insight on if im missing anything, and emotionally how women handle this while the FI was deployed
  
  Thank u so much!

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• kyrgyzstan member

  

  March 2013

  So you're planning on doing it while he's on R&R type leave, or after he gets home for good? My SIL got married on her H's R&R, and they literally had to change the date 2 weeks out. My husband got delayed on his most recent deployment because they got stuck at Manas for a week. I've known people who were stuck at Manas for longer than that. H's block leave dates got changed, etc. 

  
  

  In short, I would wait until a few months after he's back for good. 

  
  

  As for photography, you will be so disappointed if you skip it. We prioritized food, photos, and videography, so we prioritized our guests and then we prioritized the things that would be around forever. We got super lucky and hired a friend who was a pro but hasn't done a ton of weddings for about 1k. In San Diego, that's amazing. Our videographer was 1.5k, and when H was deployed, it was so nice to have the photos and video to look at. Even if you skip videography, don't skip a photographer. Do you have a photography department at your school? Maybe there's an advanced student who can do it for free or cheaply to build his portfolio? Have you asked on your local board here for a rec?

  I hate Dave Ramsey

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• Knottie_22383214

  March 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_deploymentplanning-a-wedding-alone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:13Discussion:8d7b4482-68ba-47bf-bb62-ad404fcaf9b6Post:1d977267-9398-4e86-a172-7e96dd733b82">Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone</a>:
  [QUOTE]So you're planning on doing it while he's on R&R type leave, or after he gets home for good? My SIL got married on her H's R&R, and they literally had to change the date 2 weeks out. My husband got delayed on his most recent deployment because they got stuck at Manas for a week. I've known people who were stuck at Manas for longer than that. H's block leave dates got changed, etc.  In short, I would wait until a few months after he's back for good.  As for photography, you will be so disappointed if you skip it. We prioritized food, photos, and videography, so we prioritized our guests and then we prioritized the things that would be around forever. We got super lucky and hired a friend who was a pro but hasn't done a ton of weddings for about 1k. In San Diego, that's amazing. Our videographer was 1.5k, and when H was deployed, it was so nice to have the photos and video to look at. Even if you skip videography, don't skip a photographer. Do you have a photography department at your school? Maybe there's an advanced student who can do it for free or cheaply to build his portfolio? Have you asked on your local board here for a rec?
  Posted by WishIcouldbeinthe'stan[/QUOTE]
  
  
  It will have be his leave, he has about three weeks, we've been watching everyones leaves prior to his and most delays were 2-3 days due to weather. So we set the wedding towards the mid-end of his leave to allow for any weather/ect delays. so it isnt 100% safe but we have it at 90% safe. The reason is when he gets back from deployment he has to go back out of state to where hes stationed at till he gets out for good. So this is the best/only time for us right now. As for the photography i agree wih you, i just do not want to spend a grand for someone to take pictures i find it ridiculous! i do have a friend in photography classes and shes done a couple weddings for a couple hundred bucks, so your comment reminded me of that so now i might ask her about that ;) thank you!

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• ggirl2001 member

  

  March 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_deploymentplanning-a-wedding-alone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:8d7b4482-68ba-47bf-bb62-ad404fcaf9b6Post:9335c3fa-45e0-4edb-ab2c-5200805044bd">Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone : It will have be his leave, he has about three weeks, we've been watching everyones leaves prior to his and most delays were 2-3 days due to weather. So we set the wedding towards the mid-end of his leave to allow for any weather/ect delays. so it isnt 100% safe but we have it at 90% safe. The reason is when he gets back from deployment he has to go back out of state to where hes stationed at till he gets out for good. So this is the best/only time for us right now. As for the photography i agree wih you, i just do not want to spend a grand for someone to take pictures i find it ridiculous! i do have a friend in photography classes and shes done a couple weddings for a couple hundred bucks, so your comment reminded me of that so now i might ask her about that ;) thank you!
  Posted by gynell1989[/QUOTE]<div>
  </div><div>Do you have a military clause for your venue? Just in case he gets delayed longer, I would at least do that to be safe. </div><div>
  </div><div>Also, check schools around you for students who would be willing to do a wedding for cheap if your friend can't do it. 
  
  </div>

  

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• manjermj member

  

  March 2013

  In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_military-brides_deploymentplanning-a-wedding-alone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:13Discussion:8d7b4482-68ba-47bf-bb62-ad404fcaf9b6Post:76b899d7-ceb2-4152-a10a-580cfca0285c">Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone</a>:
  [QUOTE]In Response to Re: Deployment=Planning a Wedding alone :<strong> Do you have a military clause for your venue? Just in case he gets delayed longer, I would at least do that to be safe. </strong> Also, check schools around you for students who would be willing to do a wedding for cheap if your friend can't do it. 
  Posted by ggirl2001[/QUOTE]
  
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  </div><div>I second that! You have no idea how many times his leave will probably change before he actually gets to take it. My husbands homecoming date changed about 5 times (ranging an entire month!) before he was actually home. </div><div>
  </div><div>
  </div>

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• Sammy0709 member

  

  March 2013

  Agreed with those that said to at least get a military clause. DH was delayed for almost a month during one of his deployments.

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• toremiles

  

  March 2013

  I'm currently deployed and my fiance' is military as  well and will be possibly leaving and not returning until maybe 2 months before the wedding so I know the pain. But yes get the military clause.

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