Quite the predicament

ntrespalacios3

Hey ladies,

 As my post title presents, I am in quite the predicament. My fiancé and I got engaged on June 15^th 2012. With the intentions of our engagement being a long one – not planning on being married until 2104 – we have not planned any wedding details AT ALL. In a sad turn of events, my fiancé's grandmother was recently diagnosed with terminal cervical cancer. She was told just last week that she had at the most 7 months to live. This woman has been a huge part of his life and is like a second mother to him. While visiting her over the weekend, she told him that one thing she would love is to be able to see us marry. I love my fiancé more than anything and would love to do this for him and his family. That being said, I am having a hard time imagining pulling together a wedding with less than 7 months on a tighter budget than expected. I need help! Where do I start? We are looking to have something very budget friendly in San Diego that can still look elegant and beautiful. I would love some input, advice, guidance, ideas...anything would be helpful.

Thank you for reading.

kay136

So sorry to hear about your FI's grandma. That must be very hard on him. I def know a 7 month wedding is doable. I've known lots of brides who have had shorter time frames than that. By the time I get married I will have had an engagement of a little over a year and a half so I"m not much help on the quick timeline but do you have any room in your budget to hire a coordinator? I met with one who was very reasonable with her prices. Her name is Hannah Smith (Hannah Smith Events). She was just starting her own business after being in coordinating for a large business for years so her prices were really reasonable. She even gave discounts for writing an honest review for her online. Oftentimes, coordinators can end up saving you more than you spent to hire them because of their connections. Maybe you should meet with her- let her know your budget- and see what she can do for you. You may have to make rush decisions on things but having a coordinator will help. Give her your ideas and let her run with it. You can even try to get married a little sooner if you think it's necessary.
Good luck with planning!

Chels&Jimmy

I am sorry about your FI's grandma. You can definitely plan your wedding in less than 7 months. My best friend planned her wedding in 6 weeks! Ditto kay's suggestion of hiring a coordinator. I can also suggest my coordinator, Tawnee Gomez of Urban Shindigs. 

Genysis80

Sorry to hear about your GIL why not have the wedding on a yacht through Hornblower cruises? They take care of practically everything, and you might get a discounted date in the off season.

suebride12

so sorry to hear about your predicatment.  You can definitely plan in 7months or less.  I just sent you a PM

ryan&cassie

Sorry to hear that! Definitely throws a wrench into everything, and not just the wedding. One thing I would caution is not to wait the full 7 months for the wedding - by that time she could be very sick and maybe unable to attend at that point anyway. I think you should be working with a much shorter timeline 3-4 months - and then in her last months you can spend quality time with her without worrying about wedding plans. With that said, I still think it is very do-able to throw something together within a few months. 

Since you will have a reduced budget and timeline, you may need to compromise on some things, but it sounds like the ability to have his grandmother at the wedding would outweigh these compromises for both of you. 

The good news is that winter weddings are a lot less expensive, with more dates available. You could get rid of things like a DJ (and just play music from an ipod) or try to find an experienced student photographer (instead of a experienced professional). You could also do a cocktail reception (instead of a full meal). Make a list of the most important things to you - and then reduce (or eliminate) the budget for the things that don't matter to you. Also considering doing something on a week-day. You'd probably be able to save a lot of money, and if most of your family/friends live close by then taking a day or a half-day off of work for your wedding shouldn't be a huge problem for them - plus I think they woul understand.

Another option is "wedding now, party later" (small wedding now to include grandma, with larger party in 2014 like you planned) I don't know if it's something you'd consider, but if it is, then check with your family/friends to see how they feel about it - some social circles will feel that this is a logical option and would understand and support your choice considering your predicament. Other groups would maybe find it offensive or distasteful, but I think it is important to stick to what would be socially acceptable within your own social circle.