Is 6 months enough time?

VickyFlor · November 2009

Hello, FI and I visited a venue today that we both like. One of the dates that we like is only 6 months away. Is this enough time? Both of us think it is pushing it. So, we could wait until 2011 or try to jam it all in. Thoughts? You know, FI and I haven't felt rushed to pick a date. But, now that I am looking at a calendar, 2011 seems like such a long time away. Yet, 6 months seems undoable. I looked through the checklist in my knot planner and I got stressed just trying to imagine getting all this stuff done in less than a year.

razdazzle · November 2009

I have a friend who got married and planned everything in 6 months...so yes, it is doable, you just may have more to do in a short amount of time. If you are stressing, it may be worth it to wait a little...Have you looked at other venues? I would look around and make sure this is really the place, and then decide.

PressMe · November 2009

I think it is possible. The hardest part is finding a venue. After that, it's all details. Just know, that you need to start looking at gowns and BM dresses ASAP. Good luck!

PharmJen · November 2009

It's definitely possible if you don't have your heart set on other vendors, like a specific photographer. By the time my wedding rolls around I'll have been engaged for 18 months - this last year really has flown by and now I'm down to 6 months. I've been able to take my time, do my homework, SAVE $$$, and get all the vendors I wanted. And because my wedding is in Philly and I live in the DC area, it would have been absolutely too stressful to pull something like that off. GL!

Lyss5782 · November 2009

I think its totally doable, Id just look for a dress ASAP (unless youre a buy-off-the-rack type of girl!)

We have already been engaged for 11 months and still have 8 to go...I think its kind of TOO long, but on the flip side I have really enjoyed the "being engaged" time.

VickyFlor · November 2009

Thank you for the encouragement. FI and I will have been engaged for one year this December. However, due to a health scare involving my Dad in late December, we really haven't focused on planning until the last 3 months. Dad is doing better and we could finally take a breath. Of course, now that we are looking around, we are finding out lots of places are booked up for 2010. Honestly, I feel torn and, hence, indecisive. The last year has shown me that things can change in an instant. On the other hand, I don't want to just throw something together.

VickyFlor · November 2009

Thank you for the encouragement. FI and I will have been engaged for one year this December. However, due to a health scare involving my Dad in late December, we really haven't focused on planning until the last 3 months. Dad is doing better and we could finally take a breath. Of course, now that we are looking around, we are finding out lots of places are booked up for 2010. Honestly, I feel torn and, hence, indecisive. The last year has shown me that things can change in an instant. On the other hand, I don't want to just throw something together. Sigh. So much to consider.

spuliafico · November 2009

You can def plan a wedding in 6 months...for me everything was figured out in 4...it's paying in the short time that would cause me a snag

OFF · November 2009

You can definitely do it in six months. Start dress shopping now they can take 4-6 months to come in (depending on designer) and you still need time for alterations. Booking the venue is the most important thing. Everything else will fall into place. June is a busy month of course for vendors so if you really like some people start contacting them now.

dsg728 · November 2009

6 months is an eternity! well, not really, but it is plenty of time to plan a wedding. I know someone that was able to do it within 3 months, but they did have a lot of help.

2dBride · November 2009

I was engaged for over a year, but I really did almost all the planning in the last 6 months of it. And that was true even though I did a LOT of DIY stuff. It's definitely doable.And don't worry too much about the Knot checklist. It covers everything you might possibly do for a wedding. You'll probably find you don't want to do half of it, anyway.

julie julie34 · November 2009

It is absolutley doable if you don't want to wait another year. I was the MOH for a friend who had the same problem. To book the reception site they wanted they had to plan in 6 1/2 months. Some things were a bit rushy like getting the dress altered in time but we all helped and it was a fantastic wedding!

sylveste · November 2009

It is totally doable! I got engaged in March and we were planning a 5/10 wedding. Then at the end of July we decided we couldn't wait. Our venue and photographer (the only things I had contracts for) both were available next weekend. I had to shift into high gear, but it all is coming together! I did pay a rush fee for my BM dresses and would have for my dress if I hadn't found a sample that fit. Best of all, I'm getting married next weekend instead of waiting ANOTHER 6 months. Do it!

psmith1216 · November 2009

It's all in what you would like to do - I have been engaged a year and have 6 months to go and I booked all of my major vendors in the first 2 months (and the reception location took the most amount of time). Call the other vendors you would like to book and see if they are available. Plus - you have the greatest resources right here on this board!

What can we help with? (Maybe post something to the DC brides getting married the month you are - they may be able to help with what's available and who they are using to give you a start.)

jenncoyle05 · November 2009

I have to agree with the ladies- i think that 6 months is a doable amount of time! My FI and i were engaged to be married in april '10 and due to my brothers surprise impending deployment overseas, we had to move it to the only time he was in town and had leave- NYE...

which bumped it up quite some time but we have managed to do really well and now all that is left is the minor details. I agree, id get your dress asap and dont stress- if the store tells you that they cant get it in in time, rush order it; if you dont want to spend that $ than perhaps buy off the rack... ? just some options i can think of . IT really depends on the couple- i know personally, if it were me and I was back getting married again in april, now being nov and having everything DONE and sitting back and wiating...id be so anxious

its def doable but if you think your going to be stressed and are already stressed thinking about it, than wait. ..

best of luck

Kitcat106 · November 2009

Of course you can plan a wedding in 6 months or less! A friend of mine had a big, formal wedding and she had only 2 months to plan it.I honestly don't know why people freak out so much over planning a wedding. Yes, it can be stressful at times, but it is definitely manageable. I do some event planning for my job. I've planned large corporate parties and arrangeed everything--food, band, transporation, invitations--in less than 3 months! While this is part of my job, I have only about 25% of my time to spend on event planning. So, yes, people, it is definitely doable!I think people in the wedding industry (magazines, Web sites) put too much pressure on people and make tehm think that all the planning has to be done a year or more in advance or else you won't have a nice wedding. Not so!

nooniesinlove · November 2009

We got engaged in May of 2008, but I didn't start planning until this July because we were waiting until we move to the DC area to get married. I gave myself almost exactly six months to plan. It is absolutely doable, but it can be very stressful. I've made monthly goals for myself about when I need to get things done, so if you stay on top of things, it's not that big of a deal. Honestly, I think your problem might be that you're pretty much right in the middle of wedding season if you do it in six months. It wasn't so difficult for me because I've been getting some good winter wedding discounts and not that many people are booked even with only a couple of months to go, but you will probably have to really get the big vendors out of the way quickly. For the most part, you should ignore the Knot's checklist. It's a good general idea about when you should be getting things done, and it is good for remembering the smaller details, but you shouldn't worry about doing things EXACTLY ON TIME. I have at least forty "overdue" items on my checklist right now, and my planning is not at all in trouble. Also, IMO, you shouldn't pay too much attention to how much the ladies on your club board have done. By the time I figured out my date and joined my club board, almost everyone on the board had all of their vendors picked out; I just had a date and a dress! It can be a great place to squee about how close your wedding is, but don't freak out if you think that you should have picked out flowers three months ago because everyone else already has! GL!! You can do it if you stay on top of it!

VickyFlor · November 2009

Ladies, Thank you for the encouragement! A big cyber hug to all.

Kitcat106 · November 2009

Thank you, Mooniesinlove, for recommending NOT following the Knot's checklist exactly!! Whenever I view my checklist I start to panic. It is a great reminder for all the things you have to do, but there are some things that you do not have to do 9 months ahead of time!

[Deleted User] · November 2009

kitkat106 - thank you so much for that! I too believe that the wedding industry paints this portrait of a bride who MUST spend every waking moment of free time (and work time now that you think about it) planning a wedding. I'm almost exactly 6 months out right now and I have a venue, and a ceremony site and have narrowed my dress search down and will be buying that this weekend. Besides that....very little. I'll start checking big things off this month but I am in no way stressed about it.....although to be quite honest, my bridesmaids, future mother in law and sisters are!VickyFlor - go for it!

VickyFlor · November 2009

I must admit, I had to chuckle out loud when I saw "ignore the Knot's checklist"...it is reassuring to hear that I am not a total planning aberration. I have not gone about things in a traditional manner. It was great to see things like "of course you can do it" or "6 mths is an eternity." Oh, you all made my Thursday. (A little shout-out to my Bar Louie HH buds, OFF and Press Me--Hey guys!)So...FI and I have been talking and are leaning away from the May date. We both have envisioned a fall wedding in DC on Sunday (religious and budget reasons). The May date seemed appealing because it would be during a long weekend and guests could have an extra day in DC. But, well, we like fall, there is a holiday surcharge for the venue (not unreasonable though) and there are holiday travel costs to consider...oh, and did I mention we like fall :-). So, I think that is the direction we are going in. Also, the extra time will make us feel more comfortable. Having said all that, I have ever so appreciated the support of the last two days.

Is 6 months enough time?

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