How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months (or less!)
Have your heart set on a Fall 2023 wedding in the Hudson Valley? Overwhelmed about how to pull off a stunning wedding in under 6 months? There are just 2 critical things you need in place to make it happen. What?! Only 2?? Yes! See below for our very short list of immediate next steps, and a couple of other things to consider.
As an upstate New York wedding venue with a lot of experience hosting luxury weddings, we recommend anywhere from 6-13 months as the ideal wedding planning timeline, depending on the couple and level of ambition. We’ve also had gorgeous weddings planned in as little as 4 months. While this isn’t the norm, it’s also completely do-able! What might come as a surprise is that it can actually be easier and more efficient to plan your wedding in less time, as long as you have the right team in place.
So who is this team and what are the 2 critical first steps? If you’re aiming for a 2023 wedding, and if you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to do the following ASAP:
1—Book a Venue
2—Hire a Planner
These activities can and should be explored simultaneously, as venues can recommend planners and vice versa.
Book a Wedding Venue
One of the most pressing challenges you’ll need to tackle first is booking a venue. You’ll find that many venues book 1-2 years out, so securing a Fall 2023 date at your venue of choice may be difficult.
Gather Greene Tips:
As you are reaching out to venues, ask for planner recommendations. (More about hiring a wedding planner below). If you already have a planner, lean on them to recommend venues or inquire about availability at preferred venues.
Check whether the venue has in-house catering. Aside from the venue itself, food and bev is typically the highest priority for couples and finding a great caterer on a short timeline can be very competitive. It makes sense, as this is a major vendor that can make or break your wedding day!
Once you’ve narrowed down a shortlist of venues, book tours and inquire about available dates.
While touring potential venues, pay attention to how you feel on the property. Do the spaces and grounds inspire you? Are you excited about the views, experiences, backdrops and photo / video opps? Do you feel comfortable / cared for by the on-site team?
If you need time to consider your options, ask for a hold on your preferred wedding date(s), but if you are lucky enough to find an opening at your dream venue within a short timeframe, we recommend locking it in with a deposit.
A venue is not just a place, it’s also the people. Choose a venue with a stellar team that truly cares about delivering an incredible wedding experience for you, your family, your guests, and your vendors. It takes a village!
Hiring a Wedding Planner
A wedding planner is particularly important for couples working on a shorter wedding timeline. They are your advocate to help you define your vision, ensure it is achievable within your budget, and will help you manage your wedding checklist and all the ‘must dos’ before saying ‘I do’. Once you get your wedding planner on board, they’ll make sure that all of your other vendors fall into place.
Gather Greene Tips:
Research planners that have worked in the area—or better yet, with the venue—where you would like to get married. While it’s not critical for the planner to have previously worked with your preferred venue, it is important for them to have a solid first-hand understanding of the property. If they have never been to the venue, it’s a good idea for them to join you on your venue tour or book their own tour.
Interview 2-3 planners before deciding. You will be working very closely with them whether you’re on a 4-month timeline or 2-year timeline, so make sure you click well and you feel confident in their ability to help you achieve your vision.
Do they have strong relationships with local vendors, including photographers / videographers, florists, DJs / musicians, hair / make-up, etc? Be careful not to fall into a vendor-research rabbit-hole—it can eat up hours or days and may not necessarily be fruitful! Lean on both your venue and your planner for their recommendations and connections. With an understanding of your budget, timeline, and priorities, they can point you in the right directions or connect you with appropriate vendors so that you don’t waste precious time and energy.
Trust in the process—even though your timeline may be shorter, the entire planning process is actually exactly the same.
We spoke with planner Desirée Adams of Verve Event Co., who has learned from experience that:
“Extra time can really weigh on a couple. Parkinson’s Law (which states that "work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion") tells us that wedding planning will take as much time as a couple has. And the more time they have, the more time they will spend making (or agonizing over) each decision.”
Desirée recently released a podcast with excellent tips for considering your wedding timeline, which you can check out here: “Should I Plan My Wedding for 2023 or 2024?”
Special considerations for an outdoor wedding in Upstate New York / Hudson Valley / Catskills
Guest Accommodations: You want to be sure that your guests have a great place to stay if they are traveling for your big day. Ask your venue and planner for recommendations, as they’ll know the best nearby accommodations. Venues with accommodations on site are a big plus and can alleviate some of your l needs—ahem, shameless plug for our stunning cabins at Gather Greene.
Inclement Weather Plan: When you plan to have an event outdoors, you must plan with all types of weather in mind. Make sure your venue and your planner have a solid and beautiful option in the case of inclement weather. Rain does not need to equal disappointment—everyone in the wedding industry knows that although weather events can be stressful, as long as you have the right plans in place, your event can be just as (or more) magical with unexpected weather. Another shameless plug, we designed our pavilion to ensure all events are gorgeous regardless of weather.
Get on a “Lucky Date” Wait List: A change in someone else’s wedding plans may open up an opportunity for you to get married at your dream venue. If your preferred wedding date is not available, see if your venue can add you to their waitlist for specific weekends, but note that it’s not common for dates to open up, especially on shorter timeframes.
In Summary
At the end of the day, the best planning timeline is the one that fits your life and your goals. While some couples want to be sure they have plenty of time to obsess over every detail, other couples like to make their decisions decisively.
Finalize your wedding venue and wedding planner ASAP. Lean on each of them to help guide the other pieces into place.
Go with your gut. This is your wedding and it will reflect who you are as a couple and also as individuals coming together. Your wedding vision is uniquely yours to co-create.
