Planning a wedding can be hard work — especially if you’re hoping to do it big.
Not only do you need to find a venue, but then you have to search for and hire a slew of vendors.
Maybe there’s a specific band you’re hoping to have. There might be a photographer you’ve been swooning over for years before your engagement. You just have to have the florist from your hometown.
But you’re on a tight schedule, and you’re unsure if planning a wedding in six months is even possible.
Here we will break down the timeline for successfully planning a wedding in six months, including recommendations for how to get it done.
Table of Contents
- Can You Plan a Wedding in 6 Months?
- How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months: A Timeline
- Challenges You May Face When Planning a Wedding in Six Months
- Julian Ribinik: Uniquely Preserving Your Wedding Story With Class and Expertise
Can You Plan a Wedding in 6 Months?
You’re newly engaged to the love of your life and you’re hoping to have a beautiful summer wedding in just six months, but you’ve heard of some obstacles you might face with such a tight timeline. The unknown of finding all of your dream vendors has you feeling stressed. Is six months enough time to plan a wedding?
You can plan a beautiful wedding in six months, but it will probably be difficult and isn’t usually recommended. Of course, the details of your wedding will play a part in how quickly you can get the planning done.
You can start by answering these four questions:
- Is there a specific venue/vendor you must have?
- How big will your wedding be?
- Where will your wedding be?
- What is your budget like?
When planning a wedding in a hotspot location like New York City where venues and vendors are popular, six months may not be enough time. If you’re hoping to check all of your wedding wishlist boxes and secure all of your desired vendors, we recommend starting the planning process one to one and a half years before your wedding date.
How to Plan a Wedding in 6 Months: A Timeline
Planning a wedding takes work.
Not only do you need a time and place, but you also need:
- An idea of what you want your day to be like
- Multiple vendors
- A budget
- A guest list
- And much more
If planning a wedding on such a short timeline is a must, consider creating a list of things to accomplish each month to ensure a successful wedding day celebration. This timeline breaks down how to start planning a wedding in six months with recommended steps to check off along the way.
6 Months Before
First things first, you should set a realistic budget – you want to be sure you can afford the dream wedding you are hoping to plan.
Then, consider your priorities. With only six months to plan, you should decide what things are must-haves and where you might have some wiggle room.
For example:
You’re getting married in New York City where venues and vendors are very popular. Is there a specific venue you’ve always wished for? Contact them immediately to see if they are available on your desired date. If your wedding date is flexible, you might have better luck snagging your dream spot.
The same goes for all of your desired vendors. Choosing important vendors, like a New York City photographer, might be hard to find in just six months.
Some other things to consider six months out are:
- Your wedding party
- A wedding planner, if necessary
- Other popular vendors, like music, caterer, or florist
If you’re searching for an accomplished and experienced New York City photographer, Julian Ribinik Photography is your team. Julian and his wife, Evgenia, pair up to capture the perfect moody wedding aesthetic that many NYC venues offer. If your wedding isn’t in NYC, Julian travels. Booking Julian Ribinik Photography six months out might be difficult to do, but contact us today to find out about availability.
5 Months Before
You’ve secured a location and hired a photographer and now you’re five months out from your wedding day. It’s time to:
- Nail down your guest list so you can send out save the date cards
- Take engagement photos, if desired
- Start shopping for wedding attire
- Block hotel rooms for guests; and
- Book any additional vendors
If you haven’t already, it’s time to book your:
- Florist
- Music (band, DJ, composers, etc.)
- Hair and makeup
- Transportation; and
- Officiant
4 Months Before
Most of the big planning should be done by now.
Four months before the wedding you should have smaller tasks to accomplish, like:
- Buying your wedding bands
- Planning your rehearsal dinner; and
- Ordering invitations
Your big day is getting close, so it might be a good time to check in with all of your vendors, make any necessary payments, and ensure things are going accordingly.
3 Months Before
The wait until the wedding day is almost over. Hopefully, by now, the big wedding planning stressors are taken care of and you can focus on easier, smaller, and more fun tasks.
Three months out from your wedding day you can handle things like:
- Mail your wedding invitations with plenty of time for your guests to respond.
- Decide on favors.
- Schedule a hair and makeup trial.
- Have a cake and/or menu tasting.
- Make any necessary vendor payments.
2 Months Before
It’s getting closer! With only two months left to go you can:
- Celebrate with wedding showers and bachelor/bachelorette parties.
- Decide on and buy necessary gifts (bridal party, spouse, parents).
- Apply for your marriage license – check with your state on their rules.
- Check-in with vendors if needed.
1 Month Before
You’ve made it to the final countdown. Even if organizing a wedding in six months has seemed overwhelming, you’re in the final stretch.
It’s time to:
- Confirm all wedding details – check in with your wedding planner, bridal party, venue, vendors, and hotel block
- Create a wedding day timeline – you can give this to your bridal party, photographer/videographer, wedding coordinator, etc. to be sure everyone is where they should be on time
- Organize tips for vendors and assign someone the job of handing them out
- Make necessary final payments
- Finalize a seating chart
- Secure your wedding attire, accessories, and shoes
- Have your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner
- And finally, get married
Challenges You May Face When Planning a Wedding in Six Months
If you follow a detailed timeline, planning a wedding in six months can be possible. However, it’s not to say that you won’t run into some challenges during the process.
Choices May Be Limited if You’re Planning a Wedding in Six Months
The biggest drawback to planning a wedding in six months is the lack of choices you’ll likely have.
Planning a wedding on such short notice may require you to have flexibility in your:
- Wedding date
- Venue; and
- Vendors
For example:
New York City weddings are often big and beautiful because of the many unique venues available to couples. After all, there’s only one Central Park, one Plaza Hotel, and one Museum of Modern Art. If you’re hoping to have your wedding at one of these iconic locations, you may need more than six months’ notice.
But if you’re truly set on planning a wedding in six months and have to pass up on your dream venue or vendors, you can still have a beautiful New York City wedding.
You might consider:
- Planning your wedding in the off-season — January, February, July, and August — to lock in a dream vendor or two
- Choosing vendors who can accommodate more than one wedding per day, like florists or make-up artists
- Checking back in with vendors for cancellations or last-minute openings
Unfortunately, talented vendors that can only accommodate one wedding per day might be hard to find only six months out, like:
- Photographers
- Caterers; and
- Music (DJ, band, composers)
Venue
If you have your heart set on a certain venue and you’re attempting to lock it down only six months beforehand, you might have to reconsider your wedding location.
Many popular wedding venues book out 12, 18, or even 24 months in advance.
What can you do if your dream venue is booked?
- Consider a different wedding date when the venue is available.
- Choose a less popular venue.
- Schedule an off-season wedding.
Caterers
It’s common for couples to book their caterers up to a year in advance, so there’s a chance that finding an excellent caterer might be hard to do in six months.
A good rule of thumb is to book your wedding caterer around the same time as you book your venue, but no less than six months before your wedding date.
Are you planning a wedding in six months? Booking a caterer should be at the very top of your to-do list.
Photographer
Locking in a talented photographer will likely be difficult to do six months before your wedding day. Every couple wants to capture their special day, so popular photographers book quickly and are often scheduled 12-18 months in advance. This could prove to be a big challenge if you’re planning a wedding on short notice.
You should inquire with your desired photographer right away and hope they have availability. If not, you can ask them for other photographer recommendations or ask to be notified if there are cancellations or future availability.
Are you searching for a photographer to capture your wedding day?
If you’re planning a New York City wedding, Julian Ribinik is experienced in shooting moody NYC weddings beautifully. Is your wedding outside of NYC? Julian travels. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
DJ or Band
Music can make or break a wedding reception, so finding a DJ or band who knows when to get the party started but can also slow things down when the time is right is important.
Just like with other major vendors, a talented and experienced band or DJ might be hard to secure six months beforehand.
You might have to be flexible and choose a less popular band or DJ, but as long as they understand your wedding day vibes, you’re sure to have a good time.
Julian Ribinik: Uniquely Preserving Your Wedding Story With Class and Expertise
After all of your hard work planning your wedding day — whether that be six months, a year, or two years — the day is over in the blink of an eye. Your wedding day can be so busy and overwhelming that it may be hard to recall special details and moments even the next morning.
At Julian Ribinik Photography, we want to give you the experience of reliving your wedding day story from start to finish over and over again.
Our job is to capture every detail of your wedding day, from minute to major, for you to look back on forever.
We pride ourselves on not being challenged by …
- Lighting
- Weather
- Obstacles
- Landscape; or
- Cultural differences
… to deliver the full story of your special day.
Are you searching for an experienced team of photographers who truly love what they do? Julian Ribinik Photography will deliver photos and footage for you to cherish forever. Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
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