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C H I C A G O W E D D I N G & P A R T Y R E S O U R C E
W W W . C H I C A G O W E D D I N G R E S O U R C E . C O M
22
B A N Q U E T S , R E C E P T I O N S , S H O W E R S & P A R T I E S
I
n six weeks you can safely lose ten
pounds, let your bad haircut grow out
or plan a wedding from start to finish.
That’s right – you can go from “I will” to “I
do” in less time than it takes to have that
custom-ordered sofa delivered.
Many brides relish the prolonged
experience of choosing dresses, caterers
and locations. They enjoy auditioning
bandleaders and chatting with friends
about the latest bridal trends.
But not everyone appreciates or can even
allow for these rituals.
If certain events in your life or your
particular style lead you to an abbreviated
schedule, don’t worry. You can arrange a
lovely wedding in less than two months...
without losing your sanity and without
going over your budget.
Whether it’s an adrenaline thrill or a
nightmare depends on your temperament
and how organized you are. As with
all tight schedules, you have to create a
detailed plan and stick with it. You can’t
change your mind all the time. You have to
commit yourself to spending X number of
hours planning and make a bargain with
yourself that you’re not going to sweat the
small stuff.
If you have specific ideas in mind, such as
peach-colored roses, it may cost more to
Not every couple
has time on their
side. Here’s how to
plan your perfect
wedding in a flash.
By Bev Bennett
ZERO TO WEDDING
IN 6 WEEKS
fulfill your dreams on short
notice. However, if you’re
not rigid you’ll find some
unexpected bargains.
According to many wedding
planners, if vendors such
as photographers, caterers,
florists and musicians aren’t
booked on your wedding day,
you may be able to get discounted prices
or more services.
Locking in a location should be one of
your first priorities. And, contrary to what
you may assume, you can find price breaks
even with some of the most luxurious sites.
The further out you book a venue the more
you’re likely to pay. The converse may be
true as well. It’s like discount flights, but
you have to be flexible.
A hotel would rather book all its rooms
than lose money on the vacant space, so
they’re likely to give couples a price break
or negotiate for extra hours.
When it comes to arranging for musicians,
a florist, caterer and photographer, you
can save a lot of time and aggravation by
working with a facility that has its own
event-planning service. Again, you may
not get the person you’d prefer, but you
can get a good deal. You may not get the
photographer you want, but you’ll get his
assistant, and you may get a better price.
If you’re opting to use independent
vendors, take one day to hire everyone.
It’s like job interviews in which you’re
scheduling everyone in a row. If you allow
yourself just 45 minutes per interview,
you’ll stay on track and have the people
you want by the end of the day.
A wedding dress is also far up on every
bride’s to-do list. Don’t even bother going
to a design studio when you’re planning
a wedding with time constraints. Instead
buy a dress off the rack and get it adjusted.
You can save money with an off-the-rack
wedding dress.
That brings to mind still another benefit
of the briefly planned wedding. You don’t
have the time to starve yourself in order to
fit into a wedding dress. It’s typical to lose
weight before a wedding. Buy the dress
that fits and save the agony.
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