Wedding Planning on a Tight Timeline

Follow our best tips for putting together your best day ever in just a few months, and watch Baylen and Colin plan their wedding on Baylen Out Loud every Tuesday at 9P!

June 24, 2026

By: Samantha Lande

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Tips for a Time Crunch Wedding

Baylen and Coline were just six months out from their wedding date when they decided on a venue change. This threw a wrench in their plans, given that the new venue’s only available date was in five months. Watch the couple's journey play out this season on Baylen Out Loud, and in the meantime, here are 10 tips if you find yourself planning a wedding in a shorter time frame.

Tighten Your Guest List

Getting your guest list in order is key if your wedding is in less than six months. Decide if that means turning your wedding into a small, intimate affair or keeping it as intended. Knowing the numbers you are likely working with up front can help you better focus on pulling together this wedding in a short time. Keep in mind with little notice the actual attendees may be smaller, too.

Prioritize

With little time to work with, you may not be able to achieve everything you want so prioritizing is important. Is good food non-negotiable for you? A killer DJ for the dance floor? Beautiful blooms? Rank what you find as wedding must-haves so you can work on securing the things you really want.

Vendors First

In that same vein, work on locking in the vendors first and you can start daydreaming of the details later. Vendors book up very quickly. If you don’t have your venue, that should come first and see if it’s an option for a more all-inclusive package that includes food, linens, or other things you may have to outsource. From there, caterers and music tend to get scooped up, so make sure to have options. Find your photographer and florist first (if using those services) and once everyone is locked in, start on the fun stuff.

Go Digital

Paper invitations can be beautiful, but they can be laborious and you need to consider time for the invites to get there and responses to return. Going digital and using a platform like Greenvelope can get invitations to your guests faster and allow you to get responses in real time. You can add in new event details as they come, remind guests of anything upcoming and even use it to make seating charts.

Think Outside the Typical Day & Time

With little time to plan, you may have to be flexible with the date or time of the wedding. Consider something other than the prime weekend night if you must. Brunch weddings can be beautiful or maybe even a weekday wedding in the summer when schedules are laxer.

Know Your Budget

Sometimes, you get a deal last minute, but oftentimes planning something last minute can be more expensive. There are rush fees to get things shipped places or delivered on time or paying a premium for whoever is left to book. Occasionally, you’ll get a better rate if a venue is trying to fill the books, but you can’t count on that. Knowing your budget will help you better understand where to save and when to splurge.

All Hands on Deck

When people offer to help, take them up on it. Planning a wedding is stressful as is and with a time crunch, that stress can quickly escalate. Having support from your groom (or bride), family or friends can be crucial. Have a checklist and give them easy jobs, they’ll be glad to be a part of your special day.

Be Flexibile

It’s important to be flexible in planning a wedding regardless of if you have two years or two months to plan, but the latter might require a smidge more flexibility. When working with a tight timeframe, you might not be able to get everything you want (or get everything done!) in enough time. Keeping an open mind and shifting where necessary will help lessen the stress load.

DIY Elements

Can’t get something you want in time? DIY. There are so many great ways to add in personal elements through DIY and in many cases, they can take less time. Make a playlist for the music, arrange your own centerpieces, make your own place cards.

Find Ready-to-Wear or Rentable Attire

With limited time, finding a dress that you have to first order then alter may be a disaster waiting to happen. Instead, go to a store with a ton of options to hopefully say yes to the dress right off the rack. For bridesmaids and groomsmen, suggest rentable options or let them wear non-coordinating outfits.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Baylen & Colin's Gorgeous Wedding Photos, PHOTOS: Look Back at Baylen & Colin's Engagement, 10 Ways to Make Wedding Planning Less Stressful

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