Getting married is exciting. It’s even more exciting when you get engaged and decide on a quick engagement. Planning a wedding in only 3 weeks takes some flexibility and guts. You may not get everything exactly as you would if you waited a year, but it’s entirely possible to plan a DIY wedding in 3 weeks or less.
Apply for a Marriage License
Getting a marriage license is the first thing you should do if you’re planning a swift engagement and wedding. If you plan to have a wedding in 3 weeks or less, get the marriage license from your local county clerk or courthouse. This will save you big headaches on the big day.
Tell Your Family and Friends
A short engagement means that you don’t have a lot of time to invite the people you love the most. Hopefully, everyone lives nearby so it won’t be too big of a hassle for them to come on such short notice. It’s important to understand that some people won’t come because they already have pre-existing plans. And if you want to get married 3 weeks from now, you’ll have to call and speak directly to the people at the top of the list. Follow-up with an e-invite as well as a paper invitation to help them keep the date at the front of their minds.
Call Venues
Getting a last-minute wedding venue is difficult unless you are getting married on an odd day of the week. Call venues like hotels, Air BnBs, friends with large homes, churches, and even restaurants to see if they can handle a last-minute wedding. You’d be amazed at how fun a beautiful backyard wedding or simple home or church wedding can be.
Plan for Food
Plenty of restaurants offer catering. Places like On the Border can bring full meals for around $10/person, which is very affordable for wedding food. You could also host your wedding at a time that wouldn’t require a meal if you need to pinch pennies.
Get a Premade Cake
A cake from a grocery store can be easily modified for a wedding. Cake decorators at grocery store bakeries can often create beautiful cakes for you to display at your wedding. Add your own cake topper and you have a sweet and simple cake to share with your guests on the big day. If you’re adventurous, you could even try your hand at making your own minimalist cake and decorating it with fresh flowers you find at the grocery store. There are plenty of cake tutorials available online that can help you create a simple wedding cake.
Buy Your Dress off the Rack
Trying on wedding dresses is one of the most exciting parts of preparing for marriage. Finding the perfect dress can take some women months. Add on top of that any alterations, and you are looking at a timeline of 6 months or more to get your wedding dress in hand. Brides who are getting married in mere weeks have no choice but to buy a dress off the rack unless they happen to be a dressmaker or they know one personally who can create their vision in a limited amount of time. Fortunately, many local dress retailers carry some dresses in stock. If you try on one that fits you perfectly, you can buy it that day and take it home.
Have Your Wedding Bands Expedited
A 3-week wedding isn’t enough time to create a custom ring or to get the engraving. But it is enough time to order Kobelli moissanite rings and have them delivered before the big day. It’s important to measure your fingers to ensure you get the exact fit of the ring that you need. You won’t have time to get them resized if the wedding is only a few weeks away. You could also find rings at local jewelry stores that are already in stock and fit your finger perfectly.
Keep Decorations Simple
Finding the perfect decorations can take a lot of time. When you need to decorate a backyard for a quick wedding ceremony think about the ways that you can use patio lights and things like lanterns and fabric. These are all supplies you can get from lawn and garden stores and from craft stores. It’s possible to create decorations that are both simple and affordable for a last-minute wedding. Scour discount stores, florists, and sale racks at the fabric store. You can even ask your friend with a Cricut to make you some custom decorations if you buy the supplies for them.