There are a lot of questions to consider when it comes to wedding planning. DIY or hire a planner? What’s the best website or app? How do I create my wedding checklist? Angela started with all these same questions and was able to plan her wedding in just 9 months. Yes, read on to find out how to plan a wedding in 9 month.
Cori of Mallory Carlson Photography captured their intimate wedding perfectly.
Angela is wearing our Zinnia Lace Wedding Dress.
How to Start to Plan a Wedding in 9 Months
The first thing you’ll want to do is determine a budget. Your wedding budget will inform the rest of the wedding planning process. Once you have your budget, you’ll need to begin hiring vendors, including your photographer, florist, entertainment, venue, and invitation designer. You’ll need to choose and book your vendors well as early as possible before they get too busy.
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How Angela Planned Her Wedding
“I planned our wedding in 9 months and had our coordinator on board from November onward (minimally at first, and then a lot more hands-on right before and the day of). I reached out to over 100 vendors in all categories and slowly narrowed them down to my dream team. We used the Wedding Wire app, Google Docs, and separate email folders for each vendor to keep them organized. I also had a wedding binder that held contracts and such once we booked a vendor.”Her advice to future brides: “Please, please hire a month of a coordinator! We loved working with @eventsbythecea. I also found that keeping mood boards, checklists, vendor information, etc., on Google Docs was a lifesaver as they’re so easy to share and collaborate with others. Write as many things down as possible – it’s easier to have it on paper or your phone than trying to remember everything!”
How To Find Your Dream Wedding Dress In a Hurry
Angela had a specific idea for what she wanted in a wedding gown. Long sleeves and lace were what she always imagined herself wearing on her wedding day. Once she discovered Dreamers & Lovers, she knew she wanted to try on some of our gowns. “A few of my friends had worn Dreamers and Lovers wedding gowns in the past, and I knew that I wanted a long sleeve, lace-heavy gown, so I was eager to visit. A month after getting engaged, I gathered my mom, sister, MIL, and two new sisters-in-law, and we headed to Dreamers and Lovers – the only wedding dress appointment I knew I’d needed to make. The whole appointment was relaxed and so special. Sure enough, the dress I admired online was the one I tried on first and fell in love with. We tried on a handful more for good measure, but I ultimately said “yes” to the ZINNIA LACE WEDDING DRESS with a matching veil just as I had imagined.” The Zinnia dress was the perfect choice for Angela’s vintage, lacy style. If you love this style, you may also love Samantha, worn by bride Allison. https://www.dreamersandlovers.com/alison-and-curtis-intimate-backyard-wedding/
How to Choose Wedding Vendors When Timeline is Tight
Now, you know what you need for your wedding but how do you decide who to hire. Sometimes it has to do with who is available. Angela says, “Being a florist myself, this aspect was critical to me. Finding a florist turned into an unexpected…adventure. But it all worked out in the end when our angel of a florist, Michelle from Creative Light Design (@creativelightdesign), was miraculously still available three months before our wedding. I fully trusted her and was so excited to have her magic grace my wedding day.” Sometimes it has to do with the unique vision you, as a couple, have for your wedding (and some help from Mom!) “Jared and I decided early on that we wanted to get married on a mountain, under pine trees. My mom and I scoured every wedding website imaginable to find a venue that met our needs and vision. Nestled in the quaint town of Julian, CA, Sacred Mountain was our first venue visit, and we were sold! The ceremony site, suites for both Jared and me, the grand stone staircase leading from cocktail hour to reception, and the option to bring any of your own vendors were all major selling points. The staff went above and beyond for us as well. It felt private and was such a gorgeous, serene backdrop for our day.” Angela also decided she had two primary goals for her wedding (besides actually getting married).
The Flowers and Cake
“As a wedding florist myself, the first was that there would be an attention to detail within the florals and overall design that would be unique and memorable for all who attended. Second, and most importantly, Jared and I wanted to have great memories to look back on of our families (specifically grandparents). With this in mind, we booked After The Tone (@afterthetone.co), so we could have photos of our loved ones and their voices recorded as they sent us special messages of congratulations on our wedding day. We will cherish them forever.” It’s a great idea to decide on a few must-haves for your wedding and plan accordingly. Everything else will just be icing on the cake. Speaking of cake, we talked to Angela about how she decided on her wedding dessert. She said, “Neither of us has a big sweet tooth, so we opted for a small, two-layer cutting cake and cupcakes in both chocolate and vanilla for our guests. Vic’s cakes made our cake and decorated it with dried flowers and gold leaf. Jared wanted to add that ‘they were to die for.’”.
Infusing Your Style to Create Your Dream Wedding
We asked Angela to describe her personal style. She said, “This depends on whether we’re talking about fashion or home. I am enjoying a lot of cozy, traditional interior designs that have a French/European flare. For clothing, I either want to be cozy or dressed in something classic or streetwear, which normally looks like a lounge set, a unique pant/shoe find, and lots of gold jewelry. However, I will always be drawn back to a retro/mid-century modern touch in clothing and design.” Their wedding theme was “lush European garden” with shades of deep mauve, cream, smoke gray, olive, and blush, vintage gold accents, and TONS of candles. This theme was a great way of turning your personal style into a wedding theme. In keeping with the lush, wedding florist vibe she had “10 centerpieces that looked like mini gardens spilling over with lilac, an extra-large bridal bouquet with dramatic trailing ribbon, and our custom ceremony installation, aisle markers “growing” up from the grass that led you to 8 lush ground pieces in a half-moon shape which sat in front of a gold pipe arch (that Jared and I made and nicknamed the “Mountain Peak Arch”). “More than anything, we wanted the day to feel like us.”
The Wedding Guests
Angela and Jared knew they could only have 60 guests due to the rules of their dream venue. “It wasn’t an easy feat – I’m Italian, and he’s Mexican, so we both have large families. However, we both wanted a small wedding, and after finding Sacred Mountain’s (@sacredmountainjulian) intimate wedding package, we made up our minds.” Nowadays, more and more people are opting for small wedding ceremonies. In 2020, many weddings were postponed and were taking place this year. In addition, many people had to decide who was important to them and how many they wanted there on their wedding day. Just like former Dreamers & Lovers bride, Alex https://www.dreamersandlovers.com/intimate-casual-wedding-at-a-mountain-top-rustic-cabin/ who narrowed her list down to just six people, you can choose to have a wedding celebration as big or small as you want it to be
The Love Story – Angela & Jared
At the end of the day, your wedding should be about celebrating the joy of love between you and your spouse. This is Angela and Jared’s story. “My husband Jared and I met at our small high school. Even though I had befriended his sister earlier in the school year, Jared and I’s friendship and the subsequent relationship started to blossom in January of my Freshman and his Sophomore year.
Their First Date
“Neither of us can remember! Since our friendship turned into a relationship, our hangouts gradually turned into dates as well.”
The Proposal
“It was magical! Although it wasn’t a complete surprise (Jared asked how I pictured the moment happening – he knew I’d have ideas in mind, haha), it happened exactly how I had hoped. It was just us and our photographer (@thereintime) surrounded by candles and flowers with towering redwoods above us (don’t worry, the candles were LED). He recited some sweet words, including a line from “our song” Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley (which I would later walk down the aisle to an instrumental rendition of), got down on one knee, and slipped my dream ring on my finger! We then joined our families for a lovely dinner, as I had requested.”.
The Conflict Test
“My great grandmother passed away the day after Christmas a year or so into Jared, and I know each other. The days leading up to her passing were long and hard for my family, and Jared made himself available at any hour, day, or night. In my mind, it was one of the moments that solidified our relationship and his love for me and my family. We’ve walked each other through more family members passing in the years since then, as well as some ongoing health issues. We remain each other’s comfort and support with each new challenge.”
The Vows
“Jared and I both chose to write our own vows.” An excerpt from the beginning and end of Angela’s vows: “I have prayed for you since elementary school, but only once did I ask for something specific. That request was that my husband and I would be friends in our childhood. I tucked that prayer away in my heart, and even after meeting you, I only let it come to mind from time to time… It’s hard to think of a day that didn’t include you in my recent memory, and I hope I don’t have to experience one without you again. I have confidence and peace that you want the best for us and will continue to look for me. Our lives are an adventure. We work hard and dream harder. We are already a team, but I am excited to see what God has in store for us when we become one.” An excerpt from Jared’s Vows: “You’re a desert flower amidst my sandy plains. You bring beauty into my life, color where I had none. You are the bright star in my night sky. Every day I’m with you, I can’t help but cherish you….” “You are most certainly the best part of me.”
They Planned Their Wedding In Nine Months, What’s Next For Them?
After this beautiful wedding, we wanted to know what Angela and Jared had planned for their future. “We’re enjoying day-to-day life as husband and wife. My business is growing, and Jared is in the process of starting his own on the side, so we’ve enjoyed going on local weekend getaways to reconnect. We’re both only 22, so we are focused on saving and positioning ourselves for bigger milestones in the coming years.” The wedding planning process can be stressful. However, there are ways to plan a wedding in 9 months without wanting to pull your hair out. Having a few non-negotiables and a clear timeline makes the process more straightforward. Angela and Jared achieved a wedding that felt personal and special to them even with minimal time to plan. No matter how much time you have to plan, you can have the wedding of your dreams with the right planning strategy.
After this beautiful wedding, we wanted to know what Angela and Jared had planned for their future. “We’re enjoying day-to-day life as husband and wife. My business is growing, and Jared is in the process of starting his own on the side, so we’ve enjoyed going on local weekend getaways to reconnect. We’re both only 22, so we are focused on saving and positioning ourselves for bigger milestones in the coming years.” The wedding planning process can be stressful. However, there are ways to plan a wedding in 9 months without wanting to pull your hair out. Having a few non-negotiables and a clear timeline makes the process more straightforward. Angela and Jared achieved a wedding that felt personal and special to them even with minimal time to plan. No matter how much time you have to plan, you can have the wedding of your dreams with the right planning strategy.
Wedding Vendors Who Will Help You Plan a Wedding in 9 Months
Angela’s floral business: @sprigandstem
Photographer:@mallorycarlsonphoto
Venue: @juliansacredmountain – Julian Sacred Mountain
Audio Guestbook: @afterthetone.co
Florist: @creativelightdesign
Cake: @vics.cakes
The month of coordinator: @eventsbythecea
Dress: @dreamersandlovers_
