How to plan in wedding in a month or less....

So you've decided to get hitched, - sort of NOW?

Don't worry, you can still have it all even though most couples plan their wedding about a year in advance.

From all the weddings I've seen, some of the best weddings are often those that took place at the 'spur of the moment'. The shortest notice ever was 1 day - and I'm pleased to say, we pulled it off in style!

Most wedding lists have a countdown of a year, great if you can wait that long, but a year is a long time and you probably change your mind 10 times about the set up, decorations, flowers, etc. because there are always new ideas popping up that are just too tempting or seem better than your original plan.

So if you decide to get married in 6 months, 3 months or even less, its not a big deal. The biggest thing you need is your wedding dress and who will be in your wedding party or on your guest list.

If its a small wedding or just the two of you, not a problem, if its a bigger wedding set the date and then pick up the phone and give everyone an 'advance warning' to save the date. You can follow it up with all the details by email and if you have time a proper posted invitation. Be prepared that some of the people you want at your wedding may not be able to make it but even that's not a reason for despair. Have a great party afterwards when everyone CAN make it!

Now we come to the 'critical part'.... but even that's not a problem. The easiest way is to share your 'load' and hire a wedding coordinator. Tell them what you want and let them come up with ideas. It doesn't mean that you're letting go of the reigns but you may be pleasantly surprised of what they can come up with and it may be even better than what you had originally envisaged. Most of the wedding planners I know thrive on challenges and love 'last-minute' weddings! They might 'moan' a bit at first but they will tell you if they're up to the challenge or not and competition is high!

If you want to elope or have a destination wedding, its even easier. Decide where you want to go, book your vacation and then ask the hotel wedding coordinator or book an independent wedding coordinator. What's the difference? Well, it's quite simple, the hotel coordinator has limited options as they are tied to the hotel and its policies which can often be restrictive, whereby a private wedding planner usually has several locations that are unique and they also have a great choice of vendors and more flexibility in all other respects.

If you are stuck for information on private wedding planners, and you want to get married in Mexico, contact cancunweddingcenter@gmail.com, for other locations, just google wedding planners or wedding coordinators plus the location or go to +TripAdvisor and you will most likely find all you need. If its only the two of you and you have no guests, google photographers or ministers in the area and ask them. Most of them will be able to coordinate between them and give you some useful tips.

Contact a few and select the one that most appeals to you, 'brief' them clear to the point, give them some leeway but also be precise in what is negotiable and what is non-negotiable but please be realistic!

A good wedding planner will be able to make most if not all of your wishes happen. Just make sure you are not set on a 'popular' date like the 14 February and if possible, plan your wedding on a weekday to give the wedding planner more options. Most couples always book their wedding on a weekend, probably because they are working and forget that once they are on vacation it doesn't matter whether its Saturday or Monday so this is one way to 'beat the rush'!

You may have to be a bit more flexible in times of ceremony time or live music, etc. as some vendors may only have limited availability at short notice but if you can be cool enough to keep an open mind, miracles can and do happen, even at short notice!

Tell us about your 'impromptu' wedding and send us some photos!

We want to elope!

Help! It's just the two of us and we want to elope! We need information! Do we need a wedding coordinator? Where do we go and where do we start? These are common questions that we are asked frequently.

Don't worry, all you need is your partner,  a minister and a photographer to capture the moment!

Time and again we hear from couples that hotels are not keen or forthcoming on helping couples without guests and that they struggle to get information. It's a fair assumption that this is probably because there is no money to be made! 

Don't let this deter you!

Just contact a photographer or minister or check on +TripAdvisor! They are always pleased to help and some even have a package deal that includes all you need to tie the knot!

Having no guests at your wedding can be liberating and also gives you a lot more choices in terms of doing something unusual on your big day! For example, why not get married in a helicopter, a private yacht or in a parasailer over the ocean? That's sure something to remember!

These are just a couple of ideas you can do when you're on your own that wouldn't work if you had guests.

If you want more information or ideas, please feel free to contact us at cancunweddingcenter@gmail.com or on our cancunweddingcenter facebook page

Pep up your wedding!

To have a memorable wedding that's the talk of the town, isn't that what most couple would like?

Nobody wants to have a 'boring' wedding, - we all want our big day to be something ultra special and remembered for a long time. We want to think about our big day with a huge smile on our face, but the ultimate compliment of having hosted a great wedding is if our guests remember the fun time they had and keep talking about it for months!

Its not rocket science to know that money is always a big issue for planning a great wedding. We always put great importance on the venue, the dress, the decorations, food, flowers and everything that goes with it. There are color schemes to think off, decorations, bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc. etc. The list goes on and on. Each wedding site has endless lists on how to plan the perfect wedding.

But... at the end of the day what is it really that makes your wedding totally special?

Its the same as with everything else in life .... Its the people who are there!

They are the ones that can make the huge difference between your wedding being a complete hit or yet 'another nice wedding'! Just think of the fun things people did to make their wedding extra special! Remember the video of the bridal party dancing down the aisle that went viral? Who hasn't googled funny things that happen at weddings and to get some ideas?

To entertain and give everyone a fun time is not exactly easy when you have a wide range of different people, different age groups, different interests, likes and dislikes. But what they all have in common is that they like to laugh and have a great time. So why not help things along a bit? We're not all born entertainers and planners and nobody minds if you 'cheat' a little bit to get some new ideas!

One of the things I stumbled across is how to be a fun Wedding MC. To be honest, I've never thought about it, but like with everything else, you need someone to pep up the party and to get things going. There will always be guests that are difficult to motivate or some too shy to 'let loose'. Why not give it a shot? Even professional entertainers admit they're always scouting for extra help and new ideas!

You may be lucky and things may happen naturally but all to often they unfortunately don't! So why leave things up to chance if you can help it along by having a witty and funny, organized wedding MC and make your wedding truly unforgettable?

Get more ideas on how to create a fun and memorable wedding reception at THE WEDDING MC!

Tell us your favorite speeches, ideas or fun games!