What it Takes to Plan a Wedding in Less Than Two Weeks

You've decided to get married, but you're short on time and money. What to do, what to do!?! Don't worry, the answers are here.

My husband, Josh, is a soldier in the United States Army. He was deployed to Iraq for 16 months last year, he returned to the States in November of 2006, and he arrived on my doorstep December 20, 2006 at about 6:00 p.m.

On December 21, 2006 at about 1:30 p.m. Josh pulled a diamond ring out of the pocket of his shirt and asked me to marry him. Of course, my answer was yes! We knew we didn't have much time to pull off a wedding, but I wanted something that we would both remember forever. A quick ceremony at the county courthouse just wasn't going to cut it for me.

We knew the first thing we had to do was tell my parents. Easy, right? Wrong. My parents knew (with about two weeks notice) that a special "guy friend" of mine was coming to visit; they just didn't know how special he was.

After we worked up the courage to tell them our plans, and found out that they weren't as shocked as we thought they would be, and that they weren't going to try to stop us... we began working on plans for a ceremony.

And here, is where all you brides-to-be need to pay close attention.

We set the wedding date for January 2, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. That gave us just over 12 days to get our marriage license, find a place to hold the ceremony, find a preacher, find a wedding dress, invite all the guests, and plan a small reception.

First thing the next morning, Josh and I headed toward the county courthouse, birth certificates and other records in hand; ready to apply for our marriage license. The paperwork itself was relatively simple; after we completed it and turned it in we were told to come back in 3 days to pick up the marriage license.

Next on the list of things to do: find a place to hold the ceremony. I put my mom in charge of this one; she knows just about every church within 100 miles of my hometown. I knew that with her on the job, we'd have a church building in no time, and quite possibly a reception area too.

Continuing down the list, we needed to find a preacher. I knew almost immediately who I wanted to lead the ceremony, getting a hold of him was a whole different story. After playing phone tag for a few days, we finally got in touch with each other and agreed to meet the following week to discuss the plans for the ceremony.

With about a week left, I had three more things to do. Find a dress, invite the guests, and plan a reception.

Dress shopping was something I found a bit difficult. Bridal shops were out of the question, they tend to be expensive and sometimes the dress can't be taken home immediately so my sister came up with an alternative.

My hometown is about two hours north of King of Prussia, Penn. Anyone who lives near King of Prussia knows what the town is famous for: a huge shopping mall. So my husband (then fiancé), my sister, and I set off for King of Prussia. My sister had been there a million times before, so she knew exactly which stores we wanted, so we let her lead us (that was a mistake). After stopping at several upscale stores, and not finding a single dress that we liked, or one that fit our budget, we decided to try a few of the stores that sell prom gowns.

One store was filled with nothing but prom gowns, I found several that I liked, but none that would fit me. So we went on to the DEB Shop. I found three dresses there that I absolutely loved. I decided to try them all on and (with the help of my sister) pick which one looked best on me. It was a tough decision, but we ended up settling on an off-white floor length gown which cost less than $150.

You might be wondering what my husband was going to wear to the wedding. He had debated on wearing his uniform, but it just wasn't him. So after discussing it, we both decided that he would wear a pair of Wranglers, a western shirt, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. If you knew my husband, you would know how fitting that is.

By this point, everything seemed to be falling in to place (finally). We had a church, a marriage license, a preacher, a dress, and a reception hall. With the date and time in place, we began making a small guest list of about 30 people and my family and a few close friends. (My husband's family lives in Arkansas and they were unable to make it to Pennsylvania for the wedding.)

Before calling everyone to invite them to the wedding, we spoke with my mom about the reception. My husband and I didn't want anything big, so we decided that everyone would bring a covered dish to share, and my parents would provide the main dish, drinks, and dessert.

The day of the wedding came and I began preparing for the ceremony. My grandmother arrived with my bouquet, or should I say flower? I carried a single yellow rose down the aisle. It had special meaning to me and my family, so I felt it was appropriate for the occasion. A friend showed up to help me with my hair and makeup, we ran a straightening iron through my hair, tossed in a little shine serum, and lit up my face with a little eye shadow, mascara, and blush. Then we headed off to the church!

The wedding was a success; it was everything I had ever dreamed of and more. It was simple, yet elegant. The reception was something my husband and I both enjoyed; it gave us some time to spend with my family before we had to leave. And to top it all off, my husband surprised me by renting an elegant room at one of the local inns.

Quick Tips:

1. Apply for a marriage license immediately. Requirements for a marriage license vary by state, so be sure to check with someone and find out what you will need to apply for a license and how long it will take for you to receive it.

2. Set a date. Planning a wedding on short notice can be hectic, but you need to set a date; without one it will be impossible to keep planning. Don't be afraid to set a date during the week either, we held my wedding on a Tuesday and it was a great success.

3. Find a church building. If you're unfamiliar with the area ask a close friend or family member for help.

4. Find a preacher. The preacher you hire doesn't need to preach at the church you're going to hold the wedding at, most preachers will be willing to marry you outside of their own church building.

5. Find a dress. Keep in mind that your dress doesn't need to be expensive. You can find nice formal dresses in white or off-white that are elegant and don't have outrageous price tags.

6. Plan a reception. Keep it small. Chances are it will be tough to find a caterer with such short notice, but just because the reception can't be catered doesn't mean you can't have one. Work with friends and family to come up with a simple menu, and think of all the money you'll save by doing it yourself instead of hiring a caterer.

7. Invite guests. Sit down with your fiancé and come up with a small guest list. Close friends and family will always remember sharing this special day with you.

8. Have fun! This is your wedding don't worry about what other people think! Do what you want, wear what you want, and invite who you want.