Planning a Whirlwind Wedding

Not everyone wants to wait a year or two to get married. If you’d rather have a short engagement and tie the knot in the next couple of months, it’s perfectly possible – and at Southdowns Manor, we’re here to make sure your Whirlwind Wedding goes without a hitch. Ask us about last-minute availability and start planning your dream wedding today.

Planning your Whirlwind Wedding: a timeline

There’s lots to think about when you’re planning a wedding, and with a Whirlwind Wedding, you’ll need to be organised to get everything ready in time. That’s why we’ve put together the following timeline to help you plan your big day in just eight weeks.

8 weeks before

First things first, you’ll need to get the big decisions out of the way. The first is what kind of wedding you want – church? Country house hotel? Something more unusual?

Then you’ll need to work out how much you can afford to spend. Put together a budget and decide how much cash you can allocate to each aspect of your big day.

The next big decisions are where you’ll get married and what date. Call Southdowns Manor to check their last-minute availability. It’s worth asking about any special offers we have for whirlwind weddings, as you may be able to make valuable savings this way. What’s more, if you’re flexible about what day of the week you get married on, you could save even more.

Once you’ve settled on a venue, book your date before someone else takes the date you want!

Once you have secured your date, you’re ready to go to your registrar and give notice. You legally need to give notice at least 29 days before your big day, but the sooner you do it and book a registrar, the better.

Finally, and we know it’s been a busy week, but it’s also time to draw up your guest list, and that includes deciding who will be in your bridal party. Who will you have as your bridesmaids, best man and ushers? Ask them now while there’s still plenty of time.

6 to 7 weeks before

Having decided on your guest list, lose no time in sending out your invitations so that your guests get as much notice as possible – particularly if you’re getting married mid-week and they need to book a day off work. Ask them to RSVP as soon as possible, as your venue will need to know numbers for your big day. As you’re short on time, you don’t necessarily need to go to the time and expense of sending formal invitations by post; you could do this online quickly and easily.

It’s also time to start thinking about the details of your wedding. What music will you have, for example? What about after-dinner entertainment? At Southdowns Manor, we have a big list of preferred suppliers who can help you sort out all the elements of your big day, from your menu to your photographer to your flower arrangements.

5 weeks before

Now that you’ve heard back from your guests, you can let your venue know final numbers for your big day, along with any extra evening guests and dietary requirements you’ll need to cater for.

Now’s also the time to do some wedding dress shopping, as well as finding suit hire for the groom, bridesmaid and best man outfits, and, of course, wedding rings. The top priority is your wedding dress, because you’ll need to factor in time for any alterations to be made before the big day.

4 weeks before

Not long to go! About four weeks before your special day, you’ll have a final meeting with your venue to finalise all your arrangements. This is your chance to tell your venue exactly what you have in mind, from the menu you’ll serve to the overall structure of the day.

3 weeks before

You’ve got everything under control, so it’s time to enjoy yourself! Plan your hen and stag parties for this week so that you have plenty of time to recover before your big day dawns.

2 weeks before

This is the time to think about the finer details of the day and how you’ll decorate your venue. If you’re getting creative with your decorations, now’s the time to make sure you’ve made everything – whether it’s your centrepieces or your wedding favours.

Now’s also a good time to finalise your speeches so that you don’t have a last-minute panic about what you’re going to stand up and say.

1 week before

Your big day is almost upon you, and all your arrangements are in place. All that’s left to do now is to relax and beautify yourself in preparation. Haircuts, waxing, tanning, manicures, pedicures and any other grooming treatments should be booked for this week. Why not book yourself a massage while you’re at it? You deserve it after all that wedding planning!