Planning a wedding last minute

I'm so sorry - planning a wedding in a hurry is one thing, but adding in the stress of a seriously ill loved one must make it so much harder.

We got engaged at the end of October and set our wedding date for the end of June, but we were actually done with all the planning by February, so it can easily be done, especially if you have a small wedding and are prepared to be flexible.

Start off by working out your budget and then list what you want in order of importance. Don't forget that apart from the cost involved in the legal marriage ceremony, EVERYTHING ELSE is optional, so don't be afraid to cut out/cut back on anything you don't really, really want.

If you're on a tight budget, then I would avoid the traditional 'wedding venues'. Book your church/registry office for a basic ceremony and then look for a nice pub or restaurant for the reception. We found a lovely little country pub that had a few different rooms, and they just treated it as a normal 'table booking' and just charged us for the food and drink, so we saved a fortune on 'venue hire'. And we didn't bother with any decor because it was a really nice setting and didn't really need any.

Wedding dress - dresses from boutiques tend to be more expensive. Look at buying second hand or shopping mail order/high street chains. You can also look into hiring, but I found that most places only hire out the super-expensive dresses in the first place, so the cost ended up being about as much as buying a simpler dress. Or of course, you can just wear a nice dress you already own - you don't HAVE to get married in a traditional wedding dress unless you want to!

Grooms' suit - wear a suit he already owns or hire one rather than buying new.

Bridal party - get them to wear whatever they want as long as they pay for it - or just skip having a bridal party.

Flowers - look at buying a bunch from a supermarket.

Rings - keep an eye out for special offers. They often do special offers around valentine's day. We got ours on a 'buy one get one half price' deal.

Car - skip the wedding car hire. Find a reliable friend or relative or book a taxi - or stick to non alcoholic drinks and drive yourself!

Cake - we bought one from a supermarket and a custom topper from Etsy to stick on top (the topper comes out every year and gets stuck in our anniversary cake/desert!)

Hair & makeup - see if your usual hairdresser will do your hair or just go DIY. I got quoted £90 for having my hair put up in a bun by a 'wedding hairdresser' - my regular hairdresser charged me a tenner!

Invites - cheapest option would be to design your own on Canva (it is super-easy and the free version has more than enough options for this) and email. If you want to print and you're not sending huge numbers, you might be better off buying a pack of invitation cards from a card shop.

Photographer - this is the one thing I would splash out on because apart from the rings, they're the only things that last beyond the wedding day. But if you book your wedding for midweek or out of season, you can often find someone who will do half days.

Above all, try not to stress about it. Yes, it's lovely if all the little details come together, but the most important thing is that you get married with your loved ones around you. Keep that in view, and if anything is giving you too much grief, then feel free to drop it from the planning. Best wishes - let us know how you get on xxx

Hi, I’m in the same situation sf you. My partner!’s dad is seriously ill so we are trying to get married in June- just 3 months away. We’re also moving house next month!


I’ve found a venue which offers a reasonable deal. The main thing I’m worried about is if people will be able to make the wedding late notice.
I feel super stressed!
How is your planning going so far?

Hi Shantelle, I’m so sorry your wedding planning is stressful. If you’re looking to make savings we are offering free wedding photography and videography to a few couples to build our portfolio. My partner is an experienced film maker and I’m transitioning into wedding photography. Happy to share examples of our work. We recently covered a wedding in Dorset and had brilliant feedback.

Shantelle, stay strong! Focus on essentials: venue (backyard or park), dress (rent or buy second-hand), food (buffet or potluck), and digital invites. Ask friends for help, and check local vendors for last-minute deals. Most importantly, enjoy the moment—love is what truly matters!