Short Notice Wedding Planning: What’s Possible in 3 Months to 9 Days

If you’re planning a short notice wedding, your Google searches for ‘average time to plan a wedding’ probably morphed into ‘can you plan a wedding in 3 months’, and you probably ended up here because you’re wondering what’s actually possible with a tight time frame and an ambitious vision. Let me start by putting your minds at ease – I’ve planned beautiful, luxurious, complex weddings in as little as 9 days, so Ella Hartig is certainly not scared off by short lead times. In fact, I love them, and this is everything you need to know about planning a celebration in whatever time you have –  3 months, 6 weeks, or 9 days.

Don’t be deterred by a short notice wedding – we love them! Here’s why:

There is something so satisfying about taking on a wedding planning role with a short lead time – it gives me such a professional rush, I thrive under the time pressure, and there’s nothing quite like seeing it all come together. 

Thanks to my years of wedding planning experience and time in the hospitality and events industry, I’m now blessed with a depth of incredible suppliers I can contact. This means that the major hurdle of planning a wedding quickly (finding people to work on it) is not a problem, and I’ve always found wonderful, available, great-fit vendors for my short-notice couples.

The couples I’ve worked with in the past on these kinds of weddings don’t view last minute celebrations as rushed, second-best or in any way ‘less than’ a wedding planned over 12 or 18 months. They are just as considered, the details just as intentional, and the design just as impactful – and everybody has just as amazing a party!

Planning weddings in 3 months or less means choices are made quickly, and indecisiveness and decision fatigue are left at the door. The key is having a clear vision and just executing it, and this suits some couples better than others. 

Who suits quick wedding planning? Things you need to know:

My couples planning last minute celebrations are normally very good at decision making. We have to be realistic that there is no time to change your mind about your colour palette, be uncertain about the kind of florals you’re looking for, or request tastings with three different caterers before saying yes.

If you’re thinking of enquiring with a wedding planner about a short notice wedding, it’s important that you’re already pretty clear on what you want and can hold firm on your vision. This means my job of pulling it all together, finding the right people to make the magic happen, and bringing it to life is facilitated, and it’s a much smoother journey for everyone involved.

You should also be prepared to be flexible on your suppliers. You can’t come in wanting just 1 specific band and then be upset if they are unavailable on your last minute rate.  I do however have a huge amount of potential people I can contact, and will certainly find you excellent suppliers . There’s a balance to be struck between knowing what you want and being too specific, so having an overall idea with some built-in flex is the best way to approach this exciting time in your lives.

There are lots of reasons you might choose to plan a wedding in 3 months or less, but whatever yours are I will embrace the challenge and treat your celebration with as much care, attention and enthusiasm as any I would plan over a year or more. In fact, all of the weddings featured here are certainly some of my absolute favourites from the past 7 years, which just goes to show that it’s not the time that makes the difference so much as the story we tell.

*It’s important to note that for your wedding ceremony to be legally binding, you have to adhere to set ‘notice periods’. If you want to include a legal ceremony in your wedding you’ll need to leave enough time for this – lengths vary between countries. I can of course advise on this during the planning process, and symbolic ceremonies are always an option if required.

Real weddings planned on short notice – 3 months, 6 weeks and 9 days:

Planning a wedding in 3 months: L&L

When L&L came to me they had been affected by the pandemic postponements, and they pivoted from their original plan of marrying at a venue to instead doing it at home. We had 3 months to plan a special, glowy winter wedding for one of the loveliest couples ever, and it was so rewarding transforming their gardens into a wonderland of an event space.

Apart from one or two suppliers they had already booked and carried across from their original 2020 wedding date, I used my wedding industry network to bring the entire team on board. We installed not one but two marquees, overlooking the lake and on the main lawn, and transformed their gardens into something resembling Christmas at Kew with an abundance of fairy lights. A car park needed to be purpose built for guests, and when I say built I really mean it – it was us vs a muddy winter, and the family home and grounds came twinkling to life with the help of an incredible team and endless piles of freshly baked cookies.

We wanted to create something that felt at once cosy and impressive, bringing something unexpected to a familiar space and really giving them the wedding they wanted and deserved. The wedding was crafted around different sections, beginning with a marquee installed overlooking the lake to enjoy their drinks. The idea was that any guests who didn’t want to dance later in the day could come back to this welcoming space, and make use of the hot chocolate station and delicious cocktails whilst enjoying the lights dancing on the water.

L&L’s second marquee was on the main lawn, intended for the dinner and dancing. We decked the space out in warm wintry colours, with deep reds, floods of candlelight and sumptuously textured table stationery, and created an utterly fabulous menu for everyone to feast on. Working with Jimmy Garcia catering, L&L enjoyed haggis bon bon canapes to reflect what they’d eaten on their first date, and we had a festive spit-roasted pig and an indulgent cheese table. 

As a flexitarian myself who doesn’t normally enjoy meat, when I tell you their menu was so tasty I still think about it you’ll understand what high praise that is!

 3 months, 2 marquees, 1 gorgeous, twinkling winter wedding for L&L. 

Planning a wedding in 6 weeks: S&F

In complete contrast to L&L’s winter wedding at home, S&F came to me with just 6 weeks to go and we planned a colourful spring celebration at Four Seasons, Hampshire. Looking at these photos you’d be forgiven for thinking it was the height of summer, but actually we were blessed with the most perfect April day.

Their vision was Alice in Wonderland but grown up & elegant, with none of the kitsch and all of the colour, weaving in playful details and a table overflowing with spring blooms. Bringing this to life within 6 weeks for their guests, many who flew in from the Middle East to celebrate, was such a fun experience, and working with such a whimsical brief was nothing short of joyful.

An enchanting afternoon tea was our starting point, creating a gorgeous pastel colour palette that’s absolutely perfect for al fresco dining at an English country garden wedding. We designed a layered tablescape full of texture, including vintage patterned china, teapots bursting with blooms and seasonal fruits mingled throughout, and the most beautiful furniture. 

This was followed by their whimsical yet elegant garden ceremony, before moving inside for a lovely dinner that brought that outdoor summer vibe in. Later in the day the dancing commenced, and I had been given some very specific DJ requests that certainly narrowed the list of available choices in the right genre, but we found the perfect person nevertheless!

S&F’s wedding came together so beautifully, and the couple were hugely grateful, it was such a joy to see it all come to life for them. 

If you’d like to see this wedding in full colour and see what’s possible when planning a wedding in 6 weeks, read their feature.

 Planning a wedding in 9 days: a winter wedding in London

This one was certainly a new record for me, and easily the most rewarding job of my career so far! Planning a wedding in 9 days is always a challenge, but this one had the added layer of being booked for the weekend before Christmas – just the time when many suppliers are switching off for the holidays and giving their teams a break. Nonetheless, I managed to pull  together a truly incredible team of suppliers to pull this off, and I’m so grateful to them for joining me on this wild (but short!) ride.

Planning officially commenced on Wednesday 10th December, with the Big Day booked for 19th. We started designing and discussing in earnest, making lots of late night decisions about florals and tableware and stationery and menus – most of which went through a colleague of the couple’s based in the UK, as they themselves were based in Turkey with limited spoken English. 

I presented my initial suggestions for suppliers on Thursday and Friday, and before the weekend began we had booked the venue, caterer, a dance tutor, a cake artist and a hair and make-up artist. Over the weekend we dived into the details regarding flowers and production, which are key in any ballroom wedding to creating an enchanting, immersive vibe – which you’ll see we absolutely did.

Looking back now at Monday 15th December, I almost wish we’d had a TV crew to follow us around and capture everything as it was absolutely the definition of efficiency and all hands on deck. I will never be able to capture what a wonderful whirlwind it all was, what fun I had working with the couple to bring this vision to life, and how above and beyond all their suppliers went for us.

Special mentions have to go to:

• The Mandarin Oriental who worked so hard in helping us deliver this special event,
• Blooming Haus who sourced over 12,000 roses at an almost impossible time of year,
• Hall of Cakes who became an assembly line of fondant sugar flowers,
• Luminaire who custom built so much of the day from scratch in 48 hours,
• and Louisa who showed up for the bride’s hair and make up trial with 2 hours’ notice.

The team at Duchess and Butler were also outstanding, mocking up so many last minute options for the tablescapes with us, and we even managed to get bespoke monogrammed stationery printed on time by Leeming Brothers. The outstandingly talented Okiem was booked less than 24 hours out and was my personal highlight of the whole celebration, showstoppingly elegant entertainment personified! 

By the time Friday came around it felt like a beautiful blur of everything coming together, and it was truly such a stunning and special celebration for a wonderful couple. As you browse through the photos from this wedding, my hope is that you see all the madness and magic that went into it and that you truly understand that anything is possible with the right team on your side.

Some may say I’m a walking contradiction because I usually say you shouldn’t try to plan a wedding between Christmas and New Year, but technically this was pre Christmas (!) and besides, I’m always up for a challenge. 

If you are considering planning your own short notice wedding, it’s important to choose the right wedding planner to help you through the process. There’s a special skill set and network required to pull it off, and I’m very pleased and proud to say I have both – as well as the right blend of mad and passionate that you have to be to jump at the opportunity.

Many of my couples do plan on more traditional timelines, and I frequently work across 12-18 months too – whether we’re working with years, months or weeks, if you’re keen to start planning, there’s no time like the present – get in touch, I’d love to hear from you, and you can expect an enthusiastic response no matter how much time we have to play with.