Wedding planning

If you are talking about Feb 2022, that's really soon. You might be hard pressed to find a venue this close to the day. That would be your first step. In order to save money, go for non-traditional venues. Private dining rooms at restaurants, someone's home, church rec centers etc. Shopping online will probably get you the cheapest wedding dress, there are several great sites out there. Or David's Bridal has good options. Good luck and congrats!

Oh, that's so soon hun!

Start looking at venues ASAP. A lot of brides are getting married next year so a lot of places are booking up FAST.

If you are looking into a small wedding then consider going to a chapel or doing a microwedding. Check to see if your town offers these types of services. Afterwards you guys can do a dinner with everyone at a restaurant. Also microwedding services are awesome because you just tell them what you want and they pretty much take care of everything for you! This was definitely an option for me and my husband because wedding planning was just getting too much.

My cousin got married at a chapel and then had dinner at Cheesecake Factory. There were about 20 people total I think.

Lulus and Azazie has some cheap dresses online.

David's Bridal may have some cheap selections (but you need to look asap because there may be a dress shortage next year as well).

Ling's Moments on Amazon has great options for fake flowers at a good price (real flowers are super expensive), but they look great! I used them for my wedding.

Check thumbtack for cheap hair and makeup artists in your area. Make sure to do a trial first because there are some companies where there is that one artist that is just starting out so the foundation might not match, the lipstick may not look good on your complexion, etc.

I agree with Samantha - that's a tight planning turnaround!! Locking down a wedding venue is definitely your first priority, and if you're set on Feb 2022 then I'd recommend being open to having a brunch or afternoon wedding, or choosing a weekday!

Here are a few helpful guides you should check out to help get your planning started:

Just Got Engaged? The 8 Things You Need to Do First

How to Plan a Wedding Step by Step

7 Things Couples Should Agree on Before Wedding Planning

And for wedding dresses - Azazie, Lulus, and JJ's House have a lot of dress options for under $200-$300, and David's Bridal has gorgeous gowns for under $100!

Start with budget first. Then guest list. Then pick a venue within those two things. Don't get a dress and all the other details until you know how much you need for the number of guests you have.

If your plan is to do more money on the honeymoon and less on ceremony/reception, have you thought about an intimate courthouse ceremony and then hosting a party with friends and family later? Courthouse weddings are really only the price of the license and hosting a party, not necessarily a wedding, will save you a lot of money. Luckily, Feb 14th is a weekday in 2022 so that will automatically save you money. However, with it being a holiday you're going to be fighting a lot of other people hosting events. Feb 14th is a popular day to get married. For dresses I would suggest looking at non-tradition bridal sites. Azazie now does wedding dresses, Lulu's, Torrid, Baltic Born, etc. This is a really short timeline. If you want your anniversary to be Valentines day I would focus on getting the legal ceremony done (not that you have to celebrate your anniversary on the day you sign) and then deal with a party when you have more time to plan. Otherwise I think a wedding in 2 months is near impossible with the surge in weddings next year.

Didnt see this comment before I replied. My husband and I legalized it Nov 2nd 2021 and we're not having the actual wedding until March 4th 2023. We will be celebrating our anniversary on the wedding date and adding a year. We also personally decided to only tell immediate family and our best man and maid of honor so we wouldnt have to deal with questions or people thinking less of our wedding. You can fully decide who you want to tell when you legally get married. Lots of people now are eloping then hosting parties later on.