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I'm sorry to hear that, But I'm happy you bumped up the wedding so you can share the special day with him. My advice;
Don't get upset that your not going to be able to have everything you want and the way you want it! I think having your Father in law there is way more important than say the custom chair covers you ordered that is going to take 6-8 months to get in (just an example, couldn't think of something else, I guess a wedding dress would of been better example)
Keep the guest list to the bare minium if possible, less frustrations that way, and just keep it plan and simple to go crazy on a theme that's going to be hard to accomodate/decorate, etc..

What State do you live in and how many guests are you expecting? 1st find a ceremony & reception site as that is the hardest thing to obtain because many couples book it 1yr -1.5 yrs in advance. To save money consider having both at the same location. To save more consider having it at your home, or the home of a family or friend.

Once you have the wedding site secured you can then send out invites. to save money on invites consider Paperless Post. Its life-like invites that you can send via email and costs a fraction of actual postage. If you don't like that idea. Go to VistaPrint.com to order Simple yet chic postcards or save the date magnets and utilize them as invites. Copy and paste the link for more info and to sign up for free http://www.paperlesspost.com/invite/pocketfriendlyweddings

Once you have completed those and if you need more help, let me know.
Good Luck

www.PocketFriendlyWeddings.com
inquiry@pocketfriendlyweddings.com

If your getting married that soon you need to look for your dress now or just get a fancier bridesmaid dress. I would do a more casual wedding or involve as many family members to help as possible.
Venues look into museums, historical sites excetera that are not used for weddings as much but have larger rooms you can use.
We have smaller chapels in the area that do "elopement" ceremonies or smaller ceriimonies. You might think about that too. Just have a few family and friends there.
Pick up September/October Modern Brides magizine it has timelines for less thatn 6 months in it. Just bought it myself for dress ideas.

My cousin planned her wedding in 3 months, just because she is crazy lol. I am sure you can make it happen! I am sorry to hear about your father in law, my mother in law passed away from brain cancer about 2 years ago. She lasted about 1 year with several surgeries after being diagnosed. But she had no quality of life for about 3 or 4 months. Get your booty into gear. Where do you live/where do you want the wedding. I would be happy to help you research and stuff.

You can do it! Stay strong and remember that the real point is the marriage and being able to have this important person see it start.

I will throw it out there that I am about an hour from the Illinois border and will travel, so if you need a photographer I'd be more than willing to work something out with you. If you need any help, just let me know. :)

As far as saving time, I would outline the general things you know you want and get the important things out of the way first (like making sure your venue is available). Divide up the rest of the tasks among the bridal party. I'm sure that your friends and family will understand the situation and want to help however they can. Best wishes to you both!

I planned mine in 5 months- you can do it! In order to save time, I cut out some of the small things like favors, programs, seating arrangements, etc. Good luck with your planning and I hope your father-in-law will be ok.

i agree, hav it @ hm. if big enuff 4 the amount of guests or a friend or family members' hm. it will save u TONS of MULAH ($)...i ran n2 a panic 4 my wedding as well, as soon as my FH proposed, i lost my job while i was n the process of planning. i had 2 place it on hold due 2 wanting 2 hav it @ a particular venue & so 4th, but so many people kept asking me y we weren't nterestd n having it @ our hm. cuz we live n a HUGE house. & it's GORGEOUS! so, that's wat i'm doing. & i still hav no job. I'm sorry about ur FiL, bless his heart! u will do fine. i'm very creative, so if u need n e thing n e ?'s. email me or write me back. Lanee1983@hotmail.com,...GODD LUCK, & PLeez wish me the same...i'm thinkin of november now & that's n less than 3 months away. we can do it

That is very sweet of you. And don't worry, it CAN be done. You just have to prioritize like crazy. Focus on the big picture items. First, what is your firm budget. Second, what venues fit your budget and are available for your date. You may need to get creative. Also if you haven't already, finalize your guest list so you know how big of a place you are looking for. The more intimate the wedding, the more you can simplify in other ways and save money and planning frustration. All the details can wait a bit, like finding specific vendors and choosing invitations. For example, due to many factors I am just now booking my vendors like photographer, cake, and makeup, and I'm getting married in 6 weeks. In a way it's easier, someone either IS or ISN'T available, I can't agonize about it, I just choose and move on. One more thing you may want to do at this point is to alert your guests by email or word of mouth now so they can plan for December. Good luck!

Thank you all soooo much!! You have been a great help! The stress was big when we chose to up the date but it is considerably lower now. I know I can do this and so can the rest of us trying to get the big day all figured out in minimal time. Good luck to all!!!

You will be fine. I have enjoyed my short engagment, 5 months. I don't have time to stress over my decisions.

1st get your dress and bridesmaid dresses. They take a while to come in. Then book location/date. Then start knocking off the other big ones, photography, flowers, dj, invites ect.

Recommend trying to find a location that makes the planning easy one you. Less do it yourself.

Invites are more work than you think. You probally don't have time for elaborate do it yourself.

Goodluck

I agree with the previous post regarding DIY invites. Unless you have a family member who is capable of handling this task may I suggest speaking to the vendor directly to see how soon you can get your invites and if there is a fee for urgency. I'm sorry to hear about your future father in law and wish you the best on your planning.

A lot of brides love to save money by doing DIY projects. Also a lot of wedding planners have great relationships with vendors and that can also save you money and time.

R.

Hey Danielle! I'm in the Chicago area! If you want to give my site a quick look, it's at www.sarahbrowndowntown.com and you can e-mail me through there. And maybe if you like me, it'll be one less thing to look for. :)

Hello!

I would encourage you to hire a Wedding Planner! I suggest this for several reasons: One, things could get topsy turvy with your future father in law's health condition that leaves you unable to complete projects on time, if at all. Two you need some one who is familiar with the wedding industry to help you get things done quickly, and cost effectively!

Good Luck !!!

I agree that in this case a planner might benefit you. If a planner is not in the budget, start with this:
Sit down and make a list of everything you have to have then make a list of things you would like to have. Work your way down the must haves before you start on the like to haves. Maybe limit your bridal party to just a MOH, best man, flower girl and ring bearer if that. Go get your dress now. Try and keep everything simple. If you have a lot of guests, and you dont want to cut your list, try a local park. Search around for a rental company that has a large verity of things so you can get most of your items from one place. Consider doing a heavy appetizer and cocktail luncheon instead of a full sit down dinner, that cuts down on a lot of the things you have to plan. Offer only a beer and wine bar and if you want, add one or two signature drinks. Check and see if your local JP will do on site ceremonies, a lot less money and you dont have classes or anything else to do first

It is very possible, just keep yourself organized.
Good luck and so sorry to hear about your father in law. I hope things work out for the best.

We are located in MO about 8 hours from you. If there is anything we can do to help plan please let me know. Even just mailing out invitations takes time. We could take care of that and other tasks for you. If you have an idea on linens and decorations we can help with those also. Any of the task you have that we can do from our location to help we are offering free of charge. Our linen rentals are very reasonable, but no matter where you get the linens from I am also offering to drive up and help with the decorating and clean up for no charge.

So sorry to hear about your future father in law. And it is so nice of you to change the schedule

I wish you both the best.

If you need an officiant, I would donate my services in the Chicago area.

My man has done most if not all the planning in about a month. Just as people have said make it simple, Don't forget to get lots of pictures with your father in law too.. as well as all members of the family with him too. Sometimes having a happy memory of a wedding helps pass the sadness of the other. Hugs..

Just wanted to update. We lost my father in law 46 days after we found out about his condition. I had a chance to get started on the planning but once we got word that it wasn't going to look like it would be long i abandoned the wedding planning to just spend time with my father in law. Before he past we had developed a relationship that I can be more than grateful for because i let go of the wedding. I am now working on planning the wedding for our original date in december of this year. Thanks for all your help.