A surprise wedding proposal, after a few years of relationship and the will to get married soon, can generate quite the hustle and some worries, but taking just 5 months from the proposal to the celebration is far from impossible.
J&J contacted me about 5 months prior to the wedding date, and from the conversation, they had just confirmed the date with the venue where the party was going to take place.
They started planning the best way, especially when we're talking about planning in a shorter timeframe, they found a place for the party itself, with an available date, that matched what they wanted, close to the location of the ceremony and that could welcome the guests they were counting on.
After that, they confirmed the place for the ceremony itself and focused on the services that are normally booked the earliest, photography and video, and music/entertainment.
This way by the end of April they had all the essentials covered for the big day and the celebration could go ahead at the end of September, with entertainment and someone to record it for posterity. ;)
Now they had the rest of the time to take care of the remaining details, invitations, dress, suit, flower, everything step-by-step on a list to "cross off" as things got done.
What I can assure you is that when I met up with them for their engagement shoot in early August they looked relaxed, like one does when you've got everything handled. :)
The wedding day was beautiful, the ceremony took place at the same location where the proposal had happened a few months before, with a view over Leiria. The party had a lot of details according to the couples preferences, all the things they had chosen and organized in just 5 months.
When I delivered their wedding album at the start of December, while talking to them, they told me that a few little things hadn't happened exactly the way they wanted (but honestly, from my experience, that happens even when you plan a wedding 2 years in advance). However they had the attitude I recommend to all the couples on their wedding day: They had left the planning behind them and they focused on enjoying the day and the company of the people that were with them.
I think it was a complete success, what about you?
Dress - @slimnoivas
Suit - Five Pronto-a-Vestir
Venue - @quintadoscastanheirosmorgatoes
Video - @cabracegathestorytellers
Entertainers - @nuno.ess , Violeta e Faísca
Florist - @florarialeiria
Cake - Casa Doces Dias
Bride's shoes - @cremecaviarshoes
Invitations - @cabracegathestorytellers
Church music - @animachorus