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Prioritizing
Whether you have four weeks, four months or more than a year to plan your wedding, the first step is the same: prioritize. For Karen and Geoff, that meant focusing on making their day low-key and intimate. "We didn't worry so much about little details like napkins or limos," says Karen. Instead, the couple focused on the big picture -- on celebrating their union -- and making the wedding fun for family and friends. "We wanted our wedding to say hello and farewell at the same time," says Karen, "since we were Sydney-bound four days after the ceremony."

Site Selection
Karen's first task was to find a site. The couple met and fell in love in New York City, so locating a quintessential New York location became her mission. On such short notice, many traditional sites (loft, hotel, park) would have been unavailable, but this couple didn't mind. They happily booked a cozy landmark tavern called Morans instead. "With exposed brick walls, dark wood, polished copper and glowing fireplaces, the mood at the tavern was very warm and welcoming," Karen explains. "But because it wasn't a synagogue we had to be especially creative in order to make the ceremony feel traditional." Adding personal touches did the trick. In lieu of an altar, Karen's mother and sister created a beautiful chuppah (a Jewish wedding canopy) using her father's tallus (a traditional men's prayer shawl). Karen didn't have to worry about hunting down a musician at the last minute either -- her plan was to have her brother, an accomplished guitarist, to play for the procession. "To our great surprise," says Karen, "he composed an amazing acoustic piece and recorded it for us afterward. I still cry every time I listen to it!"

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