by Charity Curley

prioritizing - site selection - thinking creatively - speedy shopping - perspective - planning tips

KAREN PLITT AND GEOFF STEAD
AUGUST 29, 1999
NEW YORK, NY

How does a couple plan a wedding in thirty days? In the case of Karen and Geoff's whirlwind engagement, they maximize every moment! From the second this long-distance couple decided to marry, they had just four weeks to organize their wedding. "But with a lot of ingenuity, and help from family and friends, we were able to create exactly what we wanted," says the bride.

What's the rush?
It all started with a courtship that began in New York when Karen met Geoff, an Australian journalist on assignment, eight months earlier. When they decided to wed, it meant changing everything from jobs to countries of residence. After much discussion, Geoff prepared to move from Australia to America. But when he was offered his dream job -- the opportunity to cover the 2000 Summer Olympics for a Sydney newspaper -- they decided that Karen would relocate instead. She was now in a race to plan their wedding and pack up her New York life before Geoff started his new job, four weeks later. But she was up to the challenge. "I would run around researching our ideas, then we'd chat about it late into the night over the phone," remembers the bride. "We had to because, with the time difference, Geoff was a day ahead of me!"

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!"

On the next page: thinking creatively - speedy shopping - perspective - planning tips



On this page: thinking creatively - speedy shopping - perspective - planning tips

Mini Cakes and Fast Flowers
As an event planner by trade, Karen also knew a few tricks for finding vendors fast. "My motto was, 'Think creatively and don't be afraid to ask for another option.'" While ordering a traditional wedding cake usually requires 2-3 months notice, Karen's creativity paid off again. She dreamed up the idea of a beautiful tower of cupcakes instead. "Our baker arranged them into a pyramid and topped it with a tiny bride and groom. It was the absolute hit of the wedding!" Easy and elegant was the plan for the flowers, too. Karen and Geoff waited until the day before their wedding and went to the wholesale floral district. For a mere fifty dollars they bought two enormous boxes of fresh blooms to fill their chosen vases. Photos were taken by an experienced friend and by guests, using disposable cameras that were placed on each table.

What was Karen's strategy
for pulling off this high-speed wedding? Keeping her perspective.

Speedy Shopping
Of all the fast-planning to-do's, Karen's dress hunt was, surprisingly, the easiest -- and fastest. "I bought it on my lunch hour the day we got engaged," says Karen. Knowing that an evening gown from a department store might be a faster fit than a traditional wedding gown, she went straight to Bloomingdale's. And it paid off. Within 90 minutes, she walked out with a champagne-colored, floor-length lace sheath, complete with flowing gossamer "train" for under $300. "My headpiece was really simple and inexpensive, too," says Karen. "My sister found a faux-pearl headband and my seamstress attached tiny white and peach silk flowers to it. It was understated and perfect."

The key
What was Karen's key strategy for pulling off her high-speed wedding? Keeping her perspective. With so much to do in so little time, Karen had many frazzled moments, but she didn't let them interfere with her enjoyment of her wedding day. "Once I slipped that dress on, the shadows under my eyes disappeared, the hair fell into place and I looked and felt wonderful," she says. "Because ultimately, the day wasn't just about Geoff and me," she says. "It was about the people who shared it with us, the people we loved."

Karen and Geoff's Top Tips:
prioritize
think creatively
keep your perspective