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I had to laugh when my cousin got engaged and told me she "couldn't" get married for at least a year, because all the wedding-planning books she'd read said that it takes that long to organize. I told her that I'd had two weddings that took less than a month to arrange, and she was shocked - but she still took that year!

How do you coordinate a wedding in a month's time? First, set the date. Second, make a detailed plan of everything you need to accomplish and when. Third, make it happen!

If you're in a hurry, there probably is no special date in mind, unless you're trying to accommodate various schedules such as military leave, family trips, reunions, and so forth. So set the date, and work backwards from that; contact the venue you wish to use and make sure that date is available - if not, find another, and quickly. To make things easier, see if there are also facilities available for the reception. This is the immediate, very first thing to complete.

Select your attendants, and ask them if they'd like to participate. Keep in mind that if someone is unavailable on your chosen day, you may have to ask a few more friends. Or you can change the date, but if you're in a time crunch that may not be possible. Always remember that you won't be able to accommodate everyone. Decide on your "colors", and narrow down bridesmaid dress choices to two or three and ask your attendants to decide; a fairly new trend is to have the bridesmaids' dresses in the same color, but allow each to choose her own style. If all this is accomplished within the first week, there is plenty of time for your attendants to be fitted and to accessorize, as well as to schedule hair and nail appointments.

Reserve tuxedos for the groom and groomsmen. If you use a national rental store, out-of-town attendants can be fitted locally (the same is true for bridesmaids). Just remember that specific outfits you prefer may not be available on short notice, so do be flexible. Technically, this is the premise of the groom, but after all, we know that the bride does the bulk of the planning and decision-making! Be sure to at least follow-up, so there are no surprises on your wedding day.

Coordinate your invitations. Often printers can do a rush order, especially if you visit them in person. Invitations should be mailed at least three weeks in advance, and you can always call out-of-town guests to give them a heads-up.

Go dress shopping as soon as possible, in case alterations are needed. A store may say it takes

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