When to plan a wedding?

[Sarikate]

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I'll be starting at AZCOM in August and recently got engaged 🙂 We are making a crazy move, driving from Alaska to Arizona, at the beginning of June. I think it might be too soon to have a wedding this summer (on top of the stress of relocating and just starting school), so we were planning for summer of 2008, but then I realized...I'll probably need to be working that summer, doing some research or clinical work if possible, to get some experience (and cash).

Since neither of our families live in the Arizona area, we'll probably get married in Pennsylvania. We're thinking a moderate-sized wedding, maybe 100 people or so, but I don't want to be stressing about it too much.

If anyone has an opinion or idea, I'd be happy to hear it!

 

[Texas007]

My fiance and I were engaged last March and we are also making a move, from Dallas to Florida. Our wedding is in June and we are moving when we get back from our honeymoon. She is really supportive and understanding about it all. Wouldn't you love to start med school with the emotional support of a spouse? I think it is a great time to get married. I once asked in an interview when the best time to get married was and the physician said she thought before year 1 was a good time. I am not a girl, but I am helping my fiance plan our wedding. So, I would say that you should dedicate a week or two to finding your vendors and service providers. I am sure you have some idea of what you want. I do think one of you should work. I graduated last year and am working to save up as much as I can, and my fiance graduates in May. So she is planning, studying, graduating, getting married, then moving and getting a new job. But, we are there to support each other. Hope this helps. Congratulations on getting married and medical school!

 

[Taus]

IMO...before year one, summer b/w M1/M2...or wait all the way until the end of 4th year after the match..ie during an elective or vacation month. Winter break of any year is always an option but how much the holidays weigh on your friends and familys activity has to be considered.

 

[MikeyLu2010]

xmas or m1 summer

 

[grinchick5]

I’m chiming in with the female perspective. I was married summer 2006 and will start med school this Aug (2007). My initial plan was to begin in 2006, but for a number of reasons, my wedding included, I delayed applying for a year.

My wedding was about 120 people and I had a wedding planner, but it was still a lot of work to pull everything together. I wasn’t extremely compulsive. I wanted things to be nice, but I was no bridezilla.

In my experience, it takes minimum 6 months to plan a wedding. Can you pull off a wedding by this summer probably? Know that most of your decisions are made in the 2 or so months immediately preceding the wedding (this is when invitations go out, menu is decided, dress is fitted, cake is chosen, bridesmaids gifts are purchased, etc). My advice, consider your responsibilities during this period and decide whether you can take it all on this summer AND still be relaxed enough to enjoy your wedding. Even a low key wedding can require a substantial amount of work. It seems like it might be more work for you, given that you may not be living in the same state in which you will be married.

If I were faced with your situation, I would probably have the wedding the summer between m1 & m2. I’m not sure how long your summer break is, but you would likely still be able to work/research…just take the last two weeks of the summer off and get married. Worried you won’t be able to fit in the honeymoon? Take it in December over winter break. That’s what my husband and I did. It was awesome!!

Whew! That's my two cents.

 

[theraball]

Sarikate,

I'm with the Summer '08 school of thought. AZCOM classes end in late May and resume in early September, so it's a nice long break. If you schedule a mid- or late-summer wedding you'll have a month or two after classes end to work on it. It gives you an excuse to get out of hot Phoenix during the summer. Perhaps your fiancé can do some of the pre-planning while you finish up.

Then you have your next Big Decision to deal with: when to have a baby 😉

Looking forward to meeting you in August!
-Theraball

 

[rgerwin]

Well, we're moving in mid-late May, getting married 6/9. The difference is we're only moving 2 hours away, and the wedding is only an hour away. I would say if you decide to have your wedding in AZ, go for it. Otherwise, you can still work and get married, just potpone the honeymoon. WE're delaying ours for a year.

 

[Sarikate]

Good advice, thanks y'all (oh my goodness I am already picking up his freakin' Texas drawl - well, his fake one).

I think we've decided on summer between M1 and M2. This move from Alaska is going to be absolutely insane and take a minimum of a month, since we have to drive 4,000 miles, then I have to fly back up to get our two cats! Then he has to find a job...just too much going on!

I figure we can always take our honeymoon the winter break during second year. Theraball - how nice is it that we have all that VACAY!? I would have picked AZCOM over any other school just for that reason!

Thanks again! And rgerwin - congratulations!!!

 

[Sarikate]

P.S. NO BABIES until at least fourth year! Oh my goodness...I don't even want to think about it...but the biological clock is indeed ticking!

 

[mshheaddoc]

I know many students that get married throughout school. Breaks are the main areas though. But many of them didn't do honeymoons until breaks if they did get married during school. For some peopel the dates were important.