Many couples with one or both in the Armed Services who get engaged often find themselves in a time crunch to pull together the perfect wedding before a deployment.  Obviously, the first thing you should do if you find yourself in this situation is to find a wedding planner in your area.  They will be able to help find fabulous available vendors and work some magic to make your wedding appear polished even under a strict deadline. 

Here are some general tips to get you started:

Details: Make a List & Prioritize

Make a list of everything that would typically be needed for a wedding and put them in order of importance to you and your fiance.  Nix the bottom 3-5.  That's 3-5 details you won't need to worry about and since they're not important to you, you won't even miss them.  Then, tackle the big 3, Venue, Gown, Photography.

Date: Keep an Open Mind

If you only have 6 months to plan your wedding, approach your preferred Venue, Caterer, and Photographer with an open mind, but give them a range, such as "anytime in December."  At this point you'll have to work with their availability.  Again, a wedding planner can help you coordinate this.  Once you book them, then you'll have your wedding date set and can move on to invitations and other vendors.

Gown: Don't Buy Online!!!

Under no circumstance should you ever buy your wedding gown online, especially from somewhere overseas.  I cannot stress this enough!  Weddings gowns always look differently on a bride than they do on a hanger.  Always.  The best thing to do is visit a few bridal salons and let the consultant know you are only interested in sample gowns for sale.  Trust a professional consultant to pull gowns in your price range and close to your size so you'll get the perfect gown, you'll need minor alterations, and it'll be aisle-ready in time.  If the timing is right, you might even be able to catch a wedding gown give-away.  Visit Brides Across America for details.

Venue: All-Inclusive is Best

If you can find an all-inclusive venue that includes catering, flowers, and linens that you love, it will save you tons of time.  Some also include a wedding cake, centerpieces, and/or transportation for the bride & groom.  An outdoor or beach wedding may seem like a faster, less expensive option, but it can actually turn into a logistical nightmare and cost more in the end.  What if it rains?  Where will guests use the restroom?  Will a strong gust blow sand onto the wedding cake?  There are tons more potential issues that will need to be considered and when your wedding in only a few months away, you won't have time to address every possible catastrophe (unless you hire a wedding planner).

Peripheral Events: Combine, Postpone, or Eliminate

There's no reason that you shouldn't enjoy all the peripheral celebrations that surround the wedding, but when you're on a time crunch, it may not be logistically possible to include all your friends & family on such a short notice.  Don't fret!  You have some options.  You can combine a bridal shower & bachelorette party.  You can nix any that aren't important to you, like an engagement party.  Or you can postpone one until after the wedding, like a Sunday brunch with your out-of-town guests.  You could coordinate a separate get-together with them as their schedules allow and they'll be thrilled that they can still celebrate with you.  It might even be more relaxed and enjoyable without the deadline of the wedding looming over you and you'll have more time to spend with them.