She said yes, but she didn’t say when. A typical wedding takes nearly a year to plan. But these days, with wedding traditions getting a modern twist, nearly anything goes. Some couples are skipping the big event altogether and eloping. Micro weddings are on the rise. And for some, the planning stage is getting simplified — at least, for a few daring souls. 

Take Tim and Kim Gray. The couple tied the knot on Sep. 1, 2024, after only two months of planning. They’d been together for 12 years before Tim finally popped the question. Kim explained, “He’d been married twice before and was super hesitant about doing it again.” She added, “I had taken a brief break to work on myself and help my son, and that time away made Tim realize, ‘Okay, I do want to marry her, and I’m not letting her get away!’ ”

“So once he did ask me, we decided we weren’t going to wait a year to plan a wedding. We wanted it to be within that year since we waited long enough,” Kim laughed.  

But Kim’s first idea was an even speedier option — eloping. “I actually wanted to elope and have a party later,” she said. “But Tim said, ‘This is your one and only wedding, and I want you to have the full experience!’ ” And just like that, wedding planning kicked off at full speed. 

 The dress shop is the first stop  

With a proposal and a ticking clock, Kim quickly got advice from her friends — especially about where to find a dress. Within a week, she had an appointment at Alexandra’s Boutique in Fall River, Mass., and tried on as many dresses as she could in one hour. After a quick search, she found the one, and thanks to the end-of-year timing, she got a great deal. With the dress chosen she moved on to the next item on the list — finding the perfect venue. 

Five Bridge Inn was chosen as the venue rather quickly in the planning process — within two weeks of the proposal. Kim sited Facebook as being her source for finding the venue. According to her, MA & RI Planning and Resale was an incredible tool for her to use in planning such a quick wedding. The couple originally wanted to get married in October, but Sep. 1, 2024 was available at the venue and so the date for the big day was chosen, too.  

Food is one of the most important parts of planning a wedding, as social gatherings center around good food. Another idea that emerged from MA & RI Planning and Resale was catering from Cask & Pig in Dartmouth, MA.  

Kim explained how the menu for the wedding came together quickly, stating, “The first time we went, we tried samples of everything we had picked for the wedding menu and it was all so good, we didn’t need to change anything.” They had it set up buffet style so people could eat as much as they wanted. The menu included chicken, haddock, steak, mac and cheese, potato salad, macaroni salad, cornbread and more.  

“Everyone raved about the food,” Kim said with a sound of success in her voice. She added, “We haven’t been back since the wedding but now I am craving some Cask & Pig.” 

The DJ — who also brought a photo booth — was recommended through the same Facebook group. The photo booth helped make the experience fun for guests and gave them a keepsake, as they could take home a strip of photos.

Photographer Brianna Ritoli, of Ritoli Photography, was a friend’s recommendation. It was a “two-for-one” deal, as the married couple, who would be taking the photos, were able to set up from multiple angles. 

The wedding barn vibe  

Kim wanted things simple. She chose to use wildflowers from a local farm that she placed into glass vases for her seating chart which only enhanced the barn vibe she was going for — and the guest were able to take them home as a souvenir. The other flower arrangements at the wedding were made of wood, colored and assembled by Kim.

The venue they chose was rustic and simple, and came with an added perk — the ability to use anything in the barn left from previous weddings as a part of the decor, free of charge. Kim allowed her made of honor to make the decisions and decorate as she pleased on the day of the wedding. This was the last decision in the planning.  

Kim’s final thought on her streamlined wedding planning: “I totally would have eloped and had a big party like I wanted to, but our wedding was amazing, and people still talk about it to this day when they see us.”