Although weddings are known as the best day of many adults' lives, almost everyone who has planned a wedding would agree that wedding planning is definitely not fun.
Planning a wedding comes with a lot of stress — from finding a venue, to booking a caterer, to picking a band, to choosing a cake, to deciding on colors — every little detail takes time and effort to plan.
According to CostOfWedding.com, the average wedding in the United States costs over $25,000.
Every little thing takes time to plan, not to mention money to pull everything together. Most couples spend months — sometimes years — planning their dream weddings.
One woman believed all the time and money most people put into their weddings is unnecessary.
So when she got engaged on New Year's Eve, just before the turn of 2016, she and her fiancé decided to get married just five days later, on January 5, 2016.
[H/T New York Times]
On New Year's Eve, Rob Reading proposed to his girlfriend, Emily Hardman.
The couple wanted to tie the knot soon, but they realized they could either get married in five days, or not for another year.
Emily wrote in the New York Times: "Long ago, I became convinced that modern weddings were unnecessarily burdensome. My theory: You could plan a beautiful wedding in a week… We eagerly decided it was T-minus five days to put my theory to the test."
On New Year's Eve, 2015, Emily and Rob were on vacation, planning on going on a hike. They stopped at Walmart to pick up snacks, and while they were there, Rob bought an $8.88 ring.
After he proposed to Emily, Rob and his new fiancée hiked to where they had cell phone service, where Emily called a reception venue and convinced them to rent her the space five days later.
Then she called her family and friends, then the Salt Lake Temple, then two friends who would act as her photographer and stylist.
On New Year's Day, 2016, Emily and Rob went shopping for a ring for Rob, which they found at a mall for $36.
Rob asked his friend to send him his nice shoes, and Emily started looking for a wedding dress.
Next, they found performers and an MC for the reception.
At the end of the day, Rob drove to visit his best friend for an impromptu bachelor party.
On January 2, Emily bought a $10 lace top at the mall, then got on a plane to Salt Lake City.
On the plane, she planned the wedding program, and when she arrived in Utah, she sent the logistics to everyone involved in the wedding.
On January 3, Emily visited the church with her friends, who then did her hair and makeup trial.
On January 4, Emily's mom spent eight hours making a skirt to match Emily's lace top, while Emily spoke with the caterers about the food selection for her buffet.
On the day of the wedding, January 5, Emily's friends did her hair and makeup early in the morning, then Emily and Rob made their way to the temple.
After the ceremony, 100 people showed up at the banquet hall for the reception and celebration.
At the end of everything, Emily and Rob totaled their final cost: $4,500.
They only spent 26 hours planning the wedding, and were absolutely thrilled with their beautiful day.
Do you think you could plan a wedding in only five days? It might seem crazy, but Emily and Rob proved that it's totally doable!
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