bridal favors: Plan a Great Wedding at the Last Minute

When Raissa Wilson got engaged to the man of her dreams this past winter, they began to plan a fall wedding. Then they got devastating news: Her fiance, Stean Maas, a captain in the Marine Corps, was being called back to duty. "He's just amazing. He's just the kindest, most wonderful person," she said. "Our original wedding plans were to get married in Washington, D.C., in October. We got a phone call from the Marine Corps saying, 'We need you to go to the American Embassy in Kenya.'" With all their previous plans in disarray, Wilson had to move the event up to July, leaving six weeks to assemble her perfect wedding. "My first reaction probably was, 'I can't believe this is happening,'" she said. "I don't have a dress. I don't have a cake. I don't have flowers and I have no idea what to do about it." Know Where to Shop "Good Morning America" and Bride's magazine gave Wilson a crash course in throwing a last-minute wedding. The first stop was at a wholesale flower market where Wilson was encouraged to get creative and focus on her favorite colors. "Let's find things that appeal to you color-wise and let's use that as a building block," said Maria McBride, a wedding stylist for Bride's magazine. "When you choose flowers that are in season, you're getting things that look great but you're getting a much better price for your flower, too." Next, McBride and Wilson went to a bridal fantasy suite where Wilson satisfied her sweet tooth. The hottest trend in wedding cakes is personalization with customized cookies. Wilson and Maas' initials were painted in military colors; small button-looking cookies carried the Marine Corps eagle insignia. "Cookies make also … really fabulous favors. You can just put a few together in a little cellophane bag. That's really charming," McBride said. Copyright © 2006 ABC News Internet Ventures