People who are in the military rarely have the luxury of time to plan their wedding. One or sometimes both people are often scheduled for deployment just months from the day they announce their engagement.

An unexpected leave at the holidays also could prompt a quickly arranged wedding.

Navy Capt. Scott Krambeck and Laura Thompson know the drill. They had only five months to plan their wedding with 80 guests on May 10 before heading off for Capt. Krambeck's deployment in San Diego. The couple's small but elegant wedding went off without a hitch, and they didn't spend a fortune. Their experience contains lessons not only for servicemen and women but also for anyone looking to save time and money when they become first mates.

Laura Krambeck says that the best starting place is to make a spreadsheet with how much you would like to spend. Be realistic because certain expenses may be more than you expect. For example, the photography expenses ended up being about three times as much as she expected, although she said Michael Purvis of Purvis Photography was worth every dollar.

She said a smaller wedding is much easier to plan. Smaller reception areas are often easier to book, especially during popular wedding months in spring or early summer. And it's easier to get a head count for a wedding of 100 close friends and relatives than one for several hundred people scattered across the country.

The couple had lived in Chicago and Washington, D.C., but decided to get married in Pittsburgh because Mrs. Krambeck is from California, Pa. They chose LeMont restaurant on Mount Washington for its classy atmosphere and beautiful view of the Pittsburgh skyline.

"We had a lot of people coming from Chicago, and we liked the city feel," she said. "You could see the entire city."

The restaurant's banquet manager took care of all of the details, allowing the couple to drop off everything the day before the event.

A church that feels right for the bride and groom is important, especially because they may need to attend a more condensed series of wedding classes beforehand. Third Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue in Shadyside worked out well for the couple. "It's an old Gothic church that's just beautiful," said Capt. Krambeck. "Laura's Presbyterian and she felt right at home."

Mrs. Krambeck believes she saved money on flowers by going with a small business. At the time of the wedding, Carol Benvenuti of Passion for Flowers was starting her own business and working out of her home in South Park. The couple were very pleased with all of the arrangements, the bride said.

What could be dressier than a man in uniform? Capt. Krambeck saved the cost of renting a tuxedo by wearing his Navy tails with a white vest and bow tie. The groomsmen's tuxedos came from Men's Wearhouse, a national chain that allowed the men to get measured where they live and pick up the altered suits at the Robinson store when they arrived in Pittsburgh.

Mrs. Krambeck bought a $1,000 designer dress from Ultimate Bride in Chicago. She says that one of the best tips she received was to take the dress to a seamstress rather than having the bridal shop do the alterations. She had her dress hemmed for $150.

She also saved by finding a deal on the bridesmaid dresses. A month or so after Christmas, she found $200 black cocktail dresses on sale at Macy's for $40 each. The dresses are very versatile, and one of her bridesmaids has already worn her dress again, she said.

Mrs. Krambeck made her own invitations and programs, which gave her greater control and more flexibility. Using envelopes and paper she found online, she created simple black-and-white invitations tied with a ribbon. To simplify the save-the-date card, she did that by e-mail.

The couple also lined up videographer David Malinaric through the Pittsburgh Professional Videographers Association (www.ppva.org). and a DJ through Big Day Entertainment (412-566-2900 or www.bigdayentertainment.com). But one typical wedding feature they didn't have to worry about was a special knife/server to cut the wedding cake: They used Capt. Krambeck's ceremonial Navy sword.

Now living in San Diego, the couple have fond memories of their wedding day.

"You ask yourself if you complement each other," Capt. Krambeck said. "You want to have fun for the rest of your life."