Whether you have a small family, a minimal budget or you simply crave the no-nonsense vibe of a smaller event, it’s a very appealing idea for a wedding day. A small wedding is usually one that has 50 or fewer guests, and it allows for a more intimate day, often also coming in at a lower cost. If you’re considering having a micro wedding, read on for our small wedding ideas and tips!
- Treat Your Guests Like VIPs – With a small guest list, you can really make every person in attendance feel special in a way that is much more complicated with a larger wedding. Look into more in-depth food and drink offerings. Consider upping your favors, creating something customized specially for each person. Whatever way you choose to do it, make certain that the guests that are present truly understand how important they are to you and your new spouse.
- Consider Hiring a Planner – When you have hundreds of guests milling around, the details are more likely to go unnoticed. With a smaller group, your wedding will be on full display! For that reason, it can make much more sense to hire a planner who can make sure that the details all go off without a hitch, just as you expect them to.
- Make Your Guests Part of the Celebration – A smaller wedding means that your guests can all be physically close to you throughout the big day. Take advantage of that by having them all encircle you for your first dance, asking each guest to read a line of a prayer during your ceremony or even requesting someone from each table to give their best advice for a long and happy marriage.
- Shop Around for a Venue – The fewer people in attendance, the more venue options you have! Before you run down to your local hotel or public hall, look into other places where you might want to have your small wedding. Restaurants, rooftop bars, a community garden or even a backyard are all in reach when you have an intimate guest list.
- Explain Your Wishes to Friends and Family – One of the hard parts about having a small wedding is that you might be letting people down who expected to be invited. Instead of letting that cloud your joy about the big day, explain the situation to them early and honestly. There still might be some hurt feelings, but being upfront about your wishes for your wedding day is the best way to go.
- Send Out Wedding Announcement Cards – Much easier and less expensive than having a large wedding, send announcement cards out after your big day! Choose your favorite photo from the celebration, and include a comment about the intimate nature of your wedding day.
- Create a Registry – No matter how many people are actually in attendance, it’s still important to set up a registry. Include more items than there are invitees, that way your guests have plenty of options to choose from, and in the event that someone who doesn’t get an invitation still wants to get you a gift, you have a place to direct them.
- Make it a Destination Wedding – Should the option be available to you, it might be fun to have a wedding at a destination location. With only your closest friends and family in the mix, doing so is much more reasonable than with a 100-plus guest list.
- Get a Group Photo – Almost impossible with a large guest list but completely manageable with a small wedding, be sure to have your photographer get a picture with everyone in attendance! It’ll be a great memory of your big day and each person who spent it with you.
- Consider an Off-Peak Time – Without the constraints of a large guest list, you can more easily go for an off-season wedding day or even hold the event on a weeknight. Vendors and venues will be less busy, and you’re much more likely to get a deal.
Having a small wedding doesn’t make your big day any less special and, in fact, the intimacy between you and your guests can actually make for a much more memorable experience. Whether you want to keep costs down or you just feel more comfortable with a smaller group, definitely consider a small wedding when you’re beginning to plan your nuptials.
Erika focuses on email marketing, copywriting and merchandising at Zazzle, but she has a secret obsession with all things wedding! During the week you can find her writing punny subject lines while also pinning the latest wedding trends, and outside of the 9-5, she is usually cheering on the San Jose Sharks, reading a good murder mystery, or hunting for the best Philly Cheesesteak in the Bay Area.
