COVID might have started this trend, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t here to stay…
Micro weddings offer benefits that large weddings simply cannot. This isn’t a case of one option being better than the other, but it is definitely a fact that micro weddings aren’t any less of a celebration just because of their smaller guest list.
Micro weddings are about two things: intimacy, and intentionality. These weddings are perfect for couples who want something different, who enjoy thoughtful details, and who want to prioritize the environment on their big day.
A smaller guest list immediately reduces costs, waste, and carbon footprints, and all that reduction affords couples maximum freedom to choose how they’ll allocate their resources to create their perfect day. More freedom means more space for creativity, more thoughtful choices, and more opportunities for highly personal, intimate touches. Micro weddings truly allow couples to throw a wedding unlike any other, which is why we think this may be the wedding-style of the future, even if it took a pandemic to see it.
Here are some of our favorite options to help you maximize your micro wedding:
1. Start with the venue.
Micro weddings allow you to get married just about anywhere, opening up a host of venues that simply couldn’t accommodate a larger guest list.
Galleries. Boats. Recording Studios. Greenhouses. Rooftops. Coffeeshops. Back Yards. State or National Parks. Country houses. Airbnb rentals. Just about any place you can think of—any place you dream of going, or any spot that is special to you or the history of your relationship—can accommodate a micro wedding.
Choosing a surprising or revelatory location is the first step in creating your perfectly personal day.
2. Consider Prolonging Dinner
Micro weddings allow you to spend spend your day with only your nearest and dearest. The smaller guest list means you’ll all be able to sit together at one family-style table.
Take advantage of this quality time with your loved ones by providing a drawn-out, multi-course, tasting-style dinner. Have wine pairings, and let your guests relax and commune the way we all dream of doing.
COVID means many restaurants are closed. Ask a favorite local chef to cook on-site, and feel even better knowing your money is going to a small business that likely needs the boost.
Let your meal tell part of your story. Was your first trip together to Spain? Have a tapas course.
Was your first date a concert, followed by stuffing your faces at the taco truck just outside? Yep. Have a high-end taco course, and let your friends and family feel included in the story of you.
3. Keep the Emphasis on the Moment by Hiring Live Musicians
Hiring live entertainment puts an emphasis on the moment in a way that DJ’s cannot. Live music is organic. It’s responsive. No two performances are exactly the same, and that mystique creates an atmosphere that feels irreplaceable, that reminds guests that this day, this exact moment, will never happen again. It could only happen here, now, with these people, for this wedding. Prioritizing that which is live and organic is a surefire way to make your day feel entirely unique.
As an added bonus, just like hiring a local chef, hiring live musicians allows you to help a sector of people who’ve been hit hard by pandemic-related closures. This is the sort of intentionality that micro weddings allow, and it is part of why we can’t get enough of them.
4. Splurge on Décor, and Pampering Guests
Since you’ve restricted your list to just your nearest and dearest, these are people you know well, and will feel happy to pamper. Make the most of these close relationships by splurging on memorable décor and personal touches.
You can go big on flowers without blowing your budget. Create enough table displays for every guest to bring home an arrangement.
If your ceremony is outside, provide a blanket on the seat of every guest. Not only will a blanket make a long-lasting keepsake, but it will also create gorgeous wedding photos for you.
Micro weddings are an opportunity to make every moment personal. The small guest list means nothing you do has to be mass-produced or generic, so enjoy creating thoughtful details. Your guests will feel that much more special for being included in something so beautifully personal.
5. Hire a Photographer or Videographer
You’ve put so much thought into every detail; it’s worth having a professional photographer there to capture them all. With a smaller guest list, you’ll have no trouble getting stunning pictures of everyone present. Those high-quality images can make great gifts. Having beautiful pictures also allows you to share the day with those people you couldn’t invite.
If you are someone who’s throwing a micro wedding now but plan to have a big party later, don’t skip the videographer. A videographer will capture your vows, first dance, cake cutting, or any other choice moments, and that material can be shown at your big party months from now. Our favorite way to use this footage is as décor, by projecting it onto the walls of the venue. This is a wonderful way to help all your guests feel like they’ve witnessed your wedding, even if they weren’t actually there for your intimate ceremony.
6. Skip the Wedding Party
Instead of thinking you don’t have a wedding party, at a micro wedding, everyone can feel as special as the wedding party. You can drive this point home by asking everyone to wear shades of the same color, coordinating your guests the same way you would your bridesmaids. Or, you can offer every guest a corsage, or even a keepsake piece of jewelry, like an affordable pendent necklace or stud earrings, upon arrival.
No matter how you do it, micro weddings offer a democratized affair, wherein every guest is certain to feel special just for having a place in your day.
The maximum freedom of a micro wedding extends to wedding traditions. When you aren’t trying to fulfill so many people’s expectations, you can decide which elements of a traditional wedding to keep, and which to throw away.
The elimination of a bridal party, for example, eliminates the need to allocate so many hours of the day to getting ready. It might mean you don’t have to wake up quite so early, or it might allow you and your betrothed to take your final breakfast together as fiancées, before you become married life partners. Sometimes, eliminating certain traditions eliminates drama and hype, and offers a more relaxed pace to the wedding day.
At a micro wedding, a couple is certain to have time for one another, and time to themselves. Both are imperative to truly enjoying one’s special day.
All the beauty. All the meaning. But with the time and space to breathe. That is the brilliance of a micro wedding.
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