Micro weddings will remain a trend after 2020's gathering restrictions. Intimate weddings celebrate a couple's nuptials. A micro wedding is usually attended by fewer than 50 family members and friends.
In recent years, micro weddings have become increasingly popular, though small weddings are nothing new. It is possible to have a "minimum" that meets safety protocols with 10 or fewer guests.
We appreciate the idea of scaling down guest numbers while maintaining meaningful moments, beautiful design, and thoughtful fare. Micro weddings highlight the details that might get lost in large weddings. You and your most treasured guests can connect in an intimate atmosphere by keeping your big day small.
What is a Micro-Wedding?
There are usually fewer than 50 guests at a micro wedding. On a much smaller scale, they still feature the same time-honored traditions.
What Is the Cost of a Micro-Wedding?
There are many different types of micro weddings, ranging from a small elopement and reception with 12 people or less to an entire ceremony and reception with 50 people or less.
Having a smaller wedding allows couples to spend more time together and immerse themselves in the celebration. Ready to go? Find out which micro wedding elements we've found on eVentGuru to make your small celebration unforgettable.
Micro Wedding Elements
1. Location is Everything
Typically, micro weddings have a guest list of 25 or fewer, so there are no fire codes or seating limitations. Any favorite restaurant or quiet park corner could be used as a venue. Think about places they frequent for happy hour after work or their first date spot. The pandemic drives people to focus on meaningful details over anything aesthetically pleasing. Ensure guests are socially separated by following all COVID-19 guidelines.
2. Get Personal
The intimate nature of micro weddings makes them a beautiful experience. That makes it easy to create unique and personal details for your wedding. Create a whole day by incorporating their favorite colors, foods, movies, music, and activities. Do they often serve wildflowers? Can a bridal bouquet or boutonniere be adorned with a sweet keepsake? Is there a way to capture their relationship in the centerpieces?
Getting creative with the couple is the key here, and you'll have some fun. Love makes a wedding special, not the number of guests. With the correct details, even two can celebrate. When the budget allows, get creative and go above and beyond!
3. Seating Arrangement
Consider getting creative with ceremony and reception seating arrangements if your wedding will be small and in a large venue. Adding a lounge, creative bars, and food stations to an event can make it feel intimate. Making an ample space feel intimate is easy with the right seating and table layout. Think of having the ceremony where other people might have dinner and vice versa, or consider an extra-large round table for 20."
4. Let your Imagination Run Wild
The fewer guests, the less work, the fewer opinions, the lower the budget, and the more options for celebration space. Your wedding opens up unique areas that need to be within reach for larger weddings. It's easy to rent out cafes, restaurants, bars, parks, galleries, or anywhere you'd never thought of. Since they're designed beautifully, you won't have to rent their tables and chairs. Remember those savings when renting an entire space; you'll likely find it cost-effective.
5. Micro Guest List
Yes, it is! A micro wedding has the downside of being unable to invite everyone you want and being extremely restrictive with the guest list. Your wedding can be live-streamed. If you stream your wedding, your guest list instantly expands to hundreds. It's the perfect way to have an intimate wedding without worrying about who won't be able to celebrate with you. eVentGuru lets you find a vendor who can stream your wedding to anyone, anywhere. Live streaming is essential for any small wedding, mainly when people feel left out.
Also Read: How to Incorporate Eco-Friendly Elements into Your Wedding?
6. Handwritten Invites
You may send virtual wedding invitations to your live-stream guests. Still, writing a handwritten invitation to each in-person guest is possible. With this elegant touch, your entire (small) guest list will feel like one big family. Hire a calligrapher to create a traditional invitation suite with a handwritten insert if you need more confidence in your handwriting skills.
7. Invest in a good Photographer
The photography you choose for your wedding may be small, but it can be mighty! The best wedding photographer is worth splurging on if you have the extra budget! Taking pictures from them will make even a small guest list seem large, exciting, and full. eVentGuru can even assist you in finding the right photographer.
8. Create hangout areas
A few hangout spaces for guests to congregate can make a small wedding even more intimate. A lounge area can surround the fire pit, or cornhole boards can be placed there. Mixing people who do not know each other well is a great way to get to know them. Since these are your closest friends and family members, it is wise to facilitate conversations now before they meet at milestone events later in life.
9. Personalize Wedding Favors
Embrace your favorite memories by writing a personal note for each table setting. Your wedding favors can be customized based on the theme if you wish. Make keychains with guests' names and sun signs for your zodiac-themed wedding.
10. Add a theme to your micro-wedding ideas
Having learned about micro weddings, you now have plenty of ideas about how to plan one. It's also easy to customize for each season, how much it costs, and what to do when you have a simple one planned. Consider a backyard or beach wedding as an affordable outdoor theme for your micro wedding.
11. Have a Destination Wedding
Think outside the box - so why not outside the country? You can elope aboard with just a few of your closest friends and family (where travel is safe). With a destination wedding, you'll have more budget to spend on activities and pay for meals and accommodations during your guests' stay. Besides, your honeymoon is already underway! Spain, France, or Greece has scenic villas and small hotels you can rent. If you prefer, you can have your wedding on an island in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean at a boutique guest house.
12. Incorporate Family Heirlooms
You'll find that small weddings feel very personal and that including some family history makes it even more meaningful. It would be lovely to serve your wedding breakfast on your grandparents' wedding china or placemats or display their wedding photos at your venue. A wedding bouquet can be adorned with an antique brooch, bracelet, or rosary. You can also wear a dress, veil, or jewelry from the family.
13. Embrace Bold Colors and Patterns
When you decorate with dark colors, your venue will appear smaller, while when you decorate with white, it will appear brighter and airier. The best way to draw the eye is with patterns and bold colors. Adding floral patterns, bright or neon hues, chevrons, stripes, or geometric shapes to a space adds visual interest, energy, and dimension. Bright colors will catch your eye, so make them the focal point, such as your table runners, wedding cake, floral arch, and centerpieces.
14. Choose a Cake Alternative
A wedding cake (even a small one can be frozen in layers) is nice, but you may prefer something more social and fun. You can make an interactive display with churros to dip in chocolate sauce or even a candy floss machine to give guests something sweet to eat when they are craving something sweet. Stacking sweet treats like donuts and brownies is another excellent way to provide guests with something sweet when they feel like it.
Also Read: What Makes an Outdoor Venue Ideal for a Fall Wedding?
Conclusion
Your original wedding plans might include something other than a micro-wedding. Still, it can offer a romantic way to commemorate a date near and dear to your heart. Our planning tips and ideas will help you create a special day that you'll remember forever with a smaller-scale version of your original ideas.