Tips on how to Plan a Micro Wedding ceremony

 Are you wondering how to plan a micro wedding? 

Planning a wedding for a lot of guests can be very overwhelming. Not only that, you might not want to have a big wedding with a long guest list and, you don’t have to.  You can have a smaller, more intimate wedding with your closest friends and family. This is called a micro wedding and there are many good reasons to have one.  

In this article, we’ll share with you all the benefits of having a micro wedding and show you how to plan one so you can have a wonderful, unforgettable day despite the smaller guest list. 

What is Considered a Micro Wedding? 

Less than two years ago, the average number of guests at a wedding was 131. The year before, it was 136. This number has dropped by more than 20 in the last 13 years, which shows that the trends are slowly changing. 

And it doesn’t come as a surprise. Large weddings with hundreds of guests usually mean you need to spend a lot of money on the event, and the whole planning process can be quite stressful both for the bride and the groom. Lately, more and more people opt for low-key weddings with fewer guests at less extravagant venues. 

So, a micro wedding is a small, intimate ceremony with no more than 30 guests. In many cases, the number of people at the wedding is closer to 20, and even 10. Although big wedding parties do have their perks and many people enjoy them, others prefer to celebrate their special day with only the closest of family and friends.  

The Benefits of Having a Micro Wedding 

There are plenty of good reasons to have a micro wedding. 

1. Less Money 

As mentioned, you will have a maximum of 30 people at your wedding ceremony and reception. That means you don’t need to spend a fortune to pay for an expensive venue where all the guests can fit, not to mention all the other expenses that come with an extensive guest list. You could redirect the money into a romantic honeymoon getaway or buy a home for the family you’re about to start. 

2. Less Stress 

Huge weddings typically involve many details that need your attention. Where’s everybody going to sit? What will the ceremony look like? Who’s going to do what? And it’s not just about the organization – on the big day, you’ll need to be able to devote enough time to each of your guests.  

3. More Personalization 

When you only invite 10 or 20 people to your wedding, chances are you know them very well. That means personalized thankyou cards or gifts and other thoughtful details that will make your friends and family always remember your wedding day. 

4. More Creativity 

With a smaller wedding, you have more room to improvise and add a dash of fun and laughter to your day. Want to hold the ceremony in your backyard dressed up as your favorite superhero characters? Why not? Want to take a trip to the Bahamas and get married on the beach? Let’s go! A wedding with a shorter guest list has fewer limitations than a huge ceremony with 300 guests. 

5. Less Waste 

Are you trying to be eco-friendly? Well, a smaller venue means less electricity spent, and fewer guests definitely mean less waste. You can make plenty of wedding elements environmentally safe, like DIY decorations where you can even use recycled materials. The thank-you gifts could also be made of natural and organic materials  

6. More Money for Memories 

Are you the one to appreciate moments and experiences more than stuff? You’ll surely want to have the best-quality photos and videos from your wedding day. Suppose you save money by ditching exclusive venues and going for something smaller. In that case, you can spend a bit more on professional photos. 

Planning Your Own Micro Wedding 

So, you’ve made up your mind – you want a micro wedding! Congratulations – now that you’ve made the decision, you can start planning the special day. And in the following sections, you’ll find some valuable tips on how to plan a micro wedding and make it a fun and enjoyable experience. 

Trimming Your Guest List 

When you set up a budget for your micro wedding, the first thing to go through is the guest list. 

A micro wedding should involve only your closest friends and family members. That can mean your and your future husband’s parents and siblings (and, potentially, kids) and the best man and maid of honor. A wedding with 30 guests may allow for a few more close relatives and a few more friends from both sides. 

It’s also important to let everyone invited know that you’re planning a micro wedding. That way, you’ll avoid a potentially unpleasant situation where a guest thinks they can bring a plus one. 

Selecting the Ideal Venue 

When it comes to the venue, the first question is – will it be indoors or outdoors? If you choose an outdoor wedding, which can be truly beautiful, you should have a backup plan. Even if you’re getting married in summer, the weather conditions can sometimes be quite unpredictable. 

However, the good news is that you have more options with a micro wedding. If you’re having the ceremony in your backyard, it’s pretty easy to move everyone inside your house if it starts raining. And some brides even enjoy saying “I do” and dancing in the rain! 

If you want an indoor wedding, a micro version is also an advantage. You won’t need to worry about finding a big enough venue to welcome all your guests. There are plenty of beautiful restaurants that can receive up to 30 people, so your options are practically endless. And if you have an unconventional wish, like getting married in an art gallery, you probably have more chances to make it come true. 

One more advantage of having a micro wedding: it’s much easier to create a playlist to satisfy everyone’s taste in music! 

Hiring A Pro Wedding Planner 

If you’re going micro with the guest list, it doesn’t mean you can’t hire a professional to plan everything. A wedding planner takes charge of different tasks you don’t have the time to complete, or you just don’t feel like doing. For instance, looking for potential venues or catering services, hiring a photographer, sending out invitations, and more. 

(Outside the) Box Invitations 

Sure, you can send out the invitations using WhatsApp since we’re talking about your closest friends. But why not create a beautiful souvenir that your friends and family can keep after the wedding? Wake up your creative flair and consider different colors, formats, and materials. 

For example, you could send the invitations as gift boxes or photo albums. How about a photo frame or a classic paper invitation but with the caricatures of you and your groom? You can pair your invitations with the wedding theme if you have one, but consider keeping it a secret until the very day of the wedding – it would be a lovely surprise for your guests. 

An Intimate and Emotional Ceremony 

As you’re having an intimate ceremony, don’t neglect the importance of having the right person to officiate. You might decide to make it more personal by choosing someone from the church you’ve been going to since you were a child. A personal choice like this can enhance the feeling of closeness for your small wedding. 

Think about where you want the ceremony to be held. It doesn’t have to be at the same place where you’ll have the reception. Couples usually choose a small church, the City Hall, or even their backyard, especially if that’s where they’re having the party later. 

Attire or a Costume? 

A micro wedding is a perfect opportunity for a casual wedding. Or a creative one! Big weddings are usually reserved for formal attire, long dresses, and tuxedos. But a small ceremony allows you to dress as Wonder Woman if that’s what you want. 

The main reason why many couples might have a “theme” for their micro wedding is that they’re close to everyone attending. It’s easier to convince your mom and dad to dress a certain way than a distant relative you see every five years. 

Your Wedding Dress 

Big weddings typically mean big dresses. There’s nothing wrong with being a Cinderella at your micro wedding, either. Still, a small, intimate ceremony is an excellent occasion for being a unique bride. Are you more of a knee-length-dress kind of girl? How about a vintage one? 

Puffy dresses aren’t a must anymore, and with the trends continually changing, you might want to go through your Pinterest feed before you go on the dress hunt. As for the colors, you don’t even have to wear a white dress. We’ve seen brides wearing breathtaking red dresses, delicate pink ones, or dreamy lavender-colored gowns. 

And don’t forget about other elements of your wedding look such as a beautiful hairstyle and makeup. A few discrete pieces of jewelry other than your wedding and engagement rings can add beautifully to the final look. 

Perfectly-Matching Rings

Wedding Rings are one of the essential elements of your wedding. After all, it’s something you’ll probably be wearing for the rest of your life. That means you need to make sure you’re in love with the ring before you make a purchase. 

It all starts with your proposal, of course. Hopefully, the groom knows you well, and he has chosen a unique, perfectly-fitting engagement ring for you. It doesn’t matter if it’s a shiny diamond or a one-of-kind Victorian gem! 

Micro wedding or not, a wedding ring should have sentimental value. You may opt for silver wedding rings instead of golden or platinum ones and use the rest of the wedding ring budget to get the rings engraved with your special date or each other’s names.  

Flowers Everywhere 

Don’t forget about the decorations! If you’re into DIY stuff, you can ask for help from your bridesmaid(s) and create your own ornaments and flower decorations for the tables and the rest of the venue. 

Flowers and lights are the two choices you can never go wrong with. Be witty and use the Christmas lights to decorate your backyard. You can place flowers everywhere to create a romantic atmosphere, and set up wonderful scenery for gorgeous wedding photos. 

Livestreaming 

This is a pretty much 21st-century wedding detail. Your grandma probably couldn’t have imagined a live stream of her wedding day but, times have changed. Maybe you’re only opting for a micro-wedding because you don’t want a huge gathering due to the pandemic. If so, you can hire someone to be in charge of live streaming the ceremony so everyone you love can enjoy it even if not physically there. You can also keep the recording for you and your spouse to watch weeks, or even years, later. 

Whether you decide to live stream your wedding or not, another option is to record a regular video. You probably have a friend who is tech-savvy and can create an incredible wedding video and if not, you can hire a professional.  

Photos 

After the formal photos are taken you can let your imagination run wild. Get creative and take the most original wedding photos anyone’s ever had! Hiring an experienced photographer means you’ll never run out of ideas, and you’ll probably be blown away by the result. 

And don’t forget to take selfies, either. Those photos always turn out the most spontaneous ones and capture the best moments of the party. 

Food and the Cake 

If you’re having the wedding reception at a restaurant, you don’t need to get too involved in the food matters. All you have to do is come up with a menu with the restaurant manager’s assistance. However, if you’re having the party at your house or another venue where food isn’t provided, you’ll want to consider catering. Make sure you ask your friends for recommendations when choosing a catering service. 

Another food-related advantage of having a micro wedding is that, since only the people closest to you will be there, you can personalize the menu even more. You can consider likes, dislikes, preferences and allergies. Selecting the menu will be a piece of cake. 

Speaking of cake, do you know how big it should be? Wedding planners say a one-tier cake is enough for a wedding with up to 30 guests if the slices are standard-sized. Of course, you may opt for a two-tier cake and make the tiers smaller, as two-tier cakes may look more beautiful and offer more decoration options. 

Final Thoughts

Before you start reading all the tips on how to plan a micro wedding, make sure it’s really what you want. Talk to your significant other and make this decision together, without anyone else meddling. It’s YOUR big day, and although you’ll want the guests to have a great time, the most important thing is that the future newly-weds are happy with the celebration. 

A micro wedding doesn’t mean you can’t have the time of your life. It actually gives you a chance to tailor your special day to your and your beloved one’s preferences and dreams.