Small Wedding Ideas For an Unforgettable Day

Published:

September 9, 2024

Updated:

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Small weddings, often referred to as micro weddings, have grown in popularity due to their intimate, meaningful nature. With a guest list under 50, a small wedding allows couples to focus on personal details and create a memorable experience for themselves and their loved ones. We've pulled together some great small wedding ideas to help you dream up your ideal day and make it a perfect reflection of who you are as a couple.

It’s important to know that choosing to have a small wedding doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice having an amazing day. Going small allows you to focus on quality over quantity by splurging on the elements of your wedding that are most important to you like having an incredible meal or hosting a destination wedding in a dream location or even hiring that live band you and your partner enjoy seeing together. No matter what you choose to do, remember that this is your day!

Here are 25 small wedding ideas to ensure your day is as special as you imagine. And be sure to keep an eye out for links to other helpful resources throughout the blog!

Choose a Unique, Intimate Venue

One of the biggest perks of a small wedding is that you have more flexibility in venue choice. While a large wedding might require a ballroom or expansive outdoor space, a small wedding opens up so many more options. Consider hosting your wedding in unique, intimate spaces like:

A cozy local café or bookstore
A scenic national park or secluded beach
A private backyard with sentimental value
A historical estate or bed and breakfast
Choose an Airbnb wedding venue

Learn how to find unique wedding venues in your area with our guide.

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✨ Click here to download a copy of the Micro Wedding Planning Checklist & Guide ✨

Ideas for an Small Indoor Wedding

There are so many things you can do if you're having a wedding indoors. Be sure to choose a space that is appropriate for the number of guests you're planning to invite so you can truly take advantage of a cozy, intimate wedding.

Go crazy with gorgeous greenery and florals to upgrade the space
Rent furniture to create intimate spaces for guests to mingle and chat with sofas and armchairs
Use a projector to display images from your life as a couple
Upgrade your space with romantic lighting like candles or disco balls
Turn up the music!

Personalized Guest Experiences for Your Small Wedding

With a smaller guest list, you can focus on creating personalized experiences for each of your attendees. Some ideas for your small wedding include:

Handwritten thank-you notes or personalized gifts at each seat
Custom cocktails named after the guests
A group activity like a guided hike, wine tasting, or boat ride if you’re in a scenic location

Ideas for a Low-Key Wedding

A lot of couples are choosing to have a low-key wedding, prioritizing elements that focus fully on their love story as opposed to putting on a grand affair. Here are a few ways to have a low-key wedding.

Elope or choose a courthouse wedding
Choose only your closest family and friends to celebrate with you
Opt for a short ceremony with only a few key elements
Have a minimony or pop-up wedding

Have a Garden Wedding

Take advantage of the beauty of a garden and save loads on your wedding decor! Whether it's your own garden, a local botanical garden, or the curated gardens of a nearby park this is a great option for nature lovers!

Small Wedding Ideas for Your DIY Decor

Another benefit of a small wedding is that it’s more manageable to DIY many elements. You can infuse your personality into the decor by creating your own centerpieces, table settings, or signage. Some ideas for DIY wedding decor include:

Handcrafted signs and menus
Floral arrangements with flowers from your own garden
Personalized photo displays featuring snapshots of you and your guests

Guests sitting at one long communal table at a micro wedding

You're Invited Italy | My Wedding Dreamers

Choose a Unique Seating Arrangement for Your Small Wedding

Family-style dining is a great idea for your small weddings because it encourages conversation and a cozy atmosphere. Instead of multiple tables, consider having one long communal table where all guests can dine together. This setup fosters a sense of togetherness and allows everyone to interact easily. You could also select to have a u-shaped or curved table set-up, both of which allow for a unique dining experience for your guests.

Host a Weekend-Long Wedding

For couples wanting to maximize time with their guests, consider extending the celebration into a wedding weekend. With a smaller guest list, you’re bound to be able to find a cozy lodge, a boutique hotel, or a beach house where everyone can stay. This is what we did for our wedding and it made the experience so much more memorable.

Have a Backyard Wedding

Backyard weddings are one of the best ways to have a budget-friendly wedding. Choosing a backyard allows you to instantly save thousands. Use your own backyard or borrow a friend or family's space. One of the best thing's I've ever heard of a couple doing is taking their venue budget and upgrading the landscaping in their yard giving them a beautiful space to host their small wedding and a backyard they get to enjoy for years to come!

If you don't have access to a great backyard...

Have an Airbnb Wedding

We chose to have an Airbnb micro wedding and we rented it for an entire week, giving us a place to host our guests from out of town in the days before and after the wedding. Choosing Airbnb or VRBO for your wedding can help reduce costs and allow for greater flexibility with location, vendors, and timelines.

Small Wedding Ideas for Music & Entertainment

While a DJ might be perfect for a large wedding, an intimate celebration calls for something a little more personal. Hiring a live band, an acoustic duo, or even a solo violinist or harpist can set a romantic tone and elevate the atmosphere. For couples with musical talent, performing a song for your guests adds an extra-special personal touch.

Man plays ukeleke for his new wife for their wedding ceremony music

Outshined Photography

Small Wedding Reception Ideas

There are so many ways to incorporate cool micro wedding reception ideas into your wedding. With fewer guests, you have more opportunities to create an interactive reception experience. Instead of a traditional program, try incorporating fun activities that everyone can participate in:

A DIY photo booth with props and personalized backdrops
Custom trivia or games that reflect your relationship
An open mic session where guests can share heartfelt stories or funny anecdotes

Small Wedding Food Ideas

This is for you, foodies! A smaller guest count means you can splurge on higher-quality food and drinks, offering your guests a really cool culinary experience. Food and beverage are likely where you’ll feel the most cost savings–or as I prefer to put it, where you can really make your dollar go further. Some ideas for your small wedding are:

Consider working with a local chef or favorite restaurant to create a custom menu featuring gourmet dishes or local favorites.
Get catering from (or host your entire event at) your favorite local restaurant
If you love cooking, consider cooking for your guests

Other small wedding dinner ideas are setting up different themed stations—like a taco bar, a pasta station, or a gourmet dessert bar—where guests can mingle while choosing their favorite dishes.

Carrie Ann Photography

Personalize Your Ceremony with Custom Vows and Rituals

A small wedding is the perfect setting for a highly personalized ceremony and incorporating some of these ideas can really elevate it. Whether you want to write your own vows, include a cultural or spiritual ritual, or have a close friend officiate, you can tailor every aspect of the ceremony to reflect your unique relationship. Some popular micro wedding ceremony ideas include:

Tree planting
Handfasting
Vows inspired by your favorite movie, television show, or song
Building a bonfire together

Small Wedding Ideas on a Budget

There are a lot of ways you can do a small wedding on a budget. Here are some ideas.

Find a public space like a local park or National Park for your ceremony
Have a courthouse wedding
Cook your own food or have a potluck
Go paperless and use digital invitations
Buy used decor from a site like Wedzee

Ideas for a Small Wedding at Home

Having a wedding at your own home opens up so many opportunities for personalization!

Set up a long family-style table for an intimate dinner
Create a cozy indoor space if weather is a concern
Exchange vows in the garden or backyard
Use seasonal flowers or greenery from your garden
Set up lawn games like cornhole or giant Jenga
Create a photo booth area with props

Have an Outdoor Wedding

My personal favorite—If you’re planning a small wedding during the warmer months, consider hosting your event outdoors. Having a small ceremony opens up options to get married in public spaces like state and national parks, on the beach, or at botanical gardens allowing you to leverage natural beauty as an incredible backdrop for your ceremony.

It’s worth nothing that outdoor ceremonies can happen during all seasons. I’ve seen couples and their guests snowmobile into an incredible location for a one-of-a-kind ceremony where the snowmobiles not only served as transportation, but also as the seating!

Small weddings give couples the chance to focus on what really matters—their love and the people closest to them. By incorporating these ideas for your small wedding, you’ll create an unforgettable, personalized experience that reflects your unique style and fosters a deep sense of connection. Whether you decide to host your wedding at a non-traditional venue, get creative with your decor, or offer your guests a weekend-long experience, the key is to make it your own.

With these ideas in mind, you can transform your small wedding into an extraordinary event filled with lasting memories for both you and your guests. So embrace the intimate nature of a small wedding and start planning your dream day!

Author Bio

Jennie Swenson is a former micro wedding bride, and she now supports countless couples in planning their own intimate celebrations through her blog, featuring real micro wedding stories and a curated vendor directory. Her practical advice and firsthand experience make her a go-to resource for those seeking to create memorable and meaningful micro weddings.