Planning Tools, Ideas, & Advice
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For Wedding Pros
If you've been daydreaming about your wedding day, chances are you've stumbled upon the buzz about micro weddings. They're all the rage these days, and for good reason! There are so many benefits to going small: less overwhelm, more venue options, less expense (or more money to go around!), the list goes on and that’s why we’re so passionate about them.
So many couples come into our (free!) Facebook community wondering what a micro wedding is and if it could be a right fit for them, so it only seems appropriate to write a blog to answer these questions!
We’ve linked some of our most popular planning resources throughout the blog so be sure to come back to this one (you can Pin it at the end) as you’re getting into planning.
Let’s dig in!
You might be surprised to learn that a micro wedding is simply a wedding with 50 guests or less. The point of having a micro wedding is to make it intentional and intimate, inviting only your closest family and friends to share in celebrating your special day. Occasionally, people describe these more intimate events as budget-friendly, having a shorter timeline, and less stress to plan, but really it’s all about how many people are in attendance and that’s it!
Micro weddings took off primarily out of necessity during the pandemic and they’ve since become quite the trend. In fact, some predictions say that the smaller format is going to continue to increase in popularity as the years go on. Some quick stats for ya:
We like to say that micro weddings are nothing more than a tiny version of a traditional wedding. These smaller celebrations can still have all the elements that you'd see in a bigger wedding, just with less people.
Get the full guide: How to Plan a Micro Wedding
A lot of people wonder how much a micro wedding costs and this style of wedding is commonly misunderstood to be only for the budget-minded. Micro wedding budgets can be big or small or anywhere in between.
A lot of wedding expenses are headcount dependent, meaning they are based on the number of people and so having less people theoretically means you’ll spend less. I prefer to think about choosing to have a micro wedding as an opportunity to make your money go further. If you have a budget of $25,000, you’ll have a lot more money to spend on things if you’re only hosting 50 people, as opposed to 150.
Check out our full micro wedding costs breakdown when you’re ready to create your budget.
Couples who choose to have a wedding with less than 50 guests still commonly hire all the same wedding pros including photographers, wedding planners, videographers, officiants and more.
Our micro wedding vendor directory is full of wedding pros who love micro weddings.
Choosing a micro wedding opens up so many options for venues. Traditional wedding venues are still totally on the table (just look for the ones that offer packages for smaller events), but also you can look at other unique options if you want. Airbnbs are popular, art galleries, local parks, backyards, State and National Parks, the list goes on.
Get our top tips for finding wedding venues — all the hidden gems.
Most micro weddings follow the same timeline as an average sized wedding, but they can be shorter as well.
Get four micro wedding timeline examples and tips for creating yours.
Ceremonies and receptions for more intimate affairs can include all of the elements of a traditional wedding, or it can be a completely unique spin on what you’ve seen in the past. Do what feels authentic to you. Believe it or not, there are only a few things that are legally required to take place in order for your union to be official.
Find inspiration:
There are several different types of weddings and it’s helpful to understand a little about each to give more context to a micro wedding.
Traditionally, an elopement was thought of as a way for people to become legally married quickly, usually out of necessity. While that reason holds, today, elopements have become a way for couples to have a truly intimate experience, simplifying their wedding day down to just a few key elements. Elopements are commonly confused with micro weddings — depending on who you ask, there’s a lot of overlap in the definitions in terms of guest count. We define elopements as an event without any guests.
You might also hear the term “minimony” thrown around. This term emerged in a big way during the pandemic and it refers to an event somewhere between an elopement and a micro wedding. Some guests, but not as many as a micro wedding. I know, it’s kind of gray.
Many minimonies and pop-up weddings are structured in a way that allows you to just select a date and show up (give or take a few details). They’re a great blend of a stress-free and intimate experience of an elopement while still getting some of the elements of a traditional wedding.
Another wedding format that has gained popularity in the past several years is the idea of a hybrid wedding. A hybrid wedding is a combination of a more intimate celebration, commonly a destination wedding, and a larger reception either immediately after the ceremony or several weeks, months or even years later. This is a great way to be able to celebrate with all the people in your life without having a huge wedding. The one thing to consider with a hybrid wedding is that you may end up with more expenses and more stress than if you were to just throw one big wedding.
Now that you know what a more intimate celebration entails, the big question is, should you have one? TBH, I’m not going to try to sway you because I truly believe that the best thing you can do is have the wedding that you dream of, but I will provide some of my thinking to help you make the decision you feel is right for you.
Here are a few reasons why a micro wedding might just be the perfect fit for you:
With fewer guests, you can connect on a deeper level with each and every person present - aka you will actually have time to spend with all of your guests!
A smaller guest count often means a more manageable budget for your micro wedding, allowing you to allocate your money to the things that matter most to you. It’s important to note that while you can make a micro wedding less expensive it's more about making the money that you do have to spend on a wedding go further. There’s more to go around when you’re not feeding 150 people!
You will have so many options for your small wedding venue. I realize that can sound overwhelming, but trust me it’s the best part as long as you know where to find them. You can even opt for an Airbnb wedding venue!
With fewer logistics to worry about, you can focus on adding personal touches that make the day uniquely yours. Less people = less complexity, simple as that. This allows you to put your focus on the things that matter most by incorporating really cool small wedding ideas into your special day.
Planning an intimate affair can be less overwhelming, giving you more time to enjoy the journey towards your big day. Overwhelm can come in many forms - too many details, too many people, too much to think about - I cringe recalling all of the emotions that came with planning. Going smaller can help in a lot of ways, and using microWED collective as your one-stop-shop for all things planning will definitely help, too!
I can’t think of many downsides to having a micro wedding, but there are a few. First, deciding who gets invited and who doesn’t can be a tricky thing to navigate. Additionally, finding wedding pros and venues appropriate for smaller guest counts can also prove challenging as many spaces and offerings are tailored to an average wedding size which is over 100 guests.
I would say that narrowing down your wedding guest list is probably the most challenging part of having a small wedding. Many people are accustomed to a wedding including the entire family, people from the community, co-workers, and friends and many will expect to be invited, just because that’s been the norm for so long.
No matter how much you try, there is going to be some emotion attached to creating the guest list. It can be very challenging to find the right place to cut it off. My best advice is to put some guidelines around who you want at your wedding and then listen to your heart for the rest.
I noted venue options as a benefit of a micro wedding, but this can also be a challenge. We repeatedly see couples asking for help finding a venue more appropriate for a wedding with less than 20 or 50 guests.
Similar to wedding venues, many wedding pros are set up and priced to serve larger weddings. Technically, you can hire whoever you want but you might end up paying for services and minimums that exceed your needs so you’ll just want to keep an eye out for that. Luckily, we’ve rounded up some great micro wedding vendors that all understand the value of an intimate wedding and will be excited to work with you.
It's essential to clarify that a small wedding is not about limitations or compromises on your dream celebration. It's not about cutting corners or sacrificing what's important to you. Instead, it's an intentional choice to prioritize connection and intimacy over sheer numbers. A micro wedding is not a lesser version of a traditional wedding; it's a reimagining of what a wedding can be, focusing on the heart of the matter: your love story. Just a friendly reminder, and something that is so so important to consider as you decide whether to go micro or not.
Figuring out if a micro wedding is right for you is all about knowing your priorities. Is it the location, the people, the food, the budget? Your priorities are yours to decide and having these nailed down will help you make decisions throughout the planning process.
Whether you're envisioning a grand extravaganza or an intimate gathering, what truly matters is that it reflects your love story. Consider what resonates with you and your partner and make all your decisions through that lens. Be sure to check out our Facebook community to get support from wedding pros and other couples planning a micro wedding!
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