Small Wedding Venues

Find Your Perfect Small, Intimate Wedding Venue

Having a micro wedding opens up so many opportunities for your wedding location, but finding the perfect one can feel overwhelming. When planning my wedding, this (super important!) planning activity gave me the most heartache by far, which is why I'm providing tons of resources to help you find the perfect wedding venue for 50 guests or less with ease.

What is Considered a "Small" Wedding

Generally speaking, a small wedding is anything with less than 50 guests. You'll see weddings of this size referred to in a lot of different ways: small wedding, micro wedding, intimate wedding, minimony, and elopements are all used to describe smaller events. And depending on who you're talking to, they all come with different definitions of guest count. As if wedding planning isn't hard enough 😅

What to Look For in a Small Wedding Venue

There are a few things that make looking for an intimate space a little unique. The average wedding size in the US is a little over 100 guests so you can probably guess that a lot of venues are optimized for weddings of that size, give or take. The good news is, there are a ton of fantastic options for weddings with 50 guests or less, you just have to know where to look for them (enter ... all of the venue finding resources found on this page!). Here are some things you'll want to pay attention to as you embark on your search.

Capacity

Not only do you want to ensure the space will hold your entire guest list, but you may also want to consider whether it is too big! While there are exceptions (like outdoor weddings), I recommend choosing a space with a capacity close to your planned guest count. Using a space with a capacity that far exceeds your wedding size can make your event feel smaller as opposed to cozy and intimate. Additionally, it may cost more than needed for things like rental fees and decor.

Packages or Offerings for Small Weddings

So many venues offer excellent wedding packages for intimate events. Here are the things you'll want to pay attention to:

• Guest count—how many guests are included in the price
• Inclusions—what comes with the package. I've seen "all-inclusive" packages that don't include things you'll likely want, like a photographer or cake, so be sure to clarify with the host before signing your contract.

Other Helpful Resources

• 50 Questions to Ask a Wedding Venue
• How to Find a Unique Wedding Venue
• How to Find Airbnb Wedding Venues
• Get our exclusive Micro Wedding Venue Planner which includes all of the above, plus:
  • Our proprietary 5-step process to uncover all the best micro wedding locations across the US with ease
  • Airbnb Wedding Venue Guide
  • Micro Wedding Directory List
  • Over 100 unique wedding location ideas
  • Google search guide
  • Plus, tons of printable worksheets and interactive Excel templates to help you stay totally on top of every detail (even on the go!)