Beautiful weddings come in all shapes and sizes. Some couples choose to elope in a romantic ceremony while others throw extravagant reception parties to celebrate with all of their friends and extended family. There is no ideal number when it comes to wedding guests. Whether you send out a dozen invitation or a few hundred, what’s most important is that you and your fiancé have the wedding of your dreams.
Smaller weddings, also known as “microweddings” are becoming increasingly popular. Microweddings are a cross between an elopement and a big, traditional wedding. While they can be more budget-friendly, many couples are choosing this trend because they feel a more intimate event makes the wedding experience more meaningful.
If a smaller wedding appeals to you, there are many advantages beyond just keeping costs down. Consider these five tips when planning an intimate wedding:
Tip 1: Splurge Where it Counts
Keeping your guest list small means you don’t have to cut corners; you can splurge on everything from the flowers to the food. Invest in stunning custom floral decorations to set the tone and style. Buy the extravagant designer wedding dress you’ve had your eye on ever since he proposed. Go all out with a spectacular gourmet menu that includes your favorite wine or the best champagne. As The Knot says “a four-course dinner for 50 is better than cake and punch for 100.” Indulge in the wedding niceties that make you the happiest.
Tip 2: Trim the Guest List
Narrowing down the guest list is often one of the most stressful parts of planning a wedding, no matter the size. It goes without saying that an intimate wedding means fewer guests to invite, which could potentially lead to even more stress. However, it doesn’t have to. To keep it simple, only ask immediate family and close friends to attend. The key is to send invitations to the people you care most about, not those you feel obligated to include. Be prepared though, there will be those who will be disappointed when they’re left off the list. If you want to minimize hurt feelings, Real Simple Weddings suggests hosting a housewarming or cocktail party after your honeymoon to celebrate with those people who didn’t get to attend your nuptials.
Tip 3: Get Everyone Involved
Having fewer guests at your wedding allows you to spend more quality time connecting with everyone you invite. No long receiving line or rushing from one table to the next with only enough time to say a quick hello. Group pictures are also impossible with large weddings, but an intimate wedding means you can gather all of your guests into one or more fun group photos.
Your guests will feel more a part of the celebration if you enlist their help in making your big day special. Ask for their assistance for everything from ceremony readings to candle lighting. Just make sure to speak with them in advance and fully explain their responsibilities.
Tip 4: Choose a Unique Destination Wedding
No one says your celebration has to be limited to one day. More and more couples are choosing to invite fewer people so that they can extend their festivities to a weekend or a weeklong beach vacation for all of their guests.
Bonus, with fewer guests, you also have more small wedding venues from which to choose. “While it can often be challenging to find venues for larger wedding events, the world’s your oyster when it comes to sourcing more intimate wedding venues.” If your ideal day includes exchanging vows with a breathtaking backdrop of a tranquil beach or bay, consider a Cape Cod small wedding venue. Wequassett Resort not only offers elegant, intimate private events for 20 to 220 guests, but we also serve freshly shucked local oysters and offer other creative services to make your day special.
Tip 5: Keep in Mind, Smaller is not Simpler
Every remarkable wedding is all about the details, but even more so for a small wedding. “Snafus that might have gone unnoticed with 200 people milling around will be painfully obvious with 50 guests and under.” If you want every detail of your dream wedding to be flawless, don’t skip the expense of hiring a wedding coordinator. The last thing you and your fiancé want to be doing on your wedding day is juggling all the little details. Weddings can be overwhelming no matter the size. Consultants will assist you throughout the process to make sure all aspects of planning and organizing are easy and stress-free. Choose a coordinator that has planned weddings at your chosen venue. “It is so important to have somebody who can bring in vendors who are familiar with the space who are familiar with what they’re doing,” says Brides.com.
If you follow these helpful tips when planning an intimate wedding, you and your guests are sure to enjoy memories of your joyous celebration for many years to come. Let us know if we can help you plan the perfect intimate Cape Cod wedding. Simply call (508) 432-5400 or tell us more about what you’re looking for to request information.
