Have you always dreamed of having a small, intimate wedding with just your immediate family and a few close friends? Did COVID-19 make you rethink your plans for a large wedding? Whether you’ve always wanted a small wedding or you’ve just had to change your plans, we have tips to make your wedding a night to remember.

Why a Small Wedding?

Before you begin planning, it’s important to remember why you’re hosting a small wedding to begin with. Small weddings are great because you can host them on a smaller budget. This gives you more money to spend on a honeymoon or gives you extra money to host a small destination wedding. A smaller wedding means your gathering will feel more intimate and private, and you’ll be able to spend more time with guests. It will also probably be more laid-back and less stressful than a large, extravagant wedding would be.

Budget

Now that you’ve established why a small wedding is the best choice for you, it’s time to establish a budget. Doing this from the very beginning will help you stick to your limits and prevent overspending.

Guest List

Choosing a guest list for a small, intimate wedding is understandably more difficult than planning a large wedding with hundreds of guests. Small weddings typically host about 50 guests or so. This means that you may not invite coworkers and guests may not get plus one’s. You may also decide you want to have a private ceremony, but you will have a larger gathering for the reception.

Find Your Venue

The trick to finding the right venue is to find one that perfectly complements your guest list. It’s a delicate balance of too big or too small. One will make it look like countless guests didn’t show up, while the other will overcrowd guests. Research your options online and schedule tours at the wedding venues you like. If you’re jetting off to a special abroad location, you’ll need to find a venue that has accommodations.

Details

Hosting a small wedding allows you to make some of your own rules. You can forego certain traditions, like a huge wedding party or a large dance. Having a small ceremony may mean there’s some room in the budget for personal, extravagant touches. You may have a mimosa or bloody Mary bar, a meal catered by a celebrity chef, or a film of the day.

When planning a small, intimate wedding, consider you and your guests’ privacy. You may decide to request a ban on photos of social media posts of the gathering.