Have a smaller percentage of your guest list, but keep the whole the celebration. Have you been overwhelmed by the thought of gathering 200 plus of your “closest” family & friends together for your wedding day? You can have a reception with just your closest family & friends. But still with all of the things that will make your wedding feel like your personalizes wedding. Incorporate specific preferred options like entertainment, invitations, dinner, white dress, cake, and any other detail important to both of you. Shrinking it down to a cozy, intimate size guarantees you’ll love where your money goes and have tons of memories with “every” single guest. With an intimate wedding there are planning changes to make, details to consider, and a larger budget to work with now with less invited guests. Here are a few small Wedding ideas for an intimate affair.
Keep the Guest List Short
A small wedding is only small if the guest list is as small as possible. Not sure how to cut it down? One handy suggested tip is to look through your text messages and calls, and only invite those you’ve spoken with in the last three months. We speak more often to those who matter most. Another suggestion is would you take this person out for an expensive intimate dinner? Or would you have this person and their guest into your home for an intimate dinner or as a weekend house guest? Thinking about how close your relationships are will help ensure you are truly comfortable with those you surround yourselves with on your intimate wedding day. Of course, other people will want to know you’ve tied the knot. Make a list of those who will want to know the big news, and send out a wedding announcement after the fact.
Alternative Venues Choices
Fewer people on the guest list means you open up your choices to a multitude of different venues when choosing a nontraditional venue. Restaurants are at the top of the list. They’re unique spaces that have everything you need in one place. Just make sure you love everything (the style, the menu, and the existing décor) as being able to change it is less likely. Also recommended are hotel suites, many of which have beautiful indoor and outdoor spaces as well as galleries, gardens, wine bars, and nightclubs. You can have it in an intimate affair in a place that is meaningful to the couple. Family homes can pose many challenges for events with a large guest list, but work well with a smaller group.
Rethink Traditional Options
If you’re still in love with the idea of a space that’s more of an expected wedding venue like a hotel ballroom, museum room, or a dining room at a country club rethink it.
The challenge with a traditional venue is making sure it feels full with an intimate amount of guests and not like a lot of guests didn’t show. Design comes into place here in making a large space feel intimate as you have the opportunity to get really creative with seating and table layouts, as well as adding things like a lounge or creative bars and food stations. Consider an extra-large round table for 20 to fill more space, or mix up how the venue is usually used by having the ceremony where others might have dinner and vice versa. With a smaller group, you can think outside the box about where you host each part of the celebration. Also, when you’re looking at venues, keep the size of your celebration in mind. Privacy is of the utmost importance, especially with a small guest list. Before you book anything, make sure the venue won’t have another wedding at the same time as yours. You really want to feel like you have the place to yourselves.
Traditional venues are full of unexpected spaces that are perfect for smaller celebrations. Consider areas that are often overlooked, like the library of a large historic estate for example.
Know What You Need
Every wedding, no matter the size, will need entertainment, food, a bar, staff, rentals, and some décor. Keep those options in mind as you’re making plans.
Even tho it’s more intimate, it’s a great idea to hire a wedding planner. Even if it’s only for a day of coordinator since you have more of a budget to work with. To have someone there to facilitate the flow of the day. You can enjoy it instead of worrying about whether alcohol or food is running low. Top priority service for any wedding is important but with an intimate celebration, the service should be over-the-top excellent.
Skip What Isn’t Important
As you’re determining the details, decide what is important to you and your partner and skip the things that don’t matter. Many couples choose to skip some of the traditional dancing and other formalities at a small wedding. Know your crowd and replace it with an activity everyone will enjoy. Or keep it in the timeline if your loved ones love to dance. Of course, if you do love dancing, keep the DJ set up or band’s size in mind so not to overwhelm your intimate wedding space. Be sure to hire a simple DJ/MC team or smaller group of musicians. That way you can have the formality of special dances and other formalities without it being over the top.
You can easily skip some of the typical add-ons that couples try to get into their budgets. For example, there’s no need for a photo booth, printed ceremony programs, or wedding favors. You will be spending much more one-on-one time with each guest, so some of those extras aren’t worth the cost.
Splurge Wisely
Your budget will go further with fewer guests, so use those extra funds to really enhance the evening. You can hire live musicians like violinists for your ceremony and a jazz trio to play for cocktails. A top notch photographer is also a great investment. With fewer people at your tables your guests will really relax. That will create an intimate atmosphere. Hire a trusted photographer who will capture the laughter, the tears, and the clinking glasses, etc. since those are the moments you’ll treasure most. You can also upgrade the dinner menu. Make it an indulgent seven-course meal, complete with a choice of fine wines and spirits. Valley says. With an intimate group, you can really personalize every detail of your menu.
