More popular than ever, micro weddings aren’t just reserved for vow renewals and anniversaries. The trend has caught on like wildfire over the previous couple of years as couples shout from the rooftops that this kind of intimate wedding means chances are you’ll have the option to skip much of the seemingly countless planning that comes with a giant celebration. With more flexibility, hosting small-scale nuptials also means you may have more opportunities so as to add a private touch. When you’re short on inspiration, here’s a take a look at some dreamy micro wedding ideas to think about on your big day.
Micro Weddings 101
These intimate events typically embrace the identical details and goings-on you’d find at a standard wedding, but they accomplish that on a smaller scale — and with a smaller price tag. Micro weddings are sometimes shorter and simpler, and the vibe generally is a bit more relaxed. With a guest list that typically tops out at 50, couples often limit attendance to their best friends and immediate members of the family.
Though micro weddings are continuously confused with minimonies and elopements, all three celebrations are quite different. Elopements are frequently limited to the couple, an officiant, and a witness or two, while minimonies can include around 10 people at a ceremony and typically precede a much bigger event planned for a future date.
A micro wedding, nevertheless, is only a smaller version of a standard wedding. And while the worth tag of that larger celebration often lands somewhere north of $25,000, a micro wedding budget can drop right down to $10,000 or less.
So in the event you’re occupied with a micro wedding, rest assured that while the guest list could also be scaled back, the celebration is just as big as ever. Listed here are 35 micro wedding ideas to assist you to plan a day that’s as grand because it is memorable.
Micro Wedding Ceremony Ideas
1. Exchange vows at a neighborhood or national park
From lush greenery and colourful flowers to gorgeous rock formations, local and national parks provide beautiful, scenic backdrops for micro weddings. These venues often have guest limits which are strictly enforced, which makes them great for smaller celebrations, but just don’t forget to secure a permit.
2. Try your local botanical garden
Botanical gardens have each indoor and outdoor spaces which are perfect for micro weddings. As an additional advantage, the scenery is already awash in flowers, so you may skip the florist if budget is a priority.
3. Discover a heritage home
Historic mansions and buildings are a wonderful method to get the intimate feeling of a house wedding without the foot traffic through your front room. Plus, you’ll have the option to take in all of the nostalgia of the past while getting into your future. When you do your homework, chances are you’ll have the option to seek out an option that gives overnight accommodation packages to deal with your whole guests for a full weekend of celebration.
4. Return to a scenic spot in your hometown
Many towns have an unofficial special day spot where folks go to commemorate life’s biggest events, from graduations to proposals — so why not your wedding? That town square, fountain or gazebo has been a backdrop for a lot of beloved memories, so check with city officials about hosting your small nuptials there (just be prepared for a number of unofficial guests because it’s a public space!).
5. Book a neighborhood beach
Nobody says it’s worthwhile to plan a destination wedding to exchange vows on the sand. When you’re lucky enough to have one a hop, skip and a jump away, local beaches are a wonderful micro wedding venue because of their smaller headcount capacities.
6. Say “I do” with a rooftop view
Whether or not they offer a glimpse of a midday skyline or a night cityscape with twinkling lights within the background, rooftops almost scream “micro wedding venue.” A location high above town streets only adds to the intimate vibe of your big day.
7. Write your individual vows
Intimacy is on the forefront for micro weddings, and nothing says intimate like DIY vows. And in the event you’re feeling just a little shy, just do not forget that you’re surrounded by your nearest and dearest. You and your other half should be at liberty to wear your hearts in your sleeves.
8. Take it to the farm
If warm, rustic vibes and lovely scenery top your list of must-haves, contact a neighborhood family farm and take the celebration there. In case you were wondering, the white and pink blooms that cover almond trees in late winter and sensible apple blossoms within the spring and summer are incredible photo ops.
Micro Wedding Reception Venue Ideas
9. Book a non-public room at a winery
With lush vineyards within the backdrop, wineries are gorgeous wedding venues — oenophile or not. With a smaller guest count, you’ll have your pick of spots for celebrating after saying “I do.”
10. Borrow a backyard
Whether it’s the one you grew up with or one you’ve admired from afar, backyards are charming venues for micro weddings. You’ll be able to DIY every aspect to boost the intimacy of your big day.
11. Arrange seating in a circle
The aim of a micro wedding is to share your big day with those you’re keen on essentially the most, so there’s no sense in seating your favorite aunt on the opposite side of the room. To spice up the sensation of togetherness, try arranging the seating on your reception in a circle.
12. Try a neighborhood brewery
Wedding inspiration can come from anywhere, and in case your love of craft beer inspires dreams on your wedding day, then so be it. With craft beers on tap and many rustic vibes, your local brewery is price a more in-depth look. While your guest list could also be small, a sprawling brewery will afford you that way more space for a dance floor.
13. Dine at your favorite restaurant
To maintain the vibe casual and feel comfortably at home, rent out a room in your favorite restaurant. These establishments often have private dining rooms that they hire out for such occasions — catering and staff included.
14. Hire a band
A micro wedding could liberate your budget enough for a splurge on live music. Plus, with a shorter event time than a standard wedding, it might make the worth tag more palatable.
Decor Ideas
15. Upgrade your invitations
By buying dinner for 50 people as a substitute of 200, you may liberate your budget or redirect your funds toward upgrades that basically make a difference. One upgrade which may be worthy of a more in-depth look is your invitations. Not only do they set the tone on your wedding, but they make great keepsakes, too. Bargain invitations may not look so great in your shadow box 20 years down the road.
16. Personalize your wedding favors
Like invitation upgrades, you may also redirect extra funds toward personalized wedding favors — everyone likes keepsakes with their name emblazoned across the front. With a smaller guest list, you may consider options starting from engraved wine glasses or luggage tags at hand painted coasters.
17. Take a bunch photo
By design, micro weddings and their condensed guest lists open up possibilities that giant events just can’t accommodate. Working example: group photos. With fewer guests to assemble around, you may snap more photos with the entire gang which are great to post in your wedding website or print as thanks cards.
18. Let your family members be your photographers
Speaking of photos, micro weddings offer you a novel opportunity at hand Polaroid or disposable cameras over to your pals and family. They is probably not professionals, but seeing your big day through the eyes of your nearest and dearest might be priceless.
19. Bring on the games
In line with the casual vibes that micro weddings are known for, you may at all times add a number of games on your guests to enjoy. Think giant Jenga for a backyard wedding or Pictionary for indoor fun.
20. Elevate your paper goods with calligraphy
Smaller parties afford you the chance to splurge on elegant touches throughout your event. Hand-calligraphed menus and place cards are more likely to be successful.
21. Pop some single-serve bubbly
Cap off your traditional wedding toast with single-serve Champagne bottles at each place setting that guests can take home.
22. Write personalized notes to guests
Thank family members for being a part of your exclusive guest list by leaving a brief but sweet handwritten note at each place setting. A sentence or two at the underside of the menu or on a monogrammed card is a meaningful and private way of acknowledging how much it means for them to hitch you on the massive day.
23. Use Polaroids in lieu of a guest book
As a substitute of a guest book with a listing of names, arrange a Polaroid station where guests can take fun photos and leave their good wishes. Just don’t forget to have someone gather them at the top of the evening so you may get them right into a scrapbook down the road.
24. Commission a custom painting
As a substitute of a standard guest book, give yourselves the gift of a live wedding painter. Have guests sign a mat which you could frame and hang in your house after the festivities are over.
Catering Ideas
25. Create an elevated, experiential dinner
Since you may have a smaller guest list, you may create a more bespoke menu that delivers a more memorable experience. Think wine pairings with a sommelier or tableside preparations of foods equivalent to risotto mixed in a cheese wheel.
26. Skip the massive wedding cake
As a substitute of a large wedding cake, think small (and delicious) — hand-painted macarons or decadent mini doughnuts are sure to be crowd-pleasers. When you’re set on a standard cake cutting at your reception, go for a mini cake for the occasion and supply your guests with similarly decorated cupcakes.
27. Herald a food truck
Formal sit-down dinners are one of the best method to feed 150 people in an orderly fashion. When you go for a micro wedding, nevertheless, a smaller guest list opens the door for creative alternatives throughout. Food trucks, for instance, are an eclectic catering option that nobody will ever see coming but might be successful with hungry guests.
28. Have a cookout
When you go for a backyard blowout, the one suitable cuisine is a cookout. Everyone loves a great barbecue, so keep it easy with steaks on the grill or hire a caterer with a slow-smoker to cook brisket, pulled pork and other fall-off-the-bone meats.
29. Have a dessert bar
Giving your guests the chance to customize their dessert is at all times a win. And the permutations listed here are countless, from ice cream sundaes and snow cones to cupcakes and candy bars.
30. Pass the hors d’oeuvres
While micro weddings may skip the formality of a cocktail hour and the opportunities for mingling it offers, you don’t need to skip the tradition altogether. To maintain things casual (and super social), take into consideration skipping the sit-down dinner and passing trays and trays of hors d’oeuvres as a substitute.
31. Challenge guests’ palates
With fewer people and food preferences to accommodate, micro weddings create a novel opportunity to wow your guests with anything but the usual fare. So, throw some caution to the wind and shake things up. Whether it’s sushi, curry, tacos or souvlaki, select the cuisine that makes your heart sing.
32. Do a pancake or waffle bar
While most weddings, micro or not, are squarely focused on dinner service, you could possibly consider flouting tradition with decadent brunch stations. Not only is that this a budget-friendly method to feed your guests, but the mix of brunch and dessert is at all times a crowd-pleaser.
33. Develop a signature drink
Because it’s unlikely you may stock your micro wedding bar with every libation your pals and family will wish to devour, work with a mixologist to wow your guests with something they’ve never tried before.
34. Chocolate fountain
Chocolate fountains are social and fun, so include one at every table with all of the fixings. Or simply add a bigger one to your dessert bar — a smaller head count ensures everyone could have a good likelihood to dip the fruit or treat of their selection.
35. Charcuterie for one
It’s no secret everyone seems to be obsessive about charcuterie platters, but there’s a giant difference between serving five people at a banquet or 50 at your micro wedding. So as a substitute of a platter, pass out individual portions. Each serving comes with meat, cheeses and fruits arranged in an cute cup or on a miniature plate.
