The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Micro Wedding

The trend for micro weddings has been growing steadily over the past few years, with many couples choosing an intimate celebration rather than the big traditional wedding. There are so many amazing and unique venues catering to the micro wedding market these days that it's not hard to see why more and more people opt for a more intimate atmosphere on their wedding day. If you're considering a smaller celebration, read on for the ultimate guide to planning a micro-wedding!

First things first, what is a micro wedding?!

It might be bang on trend to have one, but there's actually a fair bit of confusion over what a micro wedding actually is. Is it an elopement? Another way of saying intimate wedding? Well, it seems even wedding industry folks can't agree, with some people stating confidently that it's any wedding with less than 50 guests and others arguing it's 20. The general consensus is that a micro wedding has between 20-30 people in attendance, as opposed to the average of 90.

Micro weddings tend to be a budget-friendly, low-stress, and intimate way to celebrate your wedding day, we're not saying they make for a completely stress-free planning experience, but it's certainly going to be a bit more easy-going.

Why choose an intimate celebration?

There are lots of reasons a more intimate wedding might be right for you, maybe you want to save money by reducing your guest list, or perhaps you're introverts who would prefer to celebrate with a handful of friends and family, or maybe you just don't fancy the stress of planning a huge event! Whatever your reasons for choosing a micro wedding, one thing's for sure, a small wedding with fewer guests is absolutely guaranteed to be a meaningful celebration with lots of quality time with your closest friends.

Planning your micro wedding

The wedding industry has been quick to adjust to the uptick in enquiries for more intimate affairs, so there's no shortage of wedding venues offering micro-wedding packages. One of the perks of planning a small wedding is that your budget can stretch further, often making for a more luxury experience. In fact, you may find that micro wedding venues offer a full package with wedding planners, preferred vendors or even a private chef!

The beauty of planning a micro wedding is that you generally have way more freedom to do what you want to do! You don't have to stick to the traditional wedding formula, and because you won't have hundreds of guests to think about, you can really let your imagination run wild! Think outside the box when it comes to venues, art galleries and museums make a great location for a micro wedding ceremony, and with a smaller guest count, you might be able to squeeze into your favorite restaurant for a meal!

Choosing a guest list for your intimate wedding

Before you get stuck into planning your wedding day, it's time to figure out who you want to celebrate with, but be warned, if you've got a big friendship group, this might be easier said than done! A micro wedding tends to be a maximum of 50 guests, but in some cases, it could be as low as 20, so you'll have to get pretty cutthroat!

When planning your micro wedding guest list, your immediate family is usually a good place to start, depending on your relationship with them, of course. We're just talking about parents, siblings, and grandparents at this point. After that, it's completely up to you how wide you throw the net when it comes to inviting family, and we're gonna be honest: this is deeply personal and might lead to some tricky decisions having to be made!

Your closest friends and their partners will come next, you know, the ones you'd call in a crisis, your true ride or dies. If you're struggling to fit everyone in, then you could limit it to two or three close friends each and then a handful of mutual friends who know you best as a couple. There's no magic recipe here, it's really about feeling into who you want beside you on your big day and who will bring the vibe!

Your micro wedding must-haves

With a lower guest count, the traditional wedding must-haves might seem a bit unnecessary. You probably don't need an 8-piece brass band playing hip-hop covers to 20 guests, and tossing your bouquet might seem a bit hazardous with fewer people to catch it! Think about which elements of a traditional wedding day you might still want to bring to your celebration, though. Maybe that's the vintage wedding car, a miniature version of a traditional wedding cake, or something entirely different; the choice is yours!

The timeline of a micro wedding tends to be more condensed than a traditional wedding, so on top of deciding on your wedding must-haves, you'll need to think carefully about how to structure your day so there aren't any awkward gaps. If you have a photographer, there will be a lot less for them to capture in terms of candid shots, and the group shots will take a lot less time, so don't forget to account for this in your timeline.

How much does a micro wedding cost?

A micro wedding means less guests, and less guests usually translates to lower costs, micro weddings typically cost about 50% less than large weddings. If you're mimicking the style of a traditional wedding day, with luxe micro wedding decor and personalised wedding favours, then your savings are likely to be less than if you go for something altogether more relaxed.

When creating your micro wedding budget, start with the fixed costs, aka all the items that your guest numbers aren't going to affect, like your wedding dress, photography or videography. Depending on the vibe of your wedding, you could make some big savings, but it's easy for costs to mount up if you're taken in by all the micro wedding ideas on Pinterest!

Now you're armed with lots of helpful tips, it's time to get stuck into the planning process! Remember, a big part of choosing the micro wedding experience is so that both you and your partner get to spend quality time with your loved ones and have a truly memorable experience in the process.