Marriage is a big deal and you deserve to celebrate the occasion in whatever way you want to. There is no wrong way to do a wedding, and the details of the day should be what’s best for the bride and groom.
Speaking from experience, intimate weddings are more meaningful, intentional, and relaxed. The schedules are looser than larger affairs, and you get to put emphasis on creating a memorable experience for everyone.
For us the biggest benefit of hosting an intimate wedding was in QUALITY! Quality time with guests, quality of food, quality of location, quality of service, etc. Being able to put an emphasis on quality, really gave everyone the unforgettable, luxe experience we wanted.
And if you can get your guest list down, an intimate wedding is a decision that is completely worth it!
More Quality Time With Guests
This was the biggest factor for us to plan an intimate wedding. We’ve been to several large weddings are haven’t had time for more than three-five minute, scratch the surface conversations with other guests. Having fewer guests allowed us to spend more quality time with each one before, during, and after the wedding.
One of our wedding priorities for our intimate destination wedding was guest experience and there is nothing better as a guest than getting to spend time with those you came to celebrate. We got to create new memories with those in attendance and enjoy a special shared experience that we won’t soon forget.
Ninety-nine percent of the guests that we had at our ceremony were family and friends that had known us individually before we were a couple, and when we looked out at our guests during the ceremony we knew that the people sitting before us would continue to be there for us and support us always.
More Room in the Wedding Budget
I’ve said it before, but destination weddings don’t necesarily mean you’ll save money, but they do give you the flexibility to allocate your fund different. For example, we were able to serve our guests a top-notch, quality meal and top-shelf bar options. Essentially you can host a small scale luxury wedding. Something people will remember for a long time.
More Customization
Intimate weddings are completely customizable and a smaller guest list doesn’t mean that less attention is being paid, in fact it means the opposite. Every aspect of your big day can be tailored to be a personal reflection of you and your fiancé as a couple. Guests will notice the subtle effort you took to make sure every detail is perfect.
More Venue Options
A small guest opens doors for more venue options. Larger venues can customize spaces for smaller events, and smaller spaces can still accommodate you. You are limited when you’re searching for halls that hold a minimum of 300 people.
For A Smaller Wedding, You're Going To Have To Invite Fewer People
Creating your wedding guest list is always one of the most challenges aspects of wedding planning. Pressure comes from every angle—yourself, your significant other, parents, and even the potential guests.
A shorter guest list can cause friction when family and friends find out they’re not invited. Personally I think us generation Y-ers understand the benefits of a more intimate wedding and feel less pressure than our parents to invite guests who invited them to their weddings or to use invite someone just because “well they’re family” despite not being close.
If you’re having trouble whittling down the list, LeBraun and I found it helpful to think about each guest, their role in our lives past and present, and talk about memories we shared with them. We found that our final list was people who had known us before and throughout our entire relationship and still wanted to hang out with us. :)
But you can also have the best of both worlds by hosting a larger reception shortly after the wedding for a wider-range of guests, just inform everyone of your plan and make sure it is obvious which events guests are invited to.
All photography by Teale Photography
