When it comes to planning your big day, the size of your wedding really doesn’t matter. Small weddings are just as real & beautiful as large ones. Plus, an intimate wedding can still become a party to remember. Whether you are trying to save money or simply don’t like the hype of big weddings, all that matters is that you are both happy and in love. Below are a few tips and tricks on how to make your small wedding magical and memorable.
8 ways to make your small wedding magical and memorable
1. Agree on the size of your big day
A small wedding will only work out if both you and your partner agree on the size. If one of you wants a huge extravagant affair, then you will have a lot of problems on your hands. Compromising is key in any marriage, so make sure that you are both starting off at the same point.
2. Iron out the guest list
Now that you have your fiancé on board for a small intimate gathering, the hard part begins. You need to decide who you actually want attending the wedding. With this kinds of gatherings, it is inevitable that there will be some hurt feelings amongst family and friends, however, they will get over it.
Those who truly care for you will understand, so put your needs and priorities first by inviting only friends and family without whom your wedding would be incomplete. A great tip in this case would be to first come up with a numeral limit and then fill those slots with invited guests in order of preference and priority.
3. Work with vendors and planners experienced in small weddings
It takes a special skill set and mindset to plan an amazing small wedding. The unfortunate reality is that not all businesses are built for it. You need to find vendors who can scale their services down without compromising on quality.
4. Choose an intimate and unconventional venue
Where you lack in numbers you can make up for by choosing a beautiful settings. The choice of venue has a huge bearing on just how intimate and magical the small wedding can be. Aim is to find a location that doesn’t shine an unflattering spotlight on the shrunken size of the audience, for example, try to avoid using a church built for 200+ people if your guest list is only 20. Plus, unconventional locations tend to support small crowds much more comfortably than large wedding halls. Here are a few great ideas you can consider:
- A boat wedding
- A backyard wedding
- A small chapel wedding
- A destination wedding
- A barn wedding
- A wedding in the woods
- Hotel brunch/dinner wedding
- Intimate restaurant wedding
5. Have fun party activities for your guests
Having small numbers means that you can plan activities for you and your guests to enjoy together. The size means that there will probably not be any commotion or confusion to ruin things. So go wild! Some fun ideas here include:
- Karaoke
- Charades
- Corn Hole
- Wedding or couple-centered trivia
- Line Dancing
- Oversized games like Jenga, Connect Four, etc.
6. Get creative with the food
Food is yet another secret weapon you have as far as making your small wedding memorable. The fact that you are catering to fewer people gives you a lot of creative space to work with. You could try and find catering options that offer fun meal ideas like:
- A barbeque cookout
- Potluck
- A wedding food truck
- DIY sandwich and salad bars
- Pizza bar
7. Select your registry items wisely
Remember that you have fewer people involved, so you do not want to overburden them with a massive wedding registry. Instead of scanning every item in sight for your registry, consider opting for more personal and manageable gifts. You could even opt for enveloped gifts including cash, checks and gift cards, or sign up for an online honeymoon fund allowing guests to pay towards your getaway or purchase excursions for you. More options allow guests to not feel as pressured.
8. Protect your wedding
Getting your wedding insured is very important. Even if it is a small and simple gathering, you still have a lot to lose. You could have injuries at the venue or your property, vendors could fail to hold up their contracts, even Mother Nature could decide to throw a wrench in your plans. The same things that could go wrong at a large wedding may also affect your small party. Fortunately, there are companies out there like WedSafe, dedicated to protecting your special day, no matter the size, offering two great wedding insurance products to help things go right if the unexpected should occur.
Bottom line
These 8 tips are all you need to ensure that your big day, or small day for that matter, lives up to all of your dreams. The important thing is to plan as carefully as you would with a larger party, show your guests a good time and ensure that you have all your liability bases covered with wedding insurance. At the end of the day, make sure to have fun. It is your day after all!
