Are you on a budget or you just want to have a very intimate wedding? There are numerous ideas for a small wedding party to help you pull it off. From cropping the guest list to menu, décor, and budget, we’ve got you covered.
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You can have your dream wedding without making a dent in your pocket. Also, keep it very small just as you like it.
Can’t come up with ideas? See some creative small wedding ideas below.
1. Stick To Your Budget
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With all your small wedding ideas assembled, stick to your budget like glue, a lot of detailing goes into planning a wedding. So you must be very sure about the things you need. Indisputable essentials include food, booze, photography, and music.
And for you not to lose sight on this, Tiffany Rivera of Simply Breathe Events. says: “Hire a wedding planner or the day-off-coordinator“. They handle the day and take off the worries from you. Also, have a timeline, Aleah and Nick Valley of Valley & Company events say. It helps you know how much you’ve got planned out and how to prioritize them. In the end, the service should be very exceptional.
2. Keep The Guest List Short
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The guest list determines practically everything about a wedding. So if you’re thinking of a small wedding party, be tough when making the guest list.
Valley helps with an idea: decide if you could bear to lavish on a particular guest. Are they the kind of people you’d love to have intimate dinners with?
On the flip side, Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events says you should look through your contact. And invite-only people you’ve spoken to in the past 3 months because we only speak to people who’re important to us.
3. Don’t Overdo Your Wedding Décor
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It’s a small space, so it’s important that you don’t overdo décor. Keep it as simple, airy, natural and minimal as you can. “Use more greenery and fewer blooms,” Luke Wilson from Lukesevents suggests. It gives the space life and bubbly vibe. Keep the ceiling elegant and formal by using white drapes. Install paper lanterns overhead for an intimate ambiance.
“Choose patterned pillows for lounge areas“, adds Maureen Petrosky, an entertaining & lifestyle expert. Use chalkboard signage for the entrance or cocktail bar. Use lots of table lamps and flowers to create an intimate space.
Anything overboard steals the venue’s beauty and makes the space look stuffy.
4. Have A Short Wedding Ceremony
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If you want your ceremony to last for 30 minutes tops, speak to your officiant. They will help you decide which activity to scrap off your list.
Ditch the wedding party and walk down the aisle with a couple of friends. Write out your own vows as it’s a perfect way to work yourself to the allocated time.
Skip every kind of tradition you either don’t understand or have put you to sleep at other weddings. Stick to the exciting ones. Lastly, have a mock wedding practice before the day. This helps you perfect your timing for the actual ceremony.
5. Think Casual Dinner
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You want to keep your wedding small and simple? What better way than to make your dinner casual!
Choose foods that everyone agrees with and if possible, keep within the season. Opt for foods like vegetables and couscous salad. Combine lobsters with mashed potatoes or filet Mignon and green beans.
To keep the meal very light, try out a seasonal salad or chicken and waffles. You may also include fried chicken, mac and cheese and biscuits for barbeque lovers.
Finish off with grilled chicken and cherry tomato skewers or Cucumber-rolled fresh greens and peppers. These are great foods and appetizers.
6. Use Dessert Bar
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Instead of the traditional wedding cake, delight the guests with a dessert bar. Try out an ice-cream, especially if you’re having a summer wedding. Allow guests to make up their own sundaes, you could also an ice-cream or gelato truck to arrive as a treat for guests.
Smores bar is another exciting idea with a display of crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows. You may also opt for the Churro bar, blend the Churro with cinnamon and you have a winner on your hands. Provide toppings like chocolate sauce, candy or sprinkles options. Syrup and fruit waffle bars are also great traditional options.
7. Better Minimalize Details
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A small wedding means small wedding reception ideas. And you can work with detailed yet minimalist wedding trends.
Intimate weddings are the perfect chance to incorporate sentimental items. They range from vintage china to silver and hand-embroidered napkins.
Meyer adds that you should remember to design the space along with the tables. Think about integrating lights, fabrics, plants and anything else that can create an ambiance. And according to Valley, “observe the rule of giving elbow room so that guests can access things on the table. Make sure centerpieces don’t prevent them from seeing their dining partners.“
8. Use A Unique Wedding Venue
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With a sliced down guest list, there are lots of small unique wedding venue ideas at your disposal. You could have your wedding at home which is impossible with larger guests. Or you could use private homes, according to Tiffany Rivera – “Use privately owned homes (not yours), it’s more flexible and less cost-effective.“
Restaurants are also great very small wedding venues. But Jove Meyer insists that you should pick a place that has everything you love. From the menu to music, style, and existing décor. This saves you the cost of redecorating it.
9. Create A Lounge Zone
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The lounge should be a place for your guests to relax, sip on drinks and catch up. “It should be a mini version of your wedding“, Maureen Petrosky says. The lounge zone should also be cohesive with your wedding theme. So beauty, lighting, comfort, and intimacy are the focal points when creating a lounge.
Manage expenses by using what the place already has. Put in plush couches, chairs, and tables to hold drinks. Don’t use bright lights as they aren’t conducive. Use layered lighting instead. Dim lights overhead and use three-way lamps.
10. Try Creative Décor Ideas
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With beautiful small wedding venues, go hyper-custom, says Meyer. “For each place, set with handwritten menus, use petals as place cards or display insane escort cards.”
Give guests enough elbow room for conversation. Do this by lifting the flowers to install an overhead arrangement of florals and soft lighting.
Nick Valley adds that you can cover tables in loads of ultra-lush flowers and candles plus deluxe linens. Then top each place setting with a hand-calligraphed card stuck to a tiny bouquet.
Give your guests a memorable and personalized experience.
11. Entertainment Is Very Important
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There are many small wedding venue’s reception ideas for entertaining guests. Music, as well as other activities, could prove a great avenue for guests to enjoy themselves. Start by availing your guests with photo booth props they need to create those Kodak moments.
Another great option is a jazz band. Rivera says she’ll gladly splurge on music and jazz band is one of the easiest ways to ensure a packed dance floor.
How about an opera? One of the most awesome additions to your small wedding ceremony ideas. But for the reception, an opera can be quite dramatic and refreshing.
12. Have Dinner The Morning After
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One of the best private wedding ideas is having a small wedding and dinner the morning after. This will allow you to invite everyone who wasn’t at your wedding celebration.
Buffet and cocktails work best as it gives room for interaction. According to Carly McGarry, catering manager at the Omni Rancho Las Palmas, buffets are a great choice for a post-wedding dinner. This is because they’re fun and interactive, and they tend to get guests mingling.
“Buffet is also a good way to get people to try a variety of foods, and really make the meal an unforgettable experience,” Carly adds.
There are reasons why couples have a small wedding party. They range from having a small budget to wanting something intimate and heartfelt. If you’re such a couple, this post puts all the best small wedding ideas at your disposal. Beginning with the VIP guest list to the wedding ceremony, venue, entertainment, decor, menu and morning after. We’ve put down every idea for each stage of the wedding.
