Thinking of booking your big day but interested in planning a smaller, intimate weddings? Opting for a low-key, intimate wedding has so many advantages. Usually limiting your guest list to between 30 and 50 guests, they tend to be a lot more personal, easier to plan, and a lot kinder on your pocket!
While a lot of the lavish expense can be paired down, from the flowers to forgoing the wedding cake completely, the one thing you can’t skip on is the venue! You’ll want to find a setting where your friends and family can celebrate together, so let’s start there.
1. More Availability
When searching for your perfect venue you’ll want to find somewhere that aligns with your vision. If you’ve always imagined your nearest and dearest enjoying a natter surrounded by landscaped gardens, then a venue with an outdoor licence space and beautiful grounds will be important to you.
And what’s so great about planning intimate weddings is that many venues will be more willing to accept your booking, purely due to the size of you wedding party. Now, that’s not to say that your day will be any less special, it’ll just be easier to put together! So take the time to visit and enjoy venues knowing smaller guest lists usually mean you’re more likely to be accepted by your dream venue!
2. Save Some Cash
If you’re planning a wedding on a budget, a small wedding may just be the way to go! A smaller guest list calls for less food, less accommodation, a smaller venue (both for your ceremony and your reception) which ultimately leads to you spending less money!
But, if you’re not planning on a budget, it does also mean that you can afford to be more extravagant where other couples may not be able to. Either way, booking an intimate venue for your big day is a great way to save some cash!
3. More Personal
It’s in the name really. With a small wedding, you basically guarantee more intimate and personal moments with your nearest and dearest. The bigger your guest list is, the less likely you are to experience intimate/personal time with multiple guests (although it isn’t impossible). At intimate weddings, that isn’t the case!
Because there are usually less people there, and you’ve probably been able to narrow it down to the most important people in your lives (not that the guests not invited aren’t important), the chances of making personal memories are much higher!
4. Plan It Your Way
When it comes to bigger weddings, depending on how much you and your partner are willing to spend, there are often a few compromises to be made (usually based on budget). However, as we’ve already mentioned, smaller weddings can usually be booked and planned for less money. And if that is the case, the likelihood of you getting exactly what you want is high!
Whether it’s personalised favours, a five-course meal or a photobooth (expensive we know, but always so fun), you shouldn’t have to make compromises on your big day. And planning a smaller wedding usually means that you don’t have to!
5. More Savings For Your Honeymoon
Think stunning award-winning hotels and restaurants, nestled along the coast line in a hot location with the love of your life. Leaving the family home and taking the time to make memories with your new partner is so important after your big day. But, depending on where you choose to stay, it can be very expensive. Unless you decide to plan a small wedding and save extra money for your romantic getaway (and we wouldn’t blame you if you did).
The great thing about smaller weddings is that you can afford to spend that little bit more money to stay at the luxury hotel you’ve been eyeing up on TripAdvisor. And we’d argue that your wedding day is the perfect excuse to do just that. So it’s time to get beach ready and plan your big trip away!
6. More Memories To Make
As we’ve already mentioned, smaller weddings call for smaller guests lists. Meaning you have more time to spend with your nearest and dearest on your big day. When it comes to bigger weddings, couples often feel pressured to welcome all of their guests (particularly during the reception), and can spend a big chunk of their post-ceremony celebrations, greeting their loved ones.
And while that is lovely and definitely appreciated, you don’t have to deal with that pressure when it comes to intimate weddings, as the guest list will be significantly smaller. This means you and your partner have more time to spend and enjoy yourselves with the most important people on the best day of your lives. And more time to party too – don’t mind if we do!
7. Be More Adventurous
When planning their wedding for a larger, more varied guest list, many couples feel the need to stick to tradition to save their family and friends from any confusion. However, when it comes to intimate weddings, you have the ability to be more specific when it comes to who you want to invite. Giving you and your partner the ability to be more adventurous.
Whether that be with the food and drink you add to your dinner menu, the theme of your wedding, or maybe even the location of your celebrations! Either way, it’s easier to step away from the ‘norm’ when it comes to intimate weddings – what a wonderful way to celebrate on your special day!
8. More Wedding Photography
If you’re having a small wedding, it’s fair to assume the ones who were lucky enough to make your guest list are your nearest and dearest. They are likely to be your closest friends and family members. Find a photographer who has shot an intimate wedding before, someone who is going to capture those candid moments, with every individual making the album.
And what’s so lovely about smaller wedding parties is having the ability to take as many photographs as you like with your friends and family. Trust us, you’ll look back on them and be so grateful to be able to capture the memories you made that day on camera. They’ll well and truly last forever that way!
And that concludes our list of reasons as to why intimate weddings are so amazing. If these haven’t quite enticed you just yet, click here to find out more. We promise you won’t be disappointed. Happy Planning!
