Small, Intimate Weddings Are the Future

by Andrea Stark | Elopement

You can’t predict the future, but you can create a plan. I don’t know about you, but I did not see this pandemic coming. Even when first reports were coming out of China about this virus, I am embarrassed to say I had the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) mentality. I wish I could go back in time and prepare a little better for myself, my family and business. We haven’t invented that time machine yet, so I just try daily to stay optimistic and think about ways I can transition and set different goals. Perhaps it’s the perfect time to ask, what if this was an opportunity to do something better?

I believe we are about to see a huge shift in 100+ guest lists to no more than 50 for intimate weddings. If you take a page out of Google’s book, they’ve cancelled all large, in-person events through 2021. Facebook and Microsoft have even joined suit in rescheduling large events into later next year. Taylor Swift is even postponing her tour 🙁 When all of this first started in Breckenridge, social distancing was recommended and groups of 50 or less people were still allowed to gather.

Having a destination wedding already lends itself well to having a smaller guest list. You can all stay together at the same hotel and better yet if your venue is at the same location to keep transportation super easy. I can think of so many benefits to having an intimate wedding. Here are just a few ideas below:

What are some of the benefits of having a small, intimate wedding? 

• small sit down dinners with the opportunity to personalize the menu for your guests 
• budget has the potential to be less because of guest count
• you can invest in other areas of the budget like videography, albums, upgrading to premium liquor, upgrading menu, or your honeymoon.
• your wedding can be eco-friendly, and you have more opportunities to use sustainable options in your wedding.
• More options for where you get married! Less people means more opportunities for locations. If you’ve always wanted to get married with an epic mountain backdrop, it’s a lot easier to get less guests to that location than more.

Budgetary items that are affected by guest count are stationary, cake, catering, linens and chairs, bar service, and transportation. You can save some serious money by having a smaller guest count and focusing on creating a more intimate experience for your friends and family. I envision lots of farm style long tables with luscious centerpieces and delicious plates of food in the future. It makes me happy thinking about it! 

DJ and Dancing?

Also, in this new season of a pandemic virus, I don’t know that a band or DJ is necessary if dancing is not allowed. For you, that means that you don’t need as many hours of photography. You don’t need a dance floor, band, or DJ. Think about how intimate a wedding dinner can be if you just enjoy the people around you and the toasts toward you and your new spouse as a couple.

My Own Intimate Wedding Experience

A little insight to my own wedding. I only had 20 people, no dancing, and it was STILL the best day of my life. I know first hand how a small, intimate wedding can be a great decision for your wedding day. If you want a little peak into my own personal wedding, take a look here.

I have created custom wedding packages just for small, intimate weddings of 50 or less guests. My services include ceremony and portrait only coverage, ceremony and reception, and all-day wedding coverage starting at $1800. It still includes a personalized online gallery, digital downloads, and options to include a second professional photographer and custom heirloom albums. If you’re thinking about having a small, intimate wedding, send me a note here to get information about my small weddings packages.

My small, intimate wedding packages are perfect for weddings under 50 guests! I personally believe that this is going to be the immediate future of weddings and is inviting between 20-40 guests to keep the total count under 50. Remember, your vendors count as a part of your guest count if the government has restrictions for how many people can gather. 

Need help navigating through this time and don’t have a planner?

You might not know this about me, but one of my other hats I wear is I’m a luxury wedding planner and stationery creator. I know, I’m a busy lady. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m very blessed to be in multiple specialties of this industry. The images in this post are from the last wedding I did before all this COVID-19 stuff starting happening. I assisted Emily Campbell with Go Bella Design and Planning with this wedding at Devil’s Thumb Ranch and the beautiful florals are from Bloom Flower Shop.

If you are engaged and don’t know where to start with your wedding planning in this season of life, please reach out to me. Let me support you through this! I love sharing ideas with couples. During quarantine I’ve taken lots of webinars and online workshops that have given me a new perspective on weddings going into the future. I’m excited to shift what we’ve always known about weddings and starting to transition to be prepared for the future.

Planning and Design: Go Bella Planning and Design
Florals: Bloom Flower Shop
Venue: Devil’s Thumb Ranch
Decor: Colorado Party Rentals
Portraits: My personal clients in Breckenridge, Colorado from Houston, TX