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Better known as micro-weddings (which are weddings with 50 or less guests), these types of weddings took the world by storm in response to the onset of the panorama that took place years ago. What was once better known as a couple's Plan B for their wedding has now quickly become the new norm for many couples looking to get married or elope. And, we're going to take a closer look at the reasons why they have become so popular in spite of weddings returning to their regularly scheduled programming.
Photo Credit: Purroy Productions
1.) Cozy Intimate Gathering
I don't know about you, but I was definitely the little girl who always dreamed of a 300-guest wedding in some opulent palace with the works! Well...Then I grew up and that fairytale drastically changed. Well except for the opulent palace part cause c'mon...If you know me then the bougieness is here to stay! Haha!! Call it the harsh realities of the world, alongside my personal life experiences that have enlightened me to what's most important and that is to follow your heart, and truly value the people who have always been there for you the most. I say all this to say, that it all comes down to this...You want to marry the love of your life and you probably want no more than your ride or dies there to witness you proclaim your love for each other. It isn't about which venue you booked or how much you're spending, or outshining another couple's wedding (though it should never be about any of that, especially the latter (!!!)). It's about celebrating your love in such a beautiful way with those closest to you!
Have you ever been to a large wedding and felt like you never even got a chance to greet the couple personally? With a more intimate-sized wedding, you can actually greet your guests and even chat it up a little, or send a postcard if you decide to elope. There is no awkwardness of meeting those guests your mom invited cause they had changed your diaper when you were 1 years old. There is NONE of that foolishness. There isn't any of the "Should I invite this person?," drama. Which brings me to my next point...You're probably like "But how do I tell people they're not invited?" You simply say, we decided to keep our wedding extremely small to only a few of our closest family & friends because that is what we feel is truest to our hearts, or just say you eloped!
2.) No Drama, No Stress
Weddings are stressful enough as it is, and I cannot even begin to explain the amount of times I see brides ranting, crying, and even having a nervous breakdown about the stress, heartache, and pain their family and friends are putting them through with the process of planning their wedding. Seriously, guys it's the absolute worrrssse!!! What's suppose to be a beautiful celebration of the couple's love turns into a "He-said-she-said gossip match"...Or a "Why was I not asked to be in the bridal party?"...Or a "Why isn't the ceremony going to be bilingual?"...Or a "Why aren't they going to carry out our family traditions?" Why...why...why?! Omg...I am getting anxiety just thinking about all the horror stories that I read in these bridal forums and groups.
Which brings me to my #2 reason of why I encourage intimate ceremonies. You're laying down the groundwork for what is to be expected. What I mean is, once you've already established that the wedding will be on the smaller-scale, you have already set the foundation for everything else. Those that love you won't want to miss it, so you can kind-of bank on their attendance, and they will have to respect your decisions and boundaries (Trust me, I know easier said than done especially with everyone having different family dynamics). But my point is, you would have already set a precedent that the wedding will be a much smaller one and will be conducted YOUR way. Not to mention that a lot of the people that would be stressing you out, won't be on the guest list! Haha(!!!) Woops...I don't think I was suppose to laugh out loud.
3.) Price Just Went Up
So #3 happens to be my favorite reason because this is where you would make the most of your wedding funds. In other words, you get to invest the money that you would otherwise be paying for more guests (that you're not even going to still be friends with in the next 5 years), in more fun areas that you can splurge on, like a live band, open bar, private caterer, photographer, cinematographer, Rolls Royce getaway car, the works! C'mon you must admit that Pinterest has got you swooning over certain wedding trends and you might be feeling a type of way because it might be out of reach if your budget doesn't leave room for splurging. But remember what I said...Whose wedding is it again? Oh that's right YOUR WEDDING, so please do me a favor and do it YOUR way, and book the damn band along with the photographer you really want!
4.) Saves You Coins
#4 is pretty simple and straightforward because it's quite obvious that you're going to be saving loads of money by hosting a smaller-sized wedding. Not to get all Dave Ramsey on you, but that financial freedom will do wonders for your nerves and overall mental health while planning your wedding. You won't have to worry about where the money is going to come from if you go over budget (which by the way...ALWAYS HAPPENS), you won't have to worry about incurring massive debt that you'll have to pay back after the wedding, and you may even have some money leftover to allocate to your honeymoon fund or first home fund.
By the way, if you're interested in monetary gifts, but don't want to feel weird asking your guests for money (cause I totally get it), you might definitely want to try Birdie, which is by far my favorite cash app registry that specializes in gifting cash for weddings and all kinds of celebrations. Unlike other registries, the recipient instantly gets 100% of the cash amount gifted via text or email. You can also create an easy customizable link for your guests to easily access, and you can select from curated designer templates that make your whole presentation super chic (example pictured to the left). Disclaimer: The guests do pay a small percentage of whatever amount they submit, however that is a small price to pay, which I don't mind paying as long as the recipient doesn't have to pay the fees themselves!
5.) Easier To Manage
So most people are getting married for the first time, and it's safe to say that many get a rude awakening with how overwhelming the actual planning of the wedding can be. You quickly realize how there are sooo many moving parts, correspondences, contracts, meetings, payment deadlines, and somewhere in all of this you gotta keep track of those pesky guests who refuse to just RSVP (By the way, what the hell is up with that?! It's sooo annoying!!). Anyway, hence why they call us wedding planners to sort of take the load off. My point is, smaller-sized weddings are much easier to manage. I mean don't get me wrong, a small wedding and even elopements still have several moving parts, but down-scaling it makes it way more manageable. Case in point...Less tables...less chairs...less flowers...less plates. You see where I am going with this?
6.) All-Inclusive Package Advantage
So I definitely spoke prematurely when I said that #3 was my favorite reason because #6 is also up there with my faves and that's taking advantage of all-inclusive packages. Now this can range from an all-inclusive wedding package at an exclusive resort for a destination wedding, to a Wedding Designer & Planner exclusive package offer like the ones we have! That's right, the effects of the panorama had me (like so many other people) reevaluate how I could make my wedding and event packages even better and more accessible for my future clients, and it made me realize just how much I really enjoyed intimate-sized events, because there is so much room to let your imagination roam wild and free, which is a Designer's dream! Anyway, getting back to the point, Mariage Blanc Designs offers all-inclusive mini-matrimony packages titled "Le Petit Mariage," which cater to sophisticated couples that prefer an intimate-sized wedding, but still want the luxe, editorial vibes often seen on Pinterest. With our intimately-sized wedding packages the couple gets a specialized designed wedding cake, photographer, event décor, event rentals, photographer, videographer, and more to make their mini-wedding a Pinterest-worthy dream come true! Did I mention that you'll still get ME as your Luxury Wedding Designer & Planner?! We have an assortment of over 15-design themes to choose from and you still get to select from an array of distinguished vendors from our exclusive Friendor Black Book. It's a win-win situation that I would totally jump on if I were getting married. And, no, I'm not just saying that. And, if you happen to be looking for something even smaller, then you may want to check out our Exclusive Elopement Package, which is for the more daring couple who wants to completely break from tradition and do things much differently.
7.) Couples Have More Fun
#7 is the real icing on the cake! We conducted a survey and found that couples who are booking these types of mini-matrimonies whether that be an elopement in Vegas, a courthouse ceremony followed by a reception, a destination wedding, or booking our own mini-matrimony packages, claim to really have enjoyed their entire wedding planning experience way more than the couples who had to deal with the added family, bridal party, and friends drama of a larger-scaled wedding. Couples are having more fun because it doesn't feel quite as draining as a full-blown wedding with a longer guest list. Intimate weddings really hone in on what is truly important and allow for couples to experience all the positive vibes that they definitely should be experiencing while planning their wedding anyway!
Well guys...That's all for now! I really hope you found these reasons extremely helpful so much that they swayed your decision! Be sure to share this blog with your family, friends, colleagues, and anyone else who you think could benefit from this information! Also if you enjoyed this blog post, then this is just tip of the iceberg! Make sure to join my VIP list so that you're in the know of all our juicy tea, tips, wedding & event package specials, and more lifestyle content. Get on the VIP list here.
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