Small weddings, in my opinion, are some of the best kinds of weddings around. They allow you to surround yourself with your closest friends and family and spend the whole time connecting with those you love most, all while getting to marry your person. Plus, small weddings often allow for more flexibility allowing you to choose an epic location for your ceremony. Below are a few small wedding ideas you can use if you’re considering planning an intimate wedding.
5 Small Wedding Ideas for an Unforgettable Wedding
Book Accommodations Where All Your Guests Can Stay
One of the best ways to maximize your time with everyone at your wedding is by booking a large home or mountain cabin for everyone to stay at before or after the wedding. Having a large space where everyone can be together can help set the tone for your intimate wedding. Guests can all get to know each other and oftentimes these homes come with activities and things to do such as a swimming pool, hot tub, kayaks, and more. Having a singular space for everyone also helps eliminate the pressure of driving between locations and, you can even have your ceremony and reception all in one place if you want.
Host Dinner with a Private Chef
One of the biggest costs of traditional weddings is the food. Because there are fewer guests at an intimate wedding, couples can be more creative with the details they plan for their day, especially when it comes to the meal. One of my favorite small wedding ideas is hiring a private chef and selecting a custom menu for you and your guests to enjoy. On your wedding day, you can set up a long dinner table and everyone can enjoy dinner cooked specifically for you by your own private chef.
Plan a Weekend of Activities
This idea works especially well for multi-day events. Planning activities throughout the weekend is a great way to give your guests some more time to bond and for all of you to create more memories. There are so many ideas you can include and it all comes down to what you and your guests enjoy as well as the location where you are getting married. Think skiing/snowboarding, hiking, sightseeing, kayaking, wine/beer/cider tasting, whale watching, rafting/tubing, the list could go on! Since not all guests might not enjoy all activities, the key is to plan a variety of activities and let your guests choose which ones fit them best.
To read more about small wedding ideas and activities, check out Alex and Alyssa’s Pine River Ranch Wedding.
Splurge on Important Details
One of the biggest perks of planning a small wedding is that you have more flexibility in your day and in your budget to include details that are important to you. Is there a florist you really love or maybe a theme or decorations that are super important to you? Having a smaller wedding means you won’t be spending obscene amounts of money decorating a ton of tables, so enjoy the details you’ve been dreaming of and splurge on something that will make your day uniquely yours!
Plan a Multi-Day Event
I already mentioned this briefly but planning a multi-day event makes your small wedding even more flexible. Want to have your ceremony but then go on a sunset hike? You can totally do this and then continue celebrating with your guests the next day. This makes your wedding and timing a lot more flexible, rather than having to rush through everything in one day. It also gives you the chance to take the epic sunset photos you’ve been wanting to without having to worry about entertaining guests.
For more multi-day wedding inspiration, check out Paul and Jessica’s two-day Hurricane Ridge Elopement Weekend.
Planning a small wedding allows you to have the best of both worlds. You not only get to have the most important people by your side, but you also can include many details that might not otherwise be possible at a larger wedding. If you’re ready to start planning your own small wedding, head over to my contact page to inquire!