The size of your wedding list will affect almost every aspect of your planning, including the venue, catering, transportation, and most importantly–your wedding budget. For this reason, having a small wedding is a huge money saver, way more intimate, and generally less stressful to plan and execute compared to a big wedding.
Do you and your spouse want a small wedding? Here are some tips that should help with your planning:
1. Downsize your guest list
Before you look for the modern or rustic wedding venue of your dreams in Kent or wherever you want, the first obstacle that you have to tackle is the guest list. If you’re not sure how to keep your guest list short, here are some strategies you can try:
- Divide the number of allowable guests between you and your spouse. If one spouse doesn’t maximize their list, that’s the only time the other one can invite more people.
- Make three lists. The first list is for your close relatives, the second list is for your close friends, and the third list for other people you would like to invite to your wedding (but don’t really have to), such as co-workers or friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. If the number exceeds your target number of guests, start crossing people out from the third list.
- Don’t give out plus-ones. Doing this can easily blow up your guest list and consequently ruin your budget.
- Limit your parents’ invites, even if they are paying a part of the wedding. Ask your parents to only invite a certain number of people so that the event remains intimate.
2. Choose the right venue
For an intimate wedding, look for a wedding venue that is just the right size for your number of guests. For example, instead of renting out an entire ballroom, go for a barn or estate venue. If you are more of an adventurous type, consider outdoor weddings in a forest or beach venue. After all, there are fewer venue restrictions when you have a smaller wedding guest list.
3. Have a child-free wedding
Aside from expanding your guest list, children disrupt weddings. That’s a fact. So if you want your wedding to be intimate, having a child-free wedding is the way to go. This would mean no crying, no tots running around, and no distracted parents because of their kids. Moreover, you want your guests to enjoy the wedding, and having a child-free policy is a great way to give them a break from parenting life (while not torturing other guests with unavoidable child antics).
4. Make it fun for everyone
With a smaller guest list, you will have more budget to invest in your guests’ experience. Make your wedding more fun and memorable by treating your guests to round-trip transfers, an open bar, top-notch catering, a professional DJ, and other things that can make the wedding feel more special.
An intimate wedding, in some ways, feels more special than a bigger one. More importantly, it is less stressful to plan and makes the experience quite enjoyable for you and your future spouse.
If you want a small and simple event to celebrate your marriage, use these tips to keep the wedding as intimate yet memorable as possible.