Is a Micro Wedding Right for You?

The term “micro wedding” has been popping up more and more lately as couples adjust to size limits that fit healthy and safety protocols. So although this is a new approach for some couples, intimate weddings have been around for many years! They are some of my favourite weddings to photograph and it has been exciting to see more people hop on board.

Wait, What’s a Micro Wedding?

A micro wedding, also known as a small wedding, or an intimate wedding, is one that closely resembles many aspects of a traditional wedding, but with a smaller guest list. Typically, micro-wedding is 50 people or less. 10 people or less is considered an elopement. (Check out if an elopement is right for you at this link!)

How Do I Know If A Micro Wedding Is Right For Me?

You may have always dreamed about a 200+ person wedding, and that’s okay! it is important when planning your wedding that it represents you and your partner. Don’t force yourself to do something that you will not enjoy. If the idea of planning and hosting a large wedding fills you with dread and anxiety, but you still want to have many loved ones there, an small wedding may be a better fit.

I spoke to some real couples I photographed about why a micro wedding was a perfect fit for them!

“What was your main reason for having a small wedding?”

“We really just wanted to be surrounded by all of our family and favourite friends and not have to worry about distant relations or friends of friends. It turned out so cozy and perfect.”

“We wanted to have the opportunity to really be there with our closest friends and family and not be distracted by the scale and involvement of a large wedding.”

“We wanted an intimate gathering. We’re not into being flashy or loud.”

“COVID made us have to change plans and do something smaller, but looking back I loved how small and private it was.”

“What was the easiest part of planning a micro wedding?”

“Everything really. We knew we wanted it small and simple, so that made a lot of the decisions super easy.”

“We didn’t have to hire many people – we did our own setup, our own music, our own makeup. It was all very simple and easy for us to do and we didn’t have to find and hire a bunch of vendors. We also ordered our wedding outfits online and they looked great.”

“Using a company that did all of the things (wedding tent, tables, chairs, linens, place settings, dinner, and bar). They set it up, they took it down and we didn’t have to worry about keeping track of which items came from which company.”

“What was the hardest part of planning a micro wedding?”

“The biggest challenge was to find a cabin that would accept weddings, would fit us all, and wasn’t too far away.”

“Understanding that people may have their feelings hurt when they aren’t invited to your tiny wedding.”

“Music. We didn’t have a DJ – we felt it was too intimate of a gathering for a full-on DJ. We also didn’t know if people would dance or not so it was difficult to plan for and account for everyone’s taste.”

“What was the most memorable part of your wedding day?”

“The ceremony itself was so beautiful. Because we had a small wedding, our guests could be active parts of the ceremony. Having our time alone with the photographer in the forest was really lovely. Hanging out with guests in the hot tub, around the fire, and in the sauna was also really memorable. It was a big day, so it was great to relax and drink wine and really connect with everyone.”

“All of it. It was perfect. When I sit and think about it or look through our wedding album, I still get all the feels.”

“What kind of feedback did you get from friends and family who did attend your small wedding?“

“They liked how cozy and romantic it was. There was lots of emotions and good tears at our wedding. Most people already knew each other and it was wonderful to share our best day with our favourite people.”

“Simple, great food (that was a priority for us), relaxed atmosphere – not a show.”

“What kind of feedback did you get from friends and family who were not invited?”

“That they loved we live streamed it so they could still watch us say I do.”

“Everyone told us they understood and there were no hard feelings.”

“A few people said they wish they could have been there, but were happy to be invited to the dinner/dance that we held at a later date.”

“Looking back, was having a small wedding the right choice for you? Would you do anything differently? Why or why not?”

“Yes! It was perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing about that day.”

“It wasn’t the original plan but it ended up being exactly what we wanted and if i had to do it again I wouldn’t change anything.”

“Looking back at your experience with jals photography at your small wedding, what do you think sets her apart from other photographers?”

“Super helpful and just allowed us to be ourselves.”

“Shared love of the outdoors that connects you with your clients. Your ability to guide our actions for great photos, while also creating the feeling that you weren’t even there. The candidness of it all.”

Want authentic and relaxed photography of your micro wedding? Reach out to Jessica to chat about your dream small wedding day!