How to Plan an Intimate Wedding
The more weddings I shoot, the more I am becoming aware of wedding trends and have a good pulse on the wedding industry. I believe that, especially in light of the Covid Pandemic, brides and grooms are going to be opting for smaller, more intimate weddings as we move forward. I for one could not be more happy. I LOVE weddings that are intimate and deeply personal because it helps the day be grounded in what is most important: love. For any couples out there who are wanting to make sure their wedding is intimate, I have a few tips that I would love to share!
Pick a Unique Venue That Allows a Small Yet Personal Wedding
The Venue sets the tone for the whole wedding, and if you are looking for an intimate feel then you are going to be looking for a destination venue, an estate venue, or a Bed and Breakfast Venue. These venues allow you to rent the entire space for an amount of time and allows you to make it completely your own. Like it or not, ballrooms and churches don’t give a very “intimate” feel because there is less of an ability to customize it.
My personal favorite are Estate Weddings! For these weddings you bring only your immediate family and closest friends and you live at the venue for the weekend. The wedding itself takes place on the grounds and the reception is in the estate, and most of the times these venues also allow you to stay in the guest rooms over night. This is how you get a very intimate yet elevated experience and it feels like a giant party that never ends, rather than an event you go to.
Here are my top Estate Wedding locations:
Keep the Guest list to a bare minimum
One of the only positive things that has come out of the covid era is that it is becoming more and more acceptable to have smaller weddings and not invite everyone. Take Advantage of that and make your guest list extremely limited. A few questions you can ask yourself are:
“Have I seen this person in the last year?”
“Do they bring me joy” (Yes I stole that one from Marie Kondo)
“Do I really want them there or do i feel like I have to invite them?”
Take it from a wedding professional and as someone who had to invite people I didn’t even know to my wedding- stick to your gut and only invite who you want. By making the Guest list very concise, you are only bringing your favorite people and that will help the wedding feel more intimate.
Take time to create meaningful details
What really makes a wedding intimate is the attention to little details. By taking time to notice and observe little moments in your wedding, you will have a much more intimate experience. For example, you can put up a picture of a loved one you are missing or Incorporate a Family Heirloom into the wedding day. You can do a First look and Really take the time to soak it in. You can personalize the ceremony in a way that Reflects your personality. Customized cocktails, chill receptions, and “last dances” are all ways to add little moments into your day and make it seem really intimate.
These are just a few tips, but there are many more! Comment below your favorite personal detail that either you saw someone do in a wedding or that you are planning to do in your own wedding!