Have you been considering ditching a traditional wedding and planning an intimate wedding instead? Your idea of the perfect wedding might have changed as the world has changed throughout the last year. Or maybe the traditional wedding trends never really seemed like you. If a traditional wedding doesn’t excite you but you also don’t want to elope without your family and friends involved then an intimate wedding might be the perfect fit you!
So what is an intimate wedding?
An intimate wedding can have a lot of definitions depending on who you are talking to. To us an intimate wedding is a wedding that has a smaller guest count of around 5-30 people… a more intimate setting to be exact.
To us an even bigger difference than the guest count itself is about the day itself and how it is planned. An intimate wedding doesn’t necessarily follow a traditional wedding, rather it is a day that is planned for the couple. An intimate wedding doesn’t take into account the experience of the guests… it focuses on what the couple wants. For example if you don’t understand the point of a cake cutting then there is no cake cutting. A big difference between a big wedding an intimate wedding we like to say is, this isn’t a celebration made for your family and friends, it is a celebration that was made and planned for the couple and what they want and envision… there are no rules!
How to create the guest list
Deciding who you want to invite to an intimate wedding can be really challenging, especially when you are talking about two families instead of one. When it comes down to it though most of the time you will have a short list of family or some really close friends that you know you want there. When it comes to finishing crafting your list there are a few things we always recommend!
- Sit down and list out potential people you feel are important with your partner. This can easily help in some ways, for example do you both know this person? Has this person been an important part of your life together? Those are always great questions to go through when you are selecting those important people to invite.
- Decide on a limit right away. Choosing a limit before you even start your list can be helpful. Sticking to that limit is also important to do. Without keeping to your limit sometimes a small intimate wedding ends up turning into a traditional wedding that neither of your envisioned.
- Set boundaries together and expectations for family members. It is so easy to be influenced by others to invite a few more people. Of course even extended family members want to be included in your wedding plans, but if you want to keep your wedding intimate then deciding who you are close with and who you feel has made an impact in your life is so important to do.
Tips for planning an intimate wedding
- Don’t feel constrained with tradition. One of the biggest tips to remember is your intimate wedding is yours. You don’t have to follow traditions and you can create your own ideas. Nothing is off limits when you think about planning your wedding day. This should be YOUR dream… not what society is telling you.
- This is your dream wedding. We see this happen so often where couples that have a small intimate wedding think that they just need and deserve a ceremony. But that is so far from the truth. Just because you may not have a bridal party, traditional reception with a DJ, etc. doesn’t mean that you don’t deserve to celebrate your wedding day the entire day like a traditional wedding. It just looks different! This is still your wedding day so don’t skip on anything!
- Stay true to yourself. A lot of couples are influenced by friends and family that they NEED something… but that doesn’t always fit you. Stay true to yourself and what you want for your day no matter what. After all that is why you are planning an intimate wedding day.
- Make lists or journal or just write things down. Weddings whether traditional or intimate do require a decent amount of planning. Making lists for everything including what you want, your guest list, etc. is a great way to make sure you don’t forget about anything. Just because you are having less guests doesn’t mean the day doesn’t need as much planning.
Steps to planning your intimate wedding
- Pick a date. When choosing a date take into account if it has meaning, the time of the year or scenery in the background you are looking for, the weather conditions and if you have enough time to plan out what you want for your wedding day.
- Choose a location. Of course a location should be involved in some of your planning when selecting the perfect date to get married but sometimes you might have a State or local area in mind but picking the exact location whether that is a State Park, Beach, venue, etc. picking a location is next. You want to keep in mind the scenery, weather and plans overall throughout your day that may make a difference where you get married.
- Hire Your Vendors. Some vendors you might be interested in is a photographer, videographer, officiant, florist, HMUA, etc. Vendors book up sometimes over a year in advance so finding the perfect team to help you make your dream a reality is so important. And will make planning and implementing your day a lot easier, as these are experts in what they do!
- Enjoy! Once your planning and details are decided on make sure you just enjoy your day! Don’t let little things prevent you from just being happy that your wedding day is here!
No matter what you decide for your wedding day, intimate wedding, elopement, getting married is such a joyous and exciting thing. Do it the way you want it! And if you need help or are ready to get planning we would love to help! Contact us below!
