What is a small, intimate wedding and why do I need one? Read on for 5 reasons why!
Updated: Feb 4, 2021
The way I see a small, intimate wedding is a wedding with under 60 guests. A day where you have time to spend with all of your guests. An exclusive day (or maybe 2 or three days!) for family and close friends. A celebration about you and why you are getting married. A day centred around love, your story and your memories.
A lot of couples are opting for small, intimate weddings (especially in Cornwall) more than you could ever imagine, and not just because of the pandemic! Intimate celebrations give you more quality face time with each attendee as well as creating a more relaxed, casual vibe. But casual doesn't have to mean simple, in fact, quite the opposite. Casual means you can tear up the rule book, have the wedding you want and create your own non-traditional traditions!
Let us start with the guest list. Possibly the most important part of wedding planning is who to invite. With an intimate wedding, this means your nearest and dearest, which in some ways may be easier to decide. It may be difficult managing friends and family not invited, but as I like to say it is your wedding, you’re paying for it, have it how you want it (they’ll soon realise how hard it is to decide when they get married!).
Get creative with seating plans. Your guests don’t need to sit in rows for the ceremony. Surround yourself with them? Get creative and break the rules. Have a huge long table for dinner, like Christmas time! Or have low seating like in Morocco! Anything goes.
You can focus on details! Since you have a smaller guest list, you can spend more money on things you want to and less on things you need. Your place cards could be hand painted, individually calligraphed or maybe even a plant in a handwritten pot! Perhaps having a smaller guest list will allow you to have that secret Pinterest board wedding you’ve been dreaming over forever?
My favourite part of an intimate wedding… You get to spend money on things you want, not on things you need. You can buy slightly more expensive shoes cause you don’t have an extra 40 mouths to fill. Or you can pay for an extra night on honeymoon as your cake is smaller. The day is about you and what you want to do and I love that.
Finally, tear up the rule book. Yes, get rid of it, create your own non-traditional traditions. Wear a trouser suit, a jumpsuit or even linen shorts. Do what you want to do and wear what you want to wear… Who wants to wear a garter that spends the day rolling down anyway? I’ll let you into a secret; I actually forgot to put my garter on before leaving the venue for the church, but, you know what, I didn’t miss it.
Email me at sophie@thelittledetailsbysophie.com for any more information, or with any questions and queries!