Today, I’m handing over the reins to Tony Gallacher, Head of Jewellery Retail at Ramsdens Jewellery, who shares his tips for planning a micro wedding with style.
“2020 was a devastating year for couples with weddings booked. The pandemic caused chaos with all the lockdowns, travel restrictions, and social distancing measures. For many brides and grooms-to-be, their dreams of a large-scale wedding were dashed.
Enter the micro wedding. This smaller wedding celebration is typically any wedding with fewer than 30 guests, and for couples desperate to tie the knot, has been proving itself to be the perfect option.
Although many couples have opted for a micro-wedding out of necessity, more and more of us are beginning to recognise the merits of a mini gathering beyond it being Covid-friendly. For example, with a smaller guest list, you can spend more quality time with the people you love rather than spreading yourself too thin. Your wedding budget will no doubt stretch further too, so you can afford better quality goods and services for your special day.
They say less is more, so if you’re thinking about organising a smaller wedding ceremony, below are my tips for planning an extra-special micro wedding to help you get the most out of your big day.
1. Pick a fantastic micro wedding venue
One of the benefits of having a smaller wedding is that you aren’t limited to venues with a large capacity. In fact, you can celebrate almost anywhere! From outdoor weddings with a marquee to your favourite restaurant or landmark, it’s much easier to negotiate your nuptials with venues and event organisers if you have a smaller guest list. To really wow your guests, why not ask your wedding planner to pick somewhere truly unique, like a brewery or lighthouse?
Similarly, if you have your heart set on your dream wedding venue but they are out of your price range or have very limited availability, you may find they offer a discount or have more dates to choose from if you are planning a more intimate event.
2. Choose a micro wedding theme
Even the best wedding planners will tell you that themed weddings can be tricky to pull off on a large scale. Decorating in a certain way can be expensive, and your guests may be reluctant to participate if you choose to have a dress code. However, you can make a much bigger splash with a small wedding. And as your guests are your ‘chosen few’, they’ll be more likely to go along with your vision.
Whether you want the most luxurious looks for your wedding styling or are planning on a fun, festive affair, invest time and money in creating the right atmosphere and your day will go off just the way you imagine it.
3. Focus on accessories
Bringing your visions to life and spending money where it matters extends to your wedding day looks, too. Micro wedding style is much more laid-back and unique than large scale weddings, with many brides favouring boho, vintage, and hyper-luxe looks over contemporary styles. Accessories play a big part in these outfits, from flower crowns to layered necklaces and statement jewellery. When choosing your jewellery, I recommend diamonds — they suit any style and colour scheme while adding some sparkle to your big day. Plus, you can cherish and wear diamond jewellery again and again.
4. Make wedding memories
One thing to remember with micro weddings is that with fewer guests, there are fewer people to take candid photographs and capture the small details of your wedding that you won’t see in your portraits. It’s important to find a photographer with attention to detail who can take snapshots on the fly as well as your official wedding photos. In addition, you should consider extras like an instant photo booth, or decorated backdrop so your guests can have their photo taken prom-style. As you’ll be having so much fun on your big day, you can relax knowing that you’ll have plenty of images to look back on when it’s over.
5. Add a personal touch
It’s quite common for brides to buy gifts for their bridesmaids to thank them for their help with wedding preparations, and as a memento of their friendship. With a mini wedding, you might be able to extend this courtesy to all of your wedding guests and give them presents they can take home and cherish. Think of these as extra-special wedding favours!
Jewellery is a popular choice of gift, and you could customise each one by choosing their birthstone or favourite coloured gem. Or, you could buy everyone their favourite kind of jewellery in your wedding colours that they can cherish as a reminder of all the fun you had on your big day.
The tips in this guide can be used to turn a micro wedding into a big deal. If you’re thinking of having a small celebration, bear them in mind and you’re sure to have a day to remember.”
If you‘re interested in planning a micro wedding, I’d love to hear from you! You can reach me at [email protected] or 0800 772 0765.
I plan and design amazing weddings for couples getting married across the UK.
As an independent Wedding Planner, I’m not tied to recommending specific venues or suppliers, so you’ll always have access to the very best of the best across the industry, allowing us to produce a personal, unique wedding that’s designed just for you.
I don’t accept commission or referral fees from wedding venues or suppliers either, so you can always be sure that my recommendations are made with your very best interests at heart. You can keep up with all the One Curious Dream behind the scenes action and follow my adventures on Instagram.
