Micro-Weddings: The New Way to ‘Wedding’?

With wedding season in full swing, and with the engagements spike being just around the corner new wedding trends going to be the focal point to any newly engaged or about to be married couples. This past week, I was looking into some of the new wedding fashions and trends that are flooding the internet and I came across an article from the New York Times called “What to Know About Having a Microwedding,” written by Anna Goldfarb. Prior to this point, I had only ever heard the term ‘elopement’ as a reference to smaller, more quaint wedding. Perhaps the idea of ‘Micro-Weddings,’ was a concept, but I hadn’t actually put a name to it. But, as I was reading further and further into the article, I absolutely loved it and was astonished that this wasn’t already a term used more frequently in the wedding world.

‘Micro-Weddings‘ are a “small, but quaint wedding ceremony with just the immediate family members as witnesses, with a small reception following thereafter.”

Now, most people would say,

“You’re a wedding planner, aren’t you? Wouldn’t you rather convince clients to have a much larger wedding so you’re paid more?”  

Um, actually, to a true wedding planner, money really isn’t the reason for us doing the job that we do. If you, as my client, want a big wedding, then I will support you 100%. IT’S YOUR DAY! But, if I feel that the idea of a large wedding is completely out of the budget you give me, it’s also my job to tell you the numbers, and give you the honest truth.

Now, if you only have so much to spend, is a Micro-Wedding the solution for you?

Weddings are meant to be that special day between two people and their family. If it’s just your immediate family, is that really a bad thing?

Here is my check list of “Pro’s” to having a Micro-Wedding:

1. YOU WILL SAVE MONEY!

   • This is big one. If you honestly want to save money and know it’s the right thing for the start of your marriage, then this is 100% the solution for you. Because as my sister’s wedding officiant said at their wedding, “Nothing Else Matters.”

2. If you want/need to get married FAST!

   • If you and your fiance are the way my sister and husband were (a military couple), and you only have so much time to plan your wedding, don’t worry about having that big day yet! You can always have another wedding later on when things calm down. A Micro-Wedding will have that small wedding feel, but with just as much love and romance that would come with the bigger version. And again, SO MUCH CHEAPER!

3. If you just don’t want a big wedding

   • My boyfriend and I were talking the other day and we decided that if we did get married some day, that we just didn’t want to have a big wedding. I know for a fact that we’re not alone in that thought, as times are hard and having a complicated, pricey, and stressful wedding is something we just don’t want to deal with. So, if you’re in this category, then again, a Micro-Wedding may be the perfect solution for you! Less stress to deal with, and the setting is much more personal and laid back than what a large wedding would consist of.

4. Lastly, if you have a Destination Wedding in mind

   • Today, I had a conversation with a gentleman who was telling me about his daughter and her fiance wanting a large destination wedding. Here is the advice that I gave him; don’t. It’s not that a destination wedding is a bad thing, especially when the couple may have met at that specific location, or have a connection with their relationship there, but this idea is not only a costly plan, but also can be an inconvenience to your guests. True, your wedding day is 100% YOUR DAY, but when it comes to telling your guests that they need to buy their airfare, hotel room etc, all out of pocket, you’re going to have some very unhappy guests to deal with. So, if you still want a destination wedding, then a Micro-Wedding is definitely the right choice for you! Not only would it be a nice treat for your immediate family to get away from their own troubles for awhile, but they get to be involved in your wedding day as well. My only advice to this is if you do plan on having one, do everything in your power together as couple to research the lowest possible airfares and hotels for your family. This will make your wedding much less stressful, but also give you and your family something to truly look forward to.

So, is a Micro-Wedding the perfect solution for you?