Picture this: A whole week traversing the Tuscan countryside with your loved ones – experiencing pasta making classes, horse rides, vineyard tours, sunrise hot air balloon rides, vintage car drives through the winding cypress tree lined drives… all of these activities experienced together, culminating in a wedding day at an ancient Italian villa where local musicians serenade you all tableside, wood-fired pizzas are served as late night bites and fireworks light up the night sky in celebration of your love. THIS, my friend, is what we love about microweddings. And precisely why these most intimate celebrations are on the rise today.

Smaller guest counts simply allow for more profound, shared experiences and lend themselves to thoughtfully tailored multi-day events. And for a landmark moment in your life like the beginning of a marriage, don’t you deserve an unforgettable experience with those you care about most in your life? Isn’t this a time to indulge in every way?

While we certainly advocate larger shindigs too, there’s just something about microweddings and cozy elopements that open up a world of possibilities. So if you’re on the fence and wondering if this is the right direction for you and your partner, settle in with some sangria + bossa nova because we’re here to share all the reasons you might want to hop on the microwedding train too.

1. Elimination of stress, worry and the burden of meeting expectations

Perhaps the most obvious benefit, microweddings simply eliminate the stress associated with planning a celebration for 300+ people. A smaller guest count not only means that the logistics are more manageable, you also have much more budget to stretch in those areas that matter most. You aren’t left making sacrifices in one category that’s important to you because you’re forced to nickel + dime everything. And hey, your guest count is one of the factors that will make the most significant differences in your ultimate spend (think catering, rentals, florals, paper).

Additionally, by capping your guest list at your immediate family + close friends, you run less risk of hurting any feelings or inviting certain parties for the sake of keeping everyone from specific groups on the same playing field. Lastly, if you’ve had this impending worry that certain guests have certain expectations about your day, a microwedding nips this fear of judgement in the bud. (Though nobody’s opinion about your wedding will ever matter, besides your own!)

2. The ability to chart your own course

A micowedding allows you to customize your wedding aesthetic and experience in ways a larger fete might not allow. You can work with your planning + design team (like us!) to develop elements that are a true reflection of you… maybe that means sourcing handpainted ceramics from Venasque where you shared your first vacation together or perhaps it means extra wooden fans for the ceremony, etched with illustrations that represent different chapters of your story. Ultimately, a smaller guest count means unbridled creativity in the storytelling department. It means that you can have the finest of the fine florals, décor, creative artisans and even venues. And it means that you can connect to the soul of your individual histories, your relationship together and your future looking forward with much more depth than you could with a larger soiree.

3. The most unique venues at your disposal

Does your heart expand at the idea of a mid-summer night’s feast surrounded by rows of dahlias in a colorful flower farm? How bout a cliffside ceremony in Turkey, a rice fields cocktail hour in Thailand or a pebbled beach after party in Positano? If your heart craves adventure and you long to give your guests a truly unexpected celebration, small weddings afford you a whole new world of unique venues for the sheer guest cap alone.

4. Booking your dream team of wedding vendors

And just as more venues are able to open their doors to you, you’ll find more of your dream wedding vendors able to serve you as well. Not only do creatives have a penchant for adventure and bespoke multi-day events in general, you may find yourself able to invest in more luxury services than you would otherwise.

Without a larger percentage of your wedding budget being committed sans flexibility to food + beverage minimums, hefty rental orders and other equipment needs, you can put the focus on booking your dream photographer (maybe even going for the honeymoon session to boot, because yes, please!), securing a floral designer with impeccable creativity + access to the freshest, most unique blooms and even investing in a full-service planner and designer who can not only collaborate with you and offer wildly creative ideas + expertise, but who can foster an unforgettable planning experience along the way and ensure the entire wedding celebration exceeds your dreams. The right vendor team is always worth the investment, and microweddings bring you one big step closer to working with your dream team. Trust us!

5. Enrichment of your guest experience

The meat is in the moments. And one of the easiest ways to elevate your guest experience is by giving them more time. Consider this: have you ever been to a wedding where you didn’t even get a chance to congratulate the couple, much less have a conversation with them? Did you take time off your busy work schedule to be there for them? Did you travel to celebrate with them? Or probably… alongside them?

Connection is key on the wedding day! Connection with your spouse, and connection with the loved ones that made sacrifices in their own lives to be there for you. They love you, and they want to cherish this celebration and this time and this energy with you. So by giving them the gift of time and attention, whether it’s a multi-day event or a family style evening under the stars, you’re creating shared moments that everyone will treasure forever. You don’t miss anything. They don’t miss anything. There is fulfillment and depth and love all around.

It should be said too that when you eliminate the task of visiting dozens of tables at the reception to try to greet all your guests, you give yourself more time to actually enjoy the dinner and the dancing. You can have those moments together as a couple that are present, not just going through the motions for formality’s and etiquette’s sake.

So if anything from this narrative sticks, let it be this: the meat is in the moments. Don’t miss them!

6. A luxurious and indulgent honeymoon

For fellow travel addicts and explorers of cultural curiosities, we implore you to consider microweddings for the sake of your honeymoon too! Even if you book your dream team of vendors and plan the ultimate bespoke wedding experience in the most idyllic location, with the most personalized design elements and surprise + delights, you probably have a bit more to invest in your honeymoon now too. Whether it means expanding your itinerary, rethinking your accommodations (hello, Belmond life!), enriching your days with experiences that immerse yourself in the local culture or even tacking on bucket list activities like a luxury sleeper train through the Scottish Highlands, we’re betting you just become that much more ecstatic about your honeymoon escapades to come.

Long story short, less is more. In every sense! Microweddings allow you to craft a personalized, indulgent and connected experience that’s resplendent in beauty and memories, in ways you might not achieve otherwise. And so we will continue to sing the praises of this idea til kingdom come! If this idea resonates with you and you want to learn more or share your wildest daydreams with us, please drop us a line! We offer a micro weddings service that is tailored specifically for couples wanting a more intimate day. There’s nothing we love more than the bon vivant approach to life, so don’t hold back on what this means to you.

Til we meet again…

Xx,
Haley

All photos by Brian D Smith Photography with planning + design by Willow & Oak // See the full gallery and vendor team here!