Three Benefits to Consider of a Smaller Wedding
My husband and I are the second spouses of each other. We had both been married once before and both had gone through the “big party” for those marriages. Both ended in divorce.
On New Year’s Eve 1994, my husband proposed to me. I started planning the wedding by looking at bridal magazines – and frankly, they were anxiety-inducing. “Why You Must Have a Plated Dinner!” “Check Out These Handmade Pewter Place Cards!” “Have Your Guests Raving for Months About Your Reception!” “How Many Appetizers Are Too Much?!”
On Christmas night in 1995, nearly a year after getting engaged, we were driving home from my mother-in-law’s home and still no plans had been made. I told my husband, I was done. We ahd purchased a lovely home over the past year and I was more into making that a comfortable home. So I said to my husband, “I have an idea. Let’s call out closest friends, order a sheet cake and cold cut platters from Costco, find a rent-an-officiant, buy some champagne, and on New Year’s Day just get married in our living room.”
And that’s what we did a week later.
So let me say, for me – small weddings are ideal.
They may not be for you but at least let me give you three things to consider about having a smaller wedding while you also see pictures from Jessica and Tylor’s winter wedding in the Smokies that featured family, friends, and fun in a smaller package.
You have a better chance of remembering the day.
With a smaller guest list, you have the opportunity to create a more intimate experience both for you and those in attendance. You can spend quality time with each guest, engage in conversations, and share special moments with your closest family members and friends. Smaller weddings often allow for a more relaxed and personal experience, where you can truly connect with your loved ones and create lasting memories. So often I have had brides tell me after the fact that the day passed in a blur (and so thank God for the photographs) but they wish they had had the time to “be” there, something a big affair can prevent.
2. You will save money.
Huge, this is huge - the potential for cost savings. With fewer guests or fewer hours, you can significantly reduce expenses for things such as catering, venue size, floral arrangements, and, yes, photography (by the way, for photographers, videographers, and DJs, we’re less concerned about the number of guests and more about how many hours you need us). You may have the opportunity to allocate your budget more selectively and focus on elements that matter most to you, such as a knockout venue or a gourmet menu. And a more financially manageable wedding can enable you to invest in other aspects of your future together such as your first home (don’t forget to order that large canvas to hang over your fireplace, just saying).
3. You won’t be stressed.
I have met brides and grooms that did a lot of social planning for their Greek houses at college. Pulling together a sit-down dinner for 200 was a piece of cake for them. For the rest of us . . . oy! Planning a wedding, especially a large one, can be stressful and overwhelming. With a smaller, you can alleviate some of the stress and pressure associated with managing a large guest list, creating a budget, dealing with legal contracts, and coordinating complex logistics (”Who’s picking up Grandma? WHO IS PICKING UP GRANDMA?!”). With fewer people to accommodate or time to fill, you have more flexibility in choosing a venue, organizing seating arrangements, and managing the overall event. It can also be easier to handle last-minute changes or unexpected circumstances – yes, you-know-what happens, whether it’s bad weather or a power outage (I remember one wedding where we all danced with illumination from the headlights of a guest’s car).
What’s in the book she gave him? Oh, you know . . .
A more intimate celebration. Cost savings. Reduced stress levels. After all, it makes sense to focus on what truly matters: celebrating your love and commitment with the people who mean the most to you.
And can I say? Twenty-seven years later we are still together and . . . it was damn good sheet cake. Raspberry filling and butter cream. You just can’t go wrong.