Article Featured on WPIC – Wedding Planners Institute of Canada Blog
There is no doubt that intimate weddings are becoming the new trend, because, yes, we’re forced to have small weddings due to Covid-19. But just because you’ve no choice but to have a small wedding if you want to tie the knot this year, you can still make your wedding top-notch and unforgettable for you and your guests. You can still make it fun and meaningful. Your small wedding will be even more one-of-a-kind, less cookie-cutter and can be full of surprises for your guests! Even if you’re reading this blog post after the coronavirus has come and gone, here are 10 ways you can consider to make your intimate wedding the best and most memorable wedding your guests have ever attended.
1.
Creative Wedding Location. There are many unique and beautiful locations that cannot cater to large weddings. With a small guest list, you now have many more out-of-the-box choices where you can hold your wedding celebration. Think of it as more than a one-day event, perhaps a cottage by the lake for the weekend would be super fun. A beautiful hotel balcony, a museum, the restaurant where you had your first date, a small barn or a lavender farm? Let your imagination go wild!
2.
Hand-delivered Invitations. Deliver your wedding invitations yourself to your guests. You can include with your invitations a box full of treats your guests love. They can be edible or non-edible but practical tiny home items. Or perhaps it’s something that has to do with the wedding location. If you’ve decided to celebrate your wedding on a lavender farm, you can include a lavender essential oil with the invitation or a cute pouch of lavender potpourri. Be creative.
3.
Circle of Love. When you say your wedding vows and your “I do’s”, make it nice and short so that you can do without the chairs. Invite your guests to stand in a circle surrounding the two of you, how special is that! Remember, if you do have elderly guests, have a couple of chairs ready, just in case their feet get a little tired.
4.
Splurge on Flowers. If you love flowers, you can now splurge on your flowers without having to worry about centerpieces for the 25 guest tables. You can go top-notch for your sweetheart table floral, creating a beautiful backdrop for photo ops. If you’re doing family style dinner seating arrangements, you can have a beautiful river of luxury flowers running the entire length of the rectangular tables. Double Duty. If you’re doing a flower garland along the center of these tables, you can have the florists make the flower garland separately in smaller vases or vessels so that your guests can easily take them home at the end of the wonderful evening. The possibilities are endless when it comes to floral design. And we can surely help with that <wink>
5.
Love Notes. Write a little note or handmade card to each of your guests to express how much they mean to you and how much you love them.
6.
Your Fave Dishes. Curate a wedding menu with dishes that mean something to you and your hunny. Then print, or even write, menus with a little description of why the two of you love each of the dishes you have chosen. Perhaps a favorite dish you always cook together, a dish you’ve tried and fell in love with on one of your trips, or the dish you had on your first date or night of the wedding proposal.
7.
Personalized Favors or Gifts. Choose a wedding favor you can personalize each of your guests’ names or monograms on. Instead of having the same favors for all your guests, you can also consider choosing gifts that are personalized to each one of them.
8.
Video Guestbook. Instead of the boring traditional guestbook that means nothing, have your guests do a video guestbook instead. With fewer guests, each one can take their time to record their congratulations, well wishes and advice as you start your journey as newly weds.
9.
Surprise Performance. With a small guest list, maybe you can have the budget to hire a special performer during dinner. A talented magician, a flair bartender, a fire-eater, or a caricature artist! Tip: I love the idea of having a caricature done of each guest this can double as the wedding favor; a big wedding favor!
10.
Mini Album. Hire a talented photographer to snap lots of pictures of you and your guests. After the wedding, make a mini coffee table photo album for each of your guests for their keepsakes.
Hope the above ideas can inspire you for your own intimate wedding and have to make it unforgettable. Do let me know in the comments which is your favorite idea and what other ideas you have to inspire others as well!
If you’re not yet convinced why you should have an intimate wedding this year, check out my blog on the 7 Benefits of Have an Intimate Wedding.
