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Intimate wedding | small wedding in 2022 can be magical

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New wedding trend in 2022: small weddings

I think we can agree that small weddings are becoming increasingly popular. We also notice this at the weddings that we get to photograph: people are getting married more and more often with a small group. In America they call it a Micro Wedding, here we would rather call it a mini wedding.

Maybe you want to get married small, because a party is not for you anyway. Or because Corona has made you decide that this big wedding is not necessary at all. We can all use a little inspiration, right? If you want to see examples of an intimate wedding, just click on the link.

1. Choose your guests consciously

The nice thing about an intimate wedding is that you can really talk to each other. For example, you are with 20 to 30 guests and during the congratulations, the reception and dinner you really have the time to speak to each other. During the ceremony, depending on the location of course, people sit quite close so they can see everything and people can also speak to each other during the day.

You can actually read this blog post in two different ways. Should you get married in the fall or winter, hopefully “after Corona or Covid-19”, there’s not super much different than during Corona time. The only difference is that the “one and a half meter” aspect is dropped. So take advantage of these tips.

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Small guest list for your micro wedding

Who exactly should you ask? Well either you guys know right away who should come, or look at the people you talk to most often. For example, who do you talk to every week or every month? Who have you actually spoken to in the last 12 months? A colleague of mine once told me that he only invited people who had sent a card at the birth of his child.

2. Invisible on your wedding day

An additional benefit may be that you are a little less “in the spotlight” when you marry on a small scale. Because even now you attract attention, but the group is a little closer to you. You’ll never be invisible, but you’ll get used to being a bride and/or groom a bit faster. Those personal speeches, from your guests to you or maybe from you to each other, will be a little less nerve-wrecking. Bonus!

The kiss takes place right after the betrothal.

3. Two families come together

You have a chance of both your families really getting to know each other through this. Your parents might also get congratulations and they, like you, don’t have to congratulate those 60+ people. Time left for good conversations. I always think it’s so great to see when parents look each other up and have a chat. Just because it can and this day is such a unique moment.

Also good to know: a while back we wrote a blog post about tips from couples for your wedding day. Recurring theme? Choose what you two find important for your wedding day… so don’t necessarily go along with “musts”, also in terms of who you should invite to your wedding day.

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4. Getting married without a party?

Many couples marry without an evening party. Bridal couples choose to have an elaborate dinner instead of a party with a lot of extra guests. The nice thing about those dinners is that there is a lot of time for personal speeches. Those words that might not otherwise be spoken so quickly might now be said. The most intimate moments can happen this way.

If you like live music, arrange for a live singer. Intimate atmosphere guaranteed!

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5. Intimate wedding location

It is also useful to think carefully about where you want to get married. For example, would you choose to have your wedding in the backyard? Or do you have a location where you can easily create an intimate setting? Or did you originally plan a big wedding and now you want to get married in a small group?

For example, some venues also have rooms or halls where you can be together in a much more atmospheric way. For example, a large wedding hall where you can be with many guests during the day, but a small vaulted cellar where you can stay with a small group.

At the time we chose for a daytime wedding ceremony in the greenhouse of De Woeste Hoeve in Hoenderloo. There were 21 of us at the ceremony. Of these, about 12 people remained during dinner. We could therefore dine at one long table, with an atmospheric fire in the background.

It’s a bit like getting married without a fuss: very small-scale.

Dinner at an intimate wedding. Guest gives speech.

Or a party on a different date?

And do you want a party, but you hesitate… you could also marry on Friday, with intimate company and then have a party on Saturday. The festivities will start later in the day, so you can sleep in and have time for each other and your nearest and dearest. Then you continue with the preparations for “day two”. We experienced this earlier this year: the couple got married on Friday with a total of 10 people and celebrated the day after with family and friends. Or marry intimately now and have a nice party in 2022. Be creative ;)

6. A different schedule

At a wedding with a small party, where you are therefore unlikely to have an evening party, the day’s schedule is also likely to be different. Since you don’t have a “deadline” by which the food must be ready, you can really take your time with dinner. I’ve also heard from conversations with wedding planners that a smaller party takes less time to “manage” anyway. When you have 200 guests it can take quite a lot of time to get them from a to b. An intimate wedding is just a little easier in terms of planning.

Sample wedding planning without a party

11:00 start preparations

14:30 first look + possible photoshoot

16:00 wedding ceremony

17:00 Toast, drinks and possibly cake

19:00 dinner (5 courses, including speeches)

22:00 end of the day

Mini wedding party

At a “party wedding” the food is often ready at 20:00 and so you are automatically at the table at 17:30 or 18:00. So this means that everything else has to take place before that. A day therefore soon begins around 9:00 (in terms of preparations) and sometimes earlier.

But for a wedding without party, with a full evening dinner, you can also sit down at the table at 19:00. And then it’s pretty much possible to start a little later in the day .This way you can also schedule the wedding ceremony a little later in the day. This can be very useful on hot summer days ;) Or a wedding ceremony with a setting sun…. Now that’s romantic!

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7. Any thoughts on an “elopement”?

You could also get married super small… and you’d have an elopement soon anyway. Not like you read in those romantic books where you “secretly” get married without telling your parents. But you then marry together, possibly with witnesses, your parents (or both) and keep it really very mini. Also, you could get married alone with family (and the witnesses). It could even be done abroad, although the marriage may not be legally valid.

  • Be sure to check out this wedding of a couple who, through Corona, got intimately married on a boat.

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8. Do I need 1 photographer or 2 photographers for my intimate wedding?

We have had the opportunity to photograph weddings with 15 guests and then 2 photographers. That’s fine, especially when the couple likes to have lots of moments on the photo. So even for small wedding ceremonies we like to get together. But if you have a maximum number of guests than 1 photographer is certainly a possibility.

TipDo you hesitate between two photographers for a part of the day or one photographer for the whole day? Then choose the last option, because then you have photos of the entire wedding day.

Want more info on having 2 photographers at your wedding? Then click on the link.

9. Great for your budget, such a small wedding

Yeah, sure, it saves money too. A big party costs money. After all, you have a lot of guests, those guests eat and drink with you and you often want a band or DJ as well. A full evening dinner also costs money, but the party is much smaller. And you were planning on having dinner anyway.

You will need less invitations, less thank you gifts (should you want that), less chairs during the ceremony (they cost money too), a smaller wedding cake and much more. So on balance, it can be quite attractive to have a smaller wedding. Disadvantage You also get less presents ; )

Tip: Should you move from a large wedding to a small wedding, for example due to the Corona measures, discuss with your booked suppliers how they can contribute to your wedding. Because I’m sure they’d be happy to help.

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10. Intimate wedding in times of Corona

I think having a small wedding can also definitely be a solution to this Corona time. After all, a more intimate setting is much easier for many wedding venues to solve than a large gathering. Apart from the fact that it is not yet allowed to invite a large party.

A small group is easier to realize during the wedding ceremony, for example, because then you have fewer people to accommodate in the same room. And also a full evening dinner is easier to organize than a big party (where people have to stay 1,5 meter apart). And you can still have that party a year from now. Happy Anniversary!

Creative thinking

I can totally see it: a number of beautiful tables, per family or couple, beautiful flowers and in the background a nice live act in terms of music. Between the courses you can dance (again per couple or family) and in this way you have a special moment with meaning.

And would you like some more tips for a “Corona wedding”? Then check out this blog post on The Perfect Wedding. They’re writing about the think tank I’m allowed to be a part of. A think tank about the one and a half meter wedding, founded by wedding planner Vivian ter Huurne. Inspiration everywhere!

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Finally, for people who marry small

Are you having a small wedding and do you have other ideas you want to share? Please send me an email. I also found this American website super informative. And are you getting married and are you still looking for a great wedding photographer: let us know! Who knows, maybe we can be there.