You Can Fit Into Some Amazing Spaces
Need an amazing location for your ceremony? Of course you do! When you keep your wedding super small you can go some great places that mean a lot to you. This photo was taken at Black Beach, Silver Bay Minnesota. The entrance is a little off road and chairs wouldn't have been easy to set up in the black rocks. But when you have less than 20 people at your wedding? Standing up is easy and you don't need to provide chairs! There never would have been enough parking space for more than 15 or 20 cars and wouldn't have been able to nab super secluded Black Beach.
More Cash In Your Pocket
Look ya'll, I love Pinterest and sweet little details just like the rest of us but if you're like me, you're on a tight budget and expenses are adding up FAST! We live in a materialistic society. We feel pressured to provide dinner, a huge cake, name cards, free drinks. You name it. I'm here to tell you that you don't have to do all that. Pick a few things that stand out the most to you and spend your money on quality items that last. Cake? Each piece is eaten in a few minutes. Then it's gone. If you ditch all the unneeded stuff you have more cash in your pocket for the things that mean the most to you! I know my clients value photography that they can hand down for generations and would rather keep memories than 1,000 centerpieces.
Tip: Ask your guests in advance to pay for their own plates at a nearby restaurant or have a BYOM (Bring your own meat) grill in your back yard to celebrate your marriage!
Small Weddings Are Meaningful
My wedding only had 80 people on the guest list. Not that big. Still though, at the reception I found myself bouncing from person to person feeling obligated to have conversations with every single guest. People were popping in and out of my viewing range saying, hi, goodbye, asking questions. Everyone wants to see the bride and groom! As an introvert and a total nervous Nancy at big gatherings I found this duty as hostess completely overwhelming and I felt guilty by the next day, I barely got to talk to my uncle and even missed saying hi to my cousin who came all the way from Oregon! (tsk tsk, me.) But really, there is no time for that when you're starving from a long day, you've got people to see, champagne to drink and dances to dance.
I love this image of this intimate ceremony. The family got up to pray for this sweet couple and I know they got to see every single face at their wedding more than once. Save your energy and your time for the people who matter most and you'll find yourself having a meaningful day with the best of the best.
It's Private
Privacy means you don't need to worry about how to answer the awkward question "Where's my invitation?" I know you're uncle's monkey totally wants to come to, but you don't want to hurt his feelings when you hand invitations to everyone but him. Or if you need to keep this a secret, heck yeah! I will totally keep it a secret for you until you're ready to announce the news. Heaven forbid, if there was a tragedy in your family and sometimes a big party doesn't feel the same after trauma. There's lots of reasons for privacy and I get it. You won't get looks of judgement from me, just lots of love and excitement for you both!
