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How to Craft an Intimate Wedding Even With a Large Guest List

August 31, 2021 | Junebug Weddings

Image by Nicola Tonolini. See more of this real wedding here.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! If you’re here, you likely have a lot of family and friends that you want to attend your wedding—which is amazing. It can be incredibly difficult to plan a wedding with a large guest list and still make the day feel intimate. Let us be the first to reassure you that you can create an intimate large wedding, even if your guest list is long. We promise.

From reception decor to the ceremony, we’ve compiled a list of seven ways to craft an intimate wedding with a large guest list. Scroll down and find the ones that best suit you, your partner, and your wedding style.

image by A’Daw Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Add Romantic Lighting

Depending on your venue, adding romantic lights can make your wedding feel more intimate. From string lights to candles, these dimmer light options can make even the largest venue feel cozy. Whether you make a wall of string lights or add fairy lights to the reception table, these cute options are sure to make your reception feel more intimate. 

Shop romantic lighting: Flameless Candle with Embedded String Lights ($26.99); Flameless Flickering Battery Operated Candles ($27.99); 24 Packs Fairy String Lights ($24.99)

image by Arina B Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Mix Up The Tables and Seating Arrangements 

If you’re worried about your guests sparking up conversations, try changing up your seating arrangement. Instead of having a few large family-style tables, try mixing in a few smaller circular or square tables throughout your reception space. This will make space for guests to be able to converse easily with each other and makes the entire space feel more inviting. It’ll also make it easier for you to talk to your guests and have enough space for a hug or two. 

Junebug Tip: 

Seat your guests with people they may not have met. How they know you and your partner is a great conversation starter and a great way for your guests to make new connections.

Make Your Intimate Large Wedding A Multi-Day Event

If it’s within your wedding budget, make your wedding a multi-day celebration. This allows you and your partner to give extra time to your guests so everyone feels like they got to spend time with you on your big day. You can have one day for the ceremony and another day for group activities.

wedding in a round seating arrangement

image by Autumn Nicole Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Involve Guests in Your Intimate Large Wedding

There are so many unity ceremonies that can allow your guests to feel more involved in you and your partners’ marriage vows. One great way to get your guests involved is a ring warming ceremony—both rings are passed around and everyone warms the rings with good wishes. If that doesn’t sound like your vibe, there are many other ways to involve your loved ones, like guest speeches or candle lighting. 

Add Personalized Notes On Escort Cards

There’s something so special about receiving a handwritten note from someone you care for. A personalized note on their escort card is a unique detail that will make your guests feel more included in your intimate large wedding. Even if you already planned to send your guests a thank you note for wedding gifts, use this opportunity to thank them for being there to celebrate your love. 

Shop blank escort cards: 50 Printed Foil Place Card ($103); Printed Place Card ($0.79+); Tented Green Leaf Escort Cards ($8.50+)

photo op or photo booth with a wedding book

image by Teri B Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Make Photo Booth or Photo Op Area

Speaking of photo opportunities, what is a wedding without good photo backdrops or a photo booth? Guests will love being able to take cute pictures with each other at the booth, or at your photo opp spot to share how they are celebrating your love. Plus, it will give you and your partner an excuse to take funny pictures with your guests and with each other. 

Junebug Tip: 

Get a couple of instant print cameras, like a Polaroid, and have guests add to a physical photo book during the reception. It’s a great way for you and your partner to relive the night through your guests’ eyes. Plus, they can take some photos home as a memento.

Shop wedding guest books: Wedding Guest Book Gold Foil ($48); Custom Wood Wedding Guestbook ($45); Velvet Wedding Instax Guest Book ($107)

lounge area for an intimate large wedding

image by Erika Diaz Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

Create A Lounge Space

It’s no secret that comfy couches and lounge chairs are a hit at weddings—they’re cute and cozy. Creating a lounge space for your guests encourages mingling, conversations, and the occasional break from the dance floor. Plus, a cozy lounge space can double as a cute photo opp. 

We want to send one more congratulations to you on your upcoming wedding. Large weddings can be so much fun and we hope these ideas will help create that cozy wedding you want. If the idea of having too many guests is starting to stress you out, you can always opt for a micro wedding ceremony and then host a large reception later. It’s your day. There are no rules so you might as well make it your own!

craft an intimate large wedding

image by Arina B Photography. See more of this real wedding here.

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Our Favorite ManiMe Group Manicures For Weddings

August 30, 2021 | riley
manime group order example

image provided by ManiMe

We’ve mentioned gifts for your bridal party that will make your photos better before and we’re here to tell you more about our new favorite addition to that list—ManiMe press-on nails. 

Ensuring your wedding party has salon-perfect nails for your wedding is a small touch that many couples don’t take advantage of. Getting manicures done before the wedding used to be a hassle but now you can do it at home with your wedding party, whenever you want with the help of our friends at ManiMe. The best part? You can do these high tech manicures in five minutes or less.

Who Is ManiMe?

Co-founder and CEO Jooyeon Song was tired of watching her nails be damaged by tools and drills while sitting in a salon chair for two hours in a chemical-filled room. She thought stick-on nails might be a good solution but quickly realized that they weren’t a seamless fit for her nail size. She mentioned these troubles to her Stanford Business School classmate, David Miro Lopis, who was excited and wanted to find a solution.

With that excitement, ManiMe was born. Today, Jooyeon, David, and the whole ManiMe team are on a mission to make manicures that are accessible, healthy, and as easy-to-change as your shoes. The gels last up to ten days and use proprietary 100% Korean gel that is 10-free, leaping bunny certified, and can be applied or removed without UV lights or harsh chemicals. 

ManiMe manicure shown on hand with wedding ring

image provided by ManiMe

How Does ManiMe Work?

ManiMe’s stick-on gel nails are impossibly easy to use. To get started, just snap a few images of your hands while holding a credit card (for size reference). Then choose your designs and check out. In four to seven business days they’ll ship gorgeous custom fit manicures straight to your door. 

Application is also seriously easy and takes less than five minutes. All you have to do is clean your nails, apply the custom-fit gels, press and smooth them onto your nail, clip or file off the excess, and then seal it with a top coat. Presto! You and your wedding party have salon-perfect manicures for your wedding day. 

manicure on a hand

image provided by ManiMe

Placing a Group Order

They’ve thought of everything when it comes to placing a group order. ManiMe makes it easy for you to coordinate everything your wedding party will need. Getting custom-fit gel manicures for everyone in your group takes four easy steps.

Step 1. Build Your Group Gift Kit

You’ll fill the group gift kit with all of your favorite manicures, pedicures, and nail care essentials.  You can choose anything from their gallery of over 100 different nail designs for the group. Many of these designs include beautiful nail art that was designed exclusively for ManiMe by professional nail artists. 

Keep in mind that you’ll get free shipping on kits over $30, so be sure to take advantage of that.

image provided by ManiMe

Step 2. Enter Your Groups’ Email Addresses

All you need to send these gifts are your recipients’ email addresses. That’s right, you can send these to as many recipients as you want without needing promo codes, and you’ll save up to 30%. 

With ManiMe’s group gift option, the more gifts you give the more you’ll save. So go big and consider including your future in-laws in on the fun.

image provided by ManiMe

Step 3. Your Recipients Redeem Their Gift Kit

Your wedding party will each receive a unique link to scan their nails with. After they’ve confirmed their nail scans, their gift kits will ship in four to seven business days. 

Step 4. Get Your High Tech Nails On

Gather your group together and have everybody do their nails together! This fun and easy step can happen in the week leading up to the wedding since these press-on gel nails last up to ten days.

All you have to do is clean your nails, apply the custom-fit gels, press and smooth them onto your nail, clip or file off the excess, and then seal it with a top coat. 

Order Your ManiMe Gift Sets Today

Avoid chipped polish in your wedding photos by gifting your wedding party salon-perfect nails with ManiMe. Get started on your group order today on their website.

ManiMe group manicure graphic

image provided by ManiMe

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Artistic and Intimate Tuscany Elopement

August 30, 2021 | Junebug Weddings

This intimate Tuscany elopement looks like it came straight out of a Nicholas Sparks movie— two people reading their vows with the fields as the witness to the love in their hearts. Chiara and Nicola wanted their day to be just about sharing their love with one another, and they did that beautifully. 

Before sunrise, Chiara and Nicola walked around the city of Florence to take in all the sights before heading back to Val D’Orcia to get ready together. Once the sun had risen, they headed to the Tuscan countryside where they exchanged their handwritten vows in a field surrounded by rolling hills. After a teary-eyed ceremony, they continued to explore until the moon rose, taking in their first moments as newlyweds. 

Scroll down to see more of this lowkey and intimate Tuscany elopement, as captured by Junebug member The Ferros. 

The Couple:

Chiara and Nicola

The Wedding:

Val D’Orcia, Tuscany, Italy

Wedding Planning Advice

We didn’t plan that much and we are so happy we didn’t because everything came naturally. All we did was make sure to choose the right season when Tuscany is slightly calmer and less touristy. Val D’Orcia is certainly among our favorite places. We stayed in an old villa in the countryside to enjoy as much nature as we could.

A Teary and Intimate Tuscany Elopement

Reading our vows to each other was more emotional than I thought—I was surprised by my own reactions. I was in tears after two seconds of Nicola reading his vows to me. It is definitely part of the day that I’ll never forget and will cherish forever.

Recommended reading: Whether you’re just reading your vows, or handwriting them, your wedding vow book should be just as special as the words that are in them. 

What It’s Like Working With The Ferros

Working with The Ferros was actually the easiest and most fun part of the day. Nico and Vinx are amazing people and great professionals indeed!

A Beautiful Tuscan Sunset

One of the most memorable moments of our elopement was the quiet walk we had at the very end of the night—it was truly special. We were alone in the middle of nowhere as the sun said goodbye, which gave us the most magical sunset we’ve ever seen.

 

 

The Wedding Team:

Photography – The Ferros
Ceremony Venue – Val D’orcia
Wedding Dress – Needle & Thread, MIDSUMMER GOWN
Groom’s Apparel – Hugo Boss
Rings – Cartier

 

Congratulations to Chiara and Nicola on their intimate Tuscany elopement. Thank you to Junebug member The Ferros for capturing and sharing this day with us. To see more of their work, check out their profile in our directory of wedding photographers from around the world! And to plan an epic elopement of your own, check out our ultimate guide to get started. 

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