Image by  Fox and Film Photography

Have you heard the buzz about micro weddings? It’s no secret that the wedding industry has changed over the past few years. As couples decided to opt out of big weddings, we’ve seen a boom of smaller, more intimate affairs that include the couple’s closest friends and family. But because the term micro wedding is fairly new, you may feel confused about what the difference is between a micro wedding vs. a small affair. Lucky for you, we’re here to answer all of your burning questions to help you feel confident in planning the wedding of your dreams–whether big or small.

What is a Micro Wedding?

There’s a lot of confusing and conflicting information about micro weddings online, especially since they’re so closely related to what we’d refer to as an intimate wedding. In fact, micro weddings are intimate by nature. So, what gives? To start, micro weddings typically have less than 30 people—often less than 10, including vendors. 

As the couple planning the wedding, however, you have the power to define what micro means to you. It’s more about a mindset than a precise number of seats at the dinner table. The flexibility and intimate experience are exactly why we love them!

Image by Ana Hinojosa

Benefits of Hosting a Micro Wedding

Saves You Money

Having a minimony with your closest loved ones is one of the easiest ways to save money. Because you can go as big or small as you want, you have total control of all of the details. This means more freedom to splurge on the flowers you saw on Pinterest, the wedding photographer you’ve been dreaming of for years, or the meal that’s had your mouth watering since the moment you tried it. It also means that you can host a wedding weekend with some of your favorite people. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Gives You More Time With Your Guests

While we adore larger weddings, finding time as the newlyweds to chat with all of your guests is nearly impossible. They’re there to celebrate you and having the opportunity to enjoy their company can help you and them feel more fulfilled by the end of the night.

Easier Planning

Of course, when planning a wedding for 15 vs. a wedding for 150 people, the planning becomes much easier. You have more options for the venue, seating charts are easier to create, there are fewer dietary restrictions, and you’ll deal with a lot fewer opinions from outsiders. This means you’ll be able to tie the knot in a shorter timespan too if you’d like.

A lot More Personal

As we just mentioned, there’s something about a micro wedding that is far more personal and intimate than a larger wedding. You get to soak up spending time with your loved ones and you can really tailor the day to you and your fiance.

Image by Tahnee Jade Photography

Tips for Creating Your Micro Wedding Guest List 

We know that one of the hardest parts about planning a micro wedding is trimming down your guest list. You don’t want anyone feeling left out on your special day, but you also need to make the tough call to leave some people out. First and foremost, it’s important to remember that there’s beauty in only having the people who are closest to you celebrating the special day together. 

When organizing your guest list, think about this one question: which guests can you not imagine your wedding day without? Those are the people who are most vital to you. Whether this is your aunt who has treated you like one of their own your entire life or your childhood best friend, these are the people you first called when you got engaged. Or the one’s that you’d share any big life news with, for that matter.

What to Wear to Your Micro Wedding

While you’re in a mindset to break tradition, it might be fun to think about wedding outfits that would best reflect your personal styles. We love colored wedding dresses and suits, jumpsuits, and short gowns—aka any outfit that can be made unique to your day. However, if you’ve always envisioned yourself in traditional wedding attire, that’s okay too. It’s your wedding day, which means you can do whatever you want. Multiple outfit changes, anyone?

Recommended Reading: Affordable Wedding Dresses Under $1000

Micro Wedding Ideas

Whether you choose to make your day special with catering from your favorite restaurant, a scavenger hunt for your guests, or a weekend-long celebration at an Airbnb with your friends and family, it’s sure to be a day where you make extraordinary memories spending quality time with those you love most. 

Destination “I do’s”

Why not turn the most special day of your life into a vacation? Choose from a beachy getaway or a mountainous trip complete with plenty of hiking and kayaking, bringing everyone you love with you on a small trip to celebrate you and your significant other is the perfect way to start married life together.

Rent An Airbnb

If you’re more than happy getting married in your hometown or you don’t want everyone to have to travel for your wedding, consider making the party last longer than a day by renting an Airbnb. This way everyone that you’ve invited can stay under one roof to keep the spirits high for multiple days. We can’t recommend one with a pool enough. There’s nothing better than a post-wedding brunch and pool day.

Recommended Reading: Micro Wedding Decor For Every Wedding Style

Incorporate a Unity Ceremony

Because your guest list is so small, don’t be afraid to incorporate your loved ones into your micro wedding ceremony through a unity ceremony. Some of our favorites include passing around your rings for everyone to hold and send their well wishes or a group shot or cheers. You may also feel so inclined to invite everyone to participate in readings of their favorite love poems, passages from a book, or quotes.

Post Wedding Celebration

If you’re not interested in getting an Airbnb or just can’t seem to find lodging that you enjoy, consider planning fun adventures or activities with your guests after you’ve exchanged vows. From renting a boat, a helicopter ride, a bonfire, or karaoke, the after-party ideas are endless.

Image by Julia Loglisci

Micro Wedding Questions

How Much Does A Micro Wedding Cost?

The cost of a wedding–whether it’s micro or large–is going to vary depending on the vendors you hire. For example, some venues have all-inclusive packages which can save you thousands of dollars. It’s entirely up to you on the areas in which you splurge and save. In general, a micro wedding, however, will likely cost you around $10,000-$15,000. We know that’s a hard pill to swallow but that’s almost half of what a traditional wedding costs.

Free Download: Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

Is A Cocktail Ceremony Necessary At A Micro Wedding?

Because the wedding is much smaller than a traditional wedding, you don’t need to worry about a cocktail hour too much. It is important, however, to remember that if you’re going to take portraits after your ceremony, you should offer light refreshments for your guests so they have food and drinks to enjoy while you take photos.

Do You Need A Wedding Planner For A Micro Wedding?

Choosing a wedding planner for your minimony is a personal choice. Chances are you’ve never planned a wedding before, so even though a micro wedding is smaller, there are a lot of logistics that you may not know to think about. We’re firm believers here at Junebug that wedding planners can help give you the wedding of your dream, no matter what size.

Recommended Reading: 8 Reasons You Should Hire A Wedding Planner

There is a lot of conflicting information online about how to host a micro wedding. We hope this post helped cut through some of the noise and stress. Micro weddings don’t have to be dull and they are certainly anything but small. These opulent celebrations may have started because of COVID, but this is one trend that will be sticking around. 

Ready to plan your intimate wedding? First check out our wedding planning guide, which has every wedding resource you could possibly need, then check out these eight micro wedding reception ideas!

Image by Emily Delamater Photography