A small wedding should still be a wonderful celebration and give the same sense of occasion as a large wedding would. The added benefit of a small wedding is the chance to create a truly intimate and memorable experience.
In this blog I will share 5 style-based tips for creating that incredible intimate wedding day.
Atmosphere
Tip 1 Create a romantic and intimate atmosphere. The easiest way to do this is through lighting. Lots of candles at different heights, lots of lights in a warm yellow white (as opposed to an LED colder looking bluer white light), a festoon above diners, lanterns around the dining area – there are lots of ways to achieve this.
Wedding Design
My second tip to creating a special small wedding is to think about the design fully. What I mean by this is to consider every element that your guests will encounter and use a consistent style throughout. This can take your wedding from a lovely ceremony and a nice meal to a full and memorable experience. So, consider entrances, pew ends, table plans, accessories, and table décor (just some of the details to cover).
Wedding Table Decor
Following on from the first 2 tips, using your chosen style consistently can elevate the experience for guests. Your table decor is key to translating this style. The same is true for a big wedding, but there are certain design elements that some couples cannot choose for a big wedding, due to the budget or the practicalities of replicating the look on a larger scale. So if the budget allows then it is your opportunity to get creative – upgrade your glassware and cutlery, upgrade your furniture choices to fit your style, include different textures with your napkins, linen choices, crockery, floral display etc.
The Personal Touch
Tip 4 for creating a memorable intimate wedding is to add the personal touch. When you have large guest numbers you may not have the budget nor the time to add extra details, that will mean so much to your guests and will elevate their experience. Whether it be including personal notes on place settings, personalised napkins or place names that guests can take with them, favours that represent you as a couple, polaroid photo opportunities to share or even menus printed on seed paper so guests can plant them at home to remember the wedding in months to come. These are all details that wouldn’t necessarily be possible on a larger scale but adding this personal touch is so achievable for a small wedding and makes such a difference.
Wedding Layout
Tip 5 for creating a wonderful small wedding is to think about your layout and therefore the furniture you would like to use/hire. The right layout and the right style of furniture can create the desired experience and atmosphere.
So think about...
How many guests do you have?
How do you want them to be seated?
Do you want the dramatic look of long tables or the more traditional round tables? (I happen to love square tables)
How do you need them to be seated? (Table plan, number of guests per table etc.)
Does your venue include furniture or are you hiring it in?
If hiring it in, consider the many options and choose the items that suit your desired style.
Don’t forget some soft seating for creating that intimate after dinner area or with the current situation this is a great way of providing distanced seating for guests.
I hope you have found this advice useful. In my next blog I will continue to offer more tips, but they will focus on the content of the celebration, to ensure a beautiful small wedding.
If you would like to know more about my services or discuss how I can help you then please contact me, we can have a chat and go from there.