7 Ways Micro Weddings Can Save You Money & Stress
Not everyone wants a huge wedding but they still want to share their big day with their friends and family. That’s where micro weddings come in.
A micro wedding is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a wedding ceremony and reception with a maximum of 50 guests. Essentially, it’s a more intimate version of the celebration that still encompasses all the usual elements.
It’s common knowledge that weddings are as exhausting as they are enjoyable. Booking a suitable venue, finding a marriage officiant, organizing flowers, constructing a menu for the reception, and dealing with inevitable friction between feuding relatives all demand a huge amount of time, money, and mental effort.
On the other hand, planning a micro wedding involves just a fraction of this stress. Fewer guests require less space, less food, and results in a lower risk of interpersonal drama.
If you are in the beginning stages of planning your big day, we’ve put together a list of seven ways that having a micro wedding could save you money and stress.
1.More Venue Options
It’s pretty obvious that having no more than 50 guests allows you access to many more venues—smaller and cheaper venues, in particular.
2019 research showed that in the USA the average cost for a wedding was $28,000, excluding the engagement ring. The bulk of that amount was spent on the venue. Some sources suggest that the cost of a micro wedding could be less than $10,000.
With a maximum of 50 guests, your venue options are significantly broadened.
A small hall, somebody’s garden, or even a beach could be excellent potential spots for both a small ceremony and reception.
2.Fewer Guests = Less Food
Organizing a caterer for your wedding can be an intensely stressful process because you need to take so many things into account.
Accommodating vegetarians, vegans, those who follow religious dietary laws, people with allergies, and picky children is difficult at best.
Catering for larger weddings can be exorbitantly expensive, and that’s not even counting the drinks.
3.Simplified Guest List
Family get-togethers seem to bring out the worst in some people – think of those dreaded Christmas dinners eaten in stony silence or Thanksgiving that have ended with someone storming out the door.
Weddings are no exception.
In-laws are notoriously difficult, and getting married is the ultimate test of the relationships between two families.
If you’re having a micro wedding then your guest list is automatically cut to 50, or less. That still amounts to quite a crowd. But by opting for a micro wedding you can give yourself permission to invite who you want, not who you’re supposed to.
4.Easier To Organize In General
It almost goes without saying that organizing a micro wedding is usually easier than putting together a traditional one.
Many couples spend months (sometimes even over a year) planning their big day, only to be disappointed when the event itself doesn’t live up to their expectations. People book venues months in advance, go through a range of caterers to find the perfect one and spend days agonizing over who to invite.
A micro wedding also requires planning but scaling down definitely makes things easier financially and logistically.
5.A More Manageable Wedding Party
The maid of honor, best man, bridesmaids, and groomsmen are a traditional part of western weddings. Kitting out your bridal party, however, has become something of a mammoth expense in recent years.
If you’re having a micro wedding it makes sense to have a smaller wedding party, which obviously cuts down expenses if you’re planning to pay for suits and dresses yourself.
Coordinating outfits can also be an arduous task if you’re trying to dress several different people. Finding a style and color to suit everyone is extremely tricky and can even lead to friction between the bride and bridesmaids.
6.The Table/Seating Plan
Putting together a seating plan for your reception is just as laborious as choosing who to invite. Even in the most relaxed family you’re bound to have a few mismatched characters. Getting everyone seated in the right spot requires careful strategy.
Cutting down the number of guests automatically makes that a little easier, and also opens up different options regarding creative seating plans.
With less than 50 guests in attendance, you can easily set up a number of smaller tables to ensure that everyone has sufficient breathing room, both physically and socially.
A micro wedding is definitely more intimate than the banquet-type parties with hundreds in attendance. Guests are more likely to mingle in a more relaxed atmosphere.
7.Less Stationery Required
Fewer guests mean less food, less mess, and overall less stress. It also means that you don’t need a whole lot of stationery.
Save the dates, invitations, and place settings cost more than you might think, so keeping them to a minimum is a great money-saving move.
If you’re looking at a larger wedding of more than 75 or 100 guests, wedding invitations alone can total up to $275, according to some sources. Add in save the dates, reception cards, place settings and you’re looking at a few hundred dollars, at least.
Cutting down on this expense also means you can make them more personal.
8.When Size Really Counts
Planning a wedding is often so stressful that it puts a strain on your relationship—at a time when you’re meant to be celebrating it.
The day of celebration can end up as anything but celebratory when you’re surrounded by tipsy guests becoming louder and louder as the evening goes on.
A micro wedding provides the perfect alternative. It’s a more manageable and more intimate gathering that allows you to savor the moment and really connect to your new spouse.
9.To Bear In Mind…
A word of warning. If you have been planning a traditional wedding with more than 50 guests, take care not to blow your original budget on a micro wedding (assuming that you do want to cut costs).
The assumption that a smaller wedding costs less is only true if you don’t go overboard.
Small doesn’t mean boring, nor does it mean that your wedding will lose any of its magic. Micro weddings are a wonderful, intimate way to celebrate your big day with a lot less stress!
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