Although the average guest count of a Colorado wedding is currently around 130 people, smaller weddings are becoming more popular. And why wouldn't they be? There are so many benefits to having a smaller wedding.
Photo by Charles Engelbert
The Financial Benefit
A smaller wedding can equal major savings. There is the obvious savings in the food and beverage department simply because there are fewer mouths to feed. But there are some other savings that might not necessarily come to mind right away. For example, there can be some major savings on your wedding venue. This is because you can get more creative with the location of your wedding because you now have more options. Maybe a restaurant, bed and breakfast, vacation rental or even your home is a viable option. Instead of dropping thousands of dollars on a venue, you might only have to meet a food and beverage minimum. In some cases, the location could be completely free.
Photo by Charles Engelbert
More Intimate
Having everyone you ever met at your wedding can be overwhelming. And some couples experience the awkward encounters with guests they don't even know because family gets involved with the guest list. That is why an intimate gathering of immediate family and close friends can quickly become a need rather than a want.
It's in the Details
Let's be honest, you start off wedding planning with thousands of pinned images displaying all the cute and unique details you want to incorporate into your own wedding. But, as planning progresses you quickly realize that those details are becoming impossible. That's because there isn't enough time or desire to process 150 jars of jelly from the strawberries in your garden or hand tie vintage ribbon around all those dinner napkins. However, when you can count all guests on your fingers and toes, those same tasks become more obtainable both from a time perspective and a monetary one.
Photo by Catherine Lea Photography
Uniqueness
Ballroom weddings are beautiful but I'm partial to a micro-wedding in an aspen forest, mountain cabin, alongside a river, or in an actual working barn for example. When you have a couple dozen guests you can think outside the box. You can add adventure to your wedding like a horseback ride to the ceremony site. Your grandmother's set of vintage carnival glass can be used at dinner. And, you can pick a location that speaks more to your personalities rather than the ability to accommodate your guest count. Weddings become more memorable and special when there are unique elements to them.
Photo by Lizzie Tilles
Reduce Stress
If you are already feeling the stress associated with a wedding try to take a look at your guest count. Are you finding it hard to imagine yourself exchanging vows in front of an audience? Is eating chicken from a buffet line not sitting well with you? Are you anxious about remembering all the names of your partner's second cousins? Is your hand already cramping just thinking about all the invites you need to address? What about obtaining those addresses in the first place? If you answered yes to any of those scenarios then perhaps reducing the size of your wedding will reducing your stress.
Micro-weddings aren't for everyone. But for many, an intimate gathering of 25 or less people just feels right. For more information about micro-weddings in Colorado contact krysta@elevationweddingsandevents.com. Micro-weddings might be exactly what you are looking for when celebrating your big day.