michelle-ryan-wedding-krabi-thailand-0580-s112047.jpg Credit: Erich McVey
So you’re not looking to throw an extravagant party-that doesn’t mean you have to elope at the courthouse. Consider the increasingly popular micro wedding, to which couples invite up to a couple of dozen close friends and family members. It may be difficult to narrow down your guest list that far-but if you can manage it, these small gatherings offer a special kind of intimacy. Sarah Toulouse, venue director/co-owner of Creativo Loft, in Chicago, has recently seen an uptick in couples desiring a more personal day that allows them to connect with individual guests. “You feel like you can socialize and talk with everybody,” she says. Of course, omitting so many people may hurt some feelings, which can be difficult. Still, the ease is appealing: fewer invitations to send and RSVPs to track; a table or two of people (no complicated seating chart!). “Having fewer guests basically eliminates an entire layer of stress,” says Amanda Buchanan, owner of Simple Day, in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can keep all the traditions of a larger wedding, or customize the event, doing only what’s meaningful to you. RELATED: YOUR WEDDING GUEST LIST ETIQUETTE QUESTIONS ANSWERED The trimmed head count can keep a budget in check, says Sonja Beazley Burch, owner and wedding planner at Intimate Weddings Napa Valley, in California. But savings isn’t always the goal. Burch points out that it can also free up funds for a luxury mini wedding. “Some couples spend a thousand dollars a head to have everything they want,” she says-which could include extraordinary local food and wine, a spectacular destination, expensive linens, or the bride’s dream gown. Toulouse designed one microwedding that involved a ceremony followed by brunch, a trolley ride to scenic Maggie Daley Park for mini golf, Chicago’s famed Architecture Foundation River Cruise, and finally dinner. Guests had come from all over, so the gathering doubled as a reunion and an excuse to travel. The bride and groom spoiled their guests-and spent their day just the way they wanted.
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
michelle-ryan-wedding-krabi-thailand-0580-s112047.jpg Credit: Erich McVey
michelle-ryan-wedding-krabi-thailand-0580-s112047.jpg Credit: Erich McVey
michelle-ryan-wedding-krabi-thailand-0580-s112047.jpg
Credit: Erich McVey
So you’re not looking to throw an extravagant party-that doesn’t mean you have to elope at the courthouse. Consider the increasingly popular micro wedding, to which couples invite up to a couple of dozen close friends and family members. It may be difficult to narrow down your guest list that far-but if you can manage it, these small gatherings offer a special kind of intimacy. Sarah Toulouse, venue director/co-owner of Creativo Loft, in Chicago, has recently seen an uptick in couples desiring a more personal day that allows them to connect with individual guests. “You feel like you can socialize and talk with everybody,” she says.
Of course, omitting so many people may hurt some feelings, which can be difficult. Still, the ease is appealing: fewer invitations to send and RSVPs to track; a table or two of people (no complicated seating chart!). “Having fewer guests basically eliminates an entire layer of stress,” says Amanda Buchanan, owner of Simple Day, in Raleigh, North Carolina. You can keep all the traditions of a larger wedding, or customize the event, doing only what’s meaningful to you.
RELATED: YOUR WEDDING GUEST LIST ETIQUETTE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
The trimmed head count can keep a budget in check, says Sonja Beazley Burch, owner and wedding planner at Intimate Weddings Napa Valley, in California. But savings isn’t always the goal. Burch points out that it can also free up funds for a luxury mini wedding. “Some couples spend a thousand dollars a head to have everything they want,” she says-which could include extraordinary local food and wine, a spectacular destination, expensive linens, or the bride’s dream gown.
Toulouse designed one microwedding that involved a ceremony followed by brunch, a trolley ride to scenic Maggie Daley Park for mini golf, Chicago’s famed Architecture Foundation River Cruise, and finally dinner. Guests had come from all over, so the gathering doubled as a reunion and an excuse to travel. The bride and groom spoiled their guests-and spent their day just the way they wanted.
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
` Martha Stewart Weddings View All
A Musical Festival and a Green Couch Inspired This Couple’s Whimsical Garden Wedding in California 9 Wedding Trends You’ll See Everywhere in 2023, According to Wedding Planners and Event Designers 7 Wedding Dress and Accessory Trends Every Bride-to-Be Needs to Know About in 2023 Princess Eugenie Is Pregnant With Her Second Child—and Is Due This Summer
Martha Stewart Weddings View All
Martha Stewart Weddings
View All
Martha Stewart Weddings
Martha Stewart Weddings
