In the midst of Covid-19, we are seeing more and more intimate weddings in the wedding industry. It's exciting to see that couples are still getting married and sharing the love to the world in the midst of Covid-19. What is an intimate wedding? And how is it different than elopement? And how to plan an intimate wedding? We have collaborated with Hannah from Like The Dazzling to give you this awesome information about how to plan an intimate wedding.
Intimate Weddings
Smaller weddings come by many different names including Small, Micro, Intimate and to some even classify as an elopement in certain circumstances. You may see these affairs being called different names based on guest size or location even. For the purpose of this post, we are focusing on what we will be calling an intimate wedding : comprised of 50 guests or fewer.
An Intimate Wedding is exactly as the name entails: a smaller scale celebration that is intimate in size and feel but still has all of the same elements of a larger scale event. One of the major differences between an Intimate wedding and an elopement is where the focus lay.
Elopements
An Elopement is generally focused entirely on the marriage. Back then, an elopement is associated with a secretive wedding, but nowadays, it is a ceremony-focused wedding. You can wear a wedding dress and tuxedo or say your vows in jeans if you feel like it. You can invite guests but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. Want to have an after celebration, great- but again maybe you don’t want to. An Elopement as you see comes with the freedom of choice and can be as simple or as involved as you see fit. An Intimate Wedding is for the couple who want the traditions of a ceremony and wedding reception but on a much smaller scale and often at a fraction of the cost.
Planning an Intimate Wedding
Planning an intimate wedding is one of the alternatives in the midst of Covid-19. Per CDC guideline, you can have gathering with less people while social distancing. So, how is planning an intimate wedding different than planning a wedding?
Generally speaking, the same elements that go into planning a large event go into planning an Intimate Wedding. While the guest count may be lower, you are still researching and contracting with a venue, photographer, caterers, florist, bar, entertainment and so forth. You still must research and send out invitations and account for a timeline and other logistics. The production level remains the same so we do recommend hiring a wedding planner to help keep your plans moving while minimizing stress.
"We always tell our clients that the best way to save money is to minimize the guest count."- Hannah
Benefits of an Intimate Wedding
We always tell our clients that the best way to save money is to minimize the guest count. When you have an intimate wedding, your cost per head items like catering, bar and in some instances rentals (think tables and chairs) goes down.
You also have the ability with a more intimate wedding to really focus funds towards the elements that matter the most to you. Just because you are downsizing guest count does not mean you have to or should skimp on decor and the beautiful elements that make your wedding unique. We’d even recommend splurging on specialty linens, upgraded tabletop items, splurging on customized wedding details, or a beautiful floral installation. These elements will really make your wedding decor pop and wow your guests and again are more affordable since you need less of them in your wedding’s intimate state.
If you’re hosting an intimate wedding because funds are tighter and you simply cannot splurge on decor elements, consider your venue thoroughly. For example: a ceremony in a beautiful manicured garden comes pre equipped with decor elements at no additional cost (in the right season of course). And don’t forget that hiring a wedding planner adds value to your planning because we have a wealth of knowledge and relationships to help you plan your dream wedding no matter the budget or size. A wedding planner will also help you plan your intimate wedding with extra pre-cautions per CDC guidelines so that you and your guests will feel safe on your wedding day.
Planning an intimate wedding in the midst of global pandemic will also makes social distancing easier to comply with CDC guidelines.
Hope these tips help your wedding plans come true. If you have to downsize to an intimate wedding because of Corona virus, check out our guide in the next blog post. Also, check out Hannah from Like The Dazzling to see how she can help you plan an intimate wedding!
Glorianna Chan
lead photographer at Glorious Moments Photography
A husband and wife, Atlanta Wedding Photographer + Destination Wedding Photographer team that is passionate about heartfelt marriage and a relaxed wedding day. Let us preserve your moments while you're enjoying it! Wanna know more about us?
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