Congrats! You just got engaged to the love of your life and you've begun planning the day that'll cement the commitment forever.
You've pinned all the decor inspo to your specially curated Pinterest board, you've emailed all the local venues, you've test-tasted the cake samples and shook hands with the catering chef, you've found the dress and coordinated the bridal party's attire when it hits you...
Is this what I want my wedding day to look like?
If the thought of planning a wedding for 150+ people makes you want to crawl into a cave and change your name (and not talking about your last name)... you might have already found your answer.
Maybe you've been calling it an elopement, but you're inviting 20 of your favorite people.
Or maybe you're planning a full wedding day, just without the 200-person guest list, three-hour reception, and seating chart that makes you question every friendship you've ever had.
Let's break it down!
What Is a Micro Wedding?
A micro wedding is essentially a smaller-scale wedding that still feels like a traditional wedding day.
There's usually a guest list, a ceremony, and some combination of the things you might expect from a traditional wedding—but on a much smaller scale.
There isn't one universal guest count that officially defines a micro wedding, but many couples consider anything from around 10 to 50 guests to fall into this category.
For my couples, I'm especially drawn to weddings with 35 guests or fewer.
Why?
Because that size allows you to celebrate with the people who actually matter most without spending your entire wedding day trying to say hello to 150 people.
A micro wedding might include:
- A ceremony
- Family portraits
- Wedding party portraits
- A beautiful dinner
- First dances
- Cake cutting
- Champagne
- Speeches
- Dancing
- All the little traditions you love
Just... fewer people.
And definitely less chaos.
What Is an Elopement?
Traditionally, the word "elopement" meant running away to get married secretly.
Thankfully, elopements have evolved quite a bit.
Today, an elopement can be an intimate wedding experience centered around the couple rather than a large guest list or traditional wedding structure.
That might mean:
- Just the two of you
- A few close family members
- Your immediate family
- A ceremony somewhere meaningful
- Exploring a new location together
- Writing personal vows
- Spending the day doing things you actually enjoy
An elopement doesn't have to mean sneaking away to a courthouse at 8 a.m. in long overcoats and sunglasses.
(Unless that's your thing.)
((Then absolutely go for it.))
The beauty of an elopement is that you get to decide what your wedding day looks like.
So What's the Difference?
Think of it this way:
An elopement is often centered around the experience.
A micro wedding is often centered around the celebration.
But there's plenty of overlap.
An elopement could have 15 guests.
A micro wedding could have only 10.
An elopement could have a reception.
A micro wedding could be a picnic in the woods.
There are no wedding police coming to issue you a citation for doing it wrong.
The labels are simply helpful ways to describe the kind of day you're planning.
What Does an Elopement Day Actually Look Like?
One of the best things about an elopement is that your entire day doesn't have to revolve around a traditional wedding timeline.
You might wake up together, have breakfast, get ready, exchange letters, and head somewhere beautiful for your ceremony.
You might hike to a viewpoint.
Have a picnic.
Go to the beach.
Explore a new town.
Read your vows somewhere meaningful.
Then spend the afternoon celebrating however you want.
Your wedding day can feel more like an experience than an event.
It's getting back to the foundation of marriage as a whole: the union of two humans who love each other unconditionally.
What Does a Micro Wedding Day Look Like?
A micro wedding can feel much more like a traditional wedding, but with breathing room.
You might have:
Getting Ready → First Look → Ceremony → Family Photos → Couple Portraits → Dinner → Toasts → Cake → Dancing
The difference is that you're doing all of this with the people closest to you.
Instead of spending your reception making the rounds to 150 guests, you might actually get to sit down and eat dinner with everyone at an intimate family-style dinner table.
Wild concept, I know.
Sounds pretty good to me.
Which One Is Right for You?
The answer depends less on a specific guest count and more on
how you want to spend your wedding day.
Questions to help you decide what's important to you
How do you want your wedding day to feel?
Do you want an adventure?
Do you want a quiet ceremony?
Do you want your closest family gathered around you?
Do you want a beautiful dinner?
Do you want to spend the entire day together instead of splitting your attention between hundreds of guests?
What If You Want a Little Bit of Both?
You absolutely can.
This is where things get fun.
You could have 20 guests at your ceremony, spend the afternoon exploring with your partner, and finish the day with an intimate dinner.
Or have your closest family there for the ceremony and then spend several hours adventuring together afterward.
Or get married at sunrise with five people and have dinner with everyone afterward.
Your wedding doesn't have to fit neatly into one category.
You can make up your own rules.
And if you're still having trouble deciding, or the terminology is throwing you off, we can walk through this journey together!
Why Are Couples Choosing Smaller Weddings?
For many couples, it's not about wanting a "smaller" wedding.
It's about wanting a more intentional one.
When you have fewer guests, you have more opportunity to actually spend time with the people who are there.
You can invest in the things that matter most to you.
Maybe that's an incredible dinner.
Maybe it's traveling somewhere you've always wanted to go.
Maybe it's photography.
Maybe it's having a beautiful ceremony somewhere meaningful.
Maybe it's simply being able to breathe.
Your wedding doesn't have to be impressive to everyone else.
It needs to feel meaningful to you.
And This Is Why I Love Photographing Them
Small weddings and elopements leave room for the moments that can easily get lost in a larger wedding.
The nervous hand squeeze before the ceremony.
The way your dad looks at you when he sees you for the first time.
The laugh you share during your vows.
Your friends crying during dinner.
The quiet moment when the two of you finally get to be alone.
The little things.
Those are the moments I want to photograph.
Not just what your wedding looked like, but what it felt like.
There's No "Right" Way to Get Married
Maybe your dream wedding is two people on a mountain.
Maybe it's 25 people around a dinner table.
Maybe it's a courthouse ceremony followed by champagne and photos around town.
Maybe it's a backyard wedding with your grandparents, your best friends, and a really good playlist.
It all counts.
Want to go step-by-step to help you decide?
I'm here for you!
Your wedding doesn't have to look like anyone else's to be beautiful.
And if you're planning a wedding with 35 people or fewer, an elopement, or something somewhere wonderfully in-between, I'd love to be there to document it.
Small does not equal less.
Sometimes, it means even more.
