If you are considering having a small, intimate wedding or even eloping, you aren’t alone. Modern couples are increasingly foregoing large, expensive weddings in favor of less traditional nuptial gatherings. Eloping in destination weddings with just a few close friends and family is also becoming more popular. Several factors contribute to the rising popularity of small intimate weddings:
Elopement Trend
Some couples are choosing to elope or have destination weddings with only a few close friends and family members. This allows for a more adventurous and intimate experience. Many people are prioritizing travel and other hobbies that create meaningful, lasting memories, and having an intimate gathering in an exotic or exciting location is one way people are doing this. Instead of spending thousands on fancy meals, elaborate decorations, and desirable venues, they are choosing to spend their money on travel and spending time together. For example, a simple Hawaii wedding on the beach coupled with a weekend spent exploring the destination as a group allows friends to spend more time together for the same amount of money, or less, compared with an elaborate one-day ceremony.
Cost-Effective
This may be the most tempting reason for having a small wedding. Simply put, little weddings are cheaper. By planning an intimate gathering, couples can allocate their budget more effectively, focusing on quality rather than quantity when it comes to details like venue, catering, and decorations. They can also choose to spend their money on other things like down payments for a new house or a longer, more memorable honeymoon, rather than spending thousands on one day.
Personalization
Other couples choose small weddings because they are more private. Intimate weddings allow for a more personal and meaningful experience. Couples can customize the ceremony and reception to reflect their personalities, preferences, and shared history.
This will also allow couples to spend more time enjoying their family and friends during the actual event because small weddings are all about being together and celebrating. With a smaller guest list, couples can spend more quality time with each attendee. This enables deeper and more meaningful connections, fostering a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere.
Reduced Stress
Planning a smaller wedding tends to be less stressful than organizing a large-scale event. There are fewer logistics to manage, and couples can focus on what truly matters to them without feeling overwhelmed. They can more easily pick and choose what to spend their money on and avoid the pressure of having a wedding that fits everyone’s expectations and traditional standards.
Intimate weddings shift the focus back to the couple and their commitment to each other. With fewer distractions, the ceremony becomes a more personal and emotional experience and this makes not only the planning phase, but the big day itself, less stressful and more personal, intimate, and focused.
Venue Options
Smaller guest counts open up a wider range of venue options. Couples can choose unique and unconventional spaces that may not be feasible for larger gatherings, such as private homes, gardens, or boutique venues.
Smaller weddings often offer greater flexibility in terms of date, time, and overall planning. This flexibility can be appealing to couples who want to create a unique and memorable celebration and who want to spend less time planning and more time enjoying each other and celebrating.
Cultural and Religious Reasons
In some cultures or religions, intimate weddings are the traditional or preferred way to celebrate marriage. Some couples may choose a small ceremony as a way to honor their cultural or religious beliefs.
Global Events
External factors, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, led many couples to reevaluate their wedding plans. Restrictions on large gatherings have prompted some to opt for smaller, more intimate ceremonies. Now, that trend seems to have continued as many people no longer see the point in spending tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours planning a big, dramatic gathering. Instead, the focus has shifted to quality over quantity and couples are seeking smaller, more genuine events with an emphasis on relationships.
Environmental Considerations
There are also environmental reasons to seek a smaller gathering. Couples who are environmentally conscious may choose smaller weddings to reduce their overall impact and conserve resources. Fewer guests mean fewer resources are consumed, less money is spent, and the event may have a smaller carbon footprint. Small gatherings are also more likely to involve local family and friends, reducing the amount of travel required for guests to arrive. Even seemingly unimportant things like the amount of dishes being washed and the number of lights needed can be reduced by having a more intimate wedding.
Quality over Quantity
Finally, people are having smaller weddings because they are choosing to focus on their priorities and change the way they think. Couples are increasingly valuing the quality of their wedding experience over the number of guests. Many people have realized that you can have a more satisfying experience if you carefully choose what your priorities are, spend money on those areas, and economize on other things.
This includes investing in high-quality photography, a gourmet meal, or a more elaborate honeymoon. For many people, having a large gathering is less of a priority than the location, photography, having a good time, or enjoying the day with people whom they intimately know. For others, the focus is on after-wedding priorities such as traveling as a couple or buying a first home.
Conclusion
Ultimately, the choice for a small intimate wedding is deeply personal, and couples decide based on their values, priorities, and the kind of celebration that resonates with them. For many people, having a small event allows them to prioritize and focus on the things that matter most to them while saving money, starting their married life without wedding debt, and creating lasting memories.