The COVID-19 pandemic has left a lot of engaged couples questioning what they should do about their upcoming wedding. For many of those who had been planning larger weddings celebrations this year, knowing that they may need to pivot to a smaller celebration sounds like the right move. Couples have turned to micro weddings, elopements, and even online platforms like Zoom for weddings. The message here is that you still deserve to celebrate! It might not be your original plan, but it can still be an amazing day. Here’s why:
1. Have your tiny cake and eat it, too
Just because you are downsizing, don’t think that you don’t get all the great details you’ve envisioned on your wedding day. Think that because you are downsizing, you get to have them–and maybe even better than before! The favors you couldn’t splurge on for 300 guests you can now curate down for your intimate group of friends and family. Florals can still be spectacular and outfits can still be amazing. Maybe you’ll have the time to write handwritten notes to your handful of guests expressing how much it means to have them present with you on your big day. Instead of one large wedding cake, maybe every guest gets a mini cake? The options are endless.
2. Small wedding = big intimacy
For me smaller, more intimate weddings have always been very appealing to shoot. There’s just a more easygoing vibe at small weddings that really allows me to focus in on all those great candid moments happening between guests. Time passes so quickly on your wedding day, and knowing that you get to spend those special fleeting moments with your most dear friends and family is so important. Also, small weddings mean less stress to plan, and couldn’t we all use less stress right now? For those couples who were thinking they’d have to postpone until next year, you don’t have to wait. Marry your person this year, where you want, when you want. Love ain’t cancelled.
“I think one of the silver linings to come out of the pandemic is the explosion of elopements and micromonies. While they may not be the plan the couple initially envisioned, they offer such a more personal experience between the couple that they’ll cherish forever. Whether the opportunity to share more intimate vows or exchange them in a location that would have been impossible with a larger guest count, with a little imagination couples can truly turn them into a once in a lifetime memory to kick off their next chapter.” – Kelly Soule, of Kelly Elizabeth Events
3. Go someplace AMAZING!
Check out places that you might not have been able to host a larger wedding at, like nontraditional venues or unique intimate spaces. Many wedding venues are offering micro wedding packages to help couples during the pandemic–just reach out to them and inquire. For example the Trustees are offering “minimonies” packages at many of their beautiful properties in Massachusetts. Crompton Collective’s The White Room in Worcester is providing intimate wedding packages as well. But also think about nontraditional spaces in your community, such as restaurants, art museums, or, hey–why not rent a schooner and say “I do” on the deck overlooking the Boston cityscape?
4. Easier on the budget
Microweddings afford a lot more flexibility and they’re easier on the budget. According to The Knot, the average cost of a wedding in 2019 in Massachusetts was $43,600. That’s a LOT of passed hors d’oeuvres! The key is to narrow down your essentials: what are your must-haves? Maybe it’s a custom cake from your favorite bakery, or saying your vows in a place that’s meaningful to you both. Also, make sure you are being true to yourselves by creating a day that reflects you as individuals AND as a couple. This is true of large and small weddings. Maybe you don’t wear a white dress? Maybe you get ready together? Don’t be afraid to detach yourself from traditional customs you have been told you should have. Make your day uniquely you.
5. Technology makes it possible
For couples who had planned a larger wedding and now have had to downsize, not wanting to exclude those guests whom they’d originally invited has been a hard element to navigate. As a solution, many couples are turning to live-steaming their small weddings so that everyone they wanted to include but can’t due to state pandemic restrictions can now still be a “guest” on their wedding day. According to Vogue, “Zoom has become one of the go-to streaming services for work and social functions, and it has also pulled ahead in weddings. Zoom is user-friendly, and its burgeoning popularity means that plenty of people are familiar with how it works, making it a low-stress solution for many attendees.” Just think–Grandma can still be there, your best buds from college might have a few funny speeches they’d like to share, readings and musical performances can still happen, and you get to celebrate with everyone who you originally wanted there on your big day. And if you are lucky enough, maybe John Krasinski will officiate for you???
I’m very excited for my couples still getting married this year. If you are considering having a small wedding to celebrate your BIG love in the Boston or New England area, drop me a line. I’d love to be there to document this amazing day in your life.
xoxo Addie