|| the planner ||
( not -so-micro )
Takeaways
The overall theme ? Less is more .
More Money
Many a couple has taken out a loan or added to their credit card bill in order to afford a large and lavish reception . But when you take the ‘ large ’ factor out of the equation , not only are you less likely to go into debt , but you are also more likely to have extra cash to invest in other just-as-important life facets . Think : putting a down payment on a house , paying off student loans or creating a college savings account for ( present and / or future ) children .
“ We loved having a small wedding because we were able to cash flow it and not go into debt for the wedding or honeymoon .” — Paige and John
“ We ’ re planning to take a more extensive honeymoon with a portion of the money we had initially intended to spend .” — Julia and Chris
“ All of the money we saved was definitely a silver lining . We had a long engagement and had consciously saved throughout to lessen the financial hit hosting our big day would take . With such a smaller guest list compared to what we had originally planned for , we were able to go all out with the same vendors and save all of the remaining money we would have spent . We are now looking at buying our dream ‘ forever home ’ just shy of eighteen months after our wedding day with all the money we saved .” — Courtney and Matt
More Creativity
While couples can choose to throw out the rule book no matter their wedding size , a smaller affair tends to lend itself more easily to shirking tradition . If you ’ re so inclined , stop trying to make that impossible seating chart work and instead focus your efforts on details that will mean the most to you and your partner at the end of the day .
“ Originally , we planned to have a full cocktail hour , catering , open bar , etc . Instead , with the help of family and friends , we created our own cocktails , appetizers and dinner , and Chris ’ sister , Kelsea , crafted a beautiful wedding cake .” — Julia and Chris
“ Choosing Beavertail State Park played a unique role because my mother and father were married there , as well . And then , because of our small guest count , everyone had a meaningful and important part in the ceremony .” — Ariel and James
“ I think the best part of our micro-wedding was that we really got to make it our own . From making custom playlists for the trolley ride , to the intimacy of having just twelve people in a 2,000-seat cathedral , to having an extra special dinner at our favorite restaurant in Newport , everything was pure ‘ us ’ and totally not cookie cutter .” — Kari and Richard
66 | ENGAGED IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND 2022