How and why organize an intimate wedding?

How and why organize an intimate wedding?

We meet today for a subject that has been close to our hearts for a long time and which is more than ever in the news : How and why organize an intimate wedding ?

In the current context, some weddings will be postponed. But if you finally postpone only the festivities and keep your initial date for a small group wedding… The reunion for the BIG day will be even more appreciated and rich in emotions. You will be reunited with your family and friends in good health and all this time will be well and truly behind you. Finally, wouldn’t it be more important to say YES to your fiancé(e)?

Therefore, we have dedicated this article to the wedding in small groups. This article is obviously a wink to our future brides and grooms who had to postpone their wedding but who still want to maintain their initial date and do it in an intimate way. But it is also written for other future brides and grooms who are still hesitating to go through the step of a small wedding.

We are talking about intimate weddings, but please know that we are obviously not against “big” weddings. It’s just to show you that there are many ways to get married. The most important thing in all of this is to make choices in accordance with your values, your desires, your budget and especially to be in tune with your half.

©karraleigphoto /  ©reigningsupreme / ©brettandjessicaphoto

Indeed, there are many advantages to small group weddings, here is a short list of key points on :

  • Getting through the small wedding party stage
  • A simpler organization
  • A reduced budget
  • A list of guests to purify
  • The course of the day
  • Getting married in a small group: emotion guaranteed
  • A wedding where you want
  • Over several days…
  • Love always triumphs

– GET OVER OF THE MARRIAGE IN SMALL COMMITTEE –

Given the context (COVID-19), if you can keep the original date and turn it into an intimate wedding, go for it! Take the positive out of this situation and opt for a small group wedding or just the two of you. Of course, this should only be considered if the government allows it. In addition, intimate wedding has become increasingly popular. Indeed, the greatness of marriage does not make it beautiful. An intimate wedding gives you a wind of freedom. It is also, and above all, the best way to take full advantage of the people who are dearest to you and who will be present on the day.

– A SIMPLER ORGANIZATION –

Organizing a wedding takes a lot of time. If you don’t want to spend all your evenings organizing the big day, think of a small wedding, which requires less time and therefore less stress. You opt for a simpler and more fluid organization with a small group wedding. Indeed, fewer guests means less management of service providers, less time on invitations and reminders of your guests, no need to make a complex seating plan, etc … You can also make yourself (even) more fun: your choices will be more than ever choices of passion and not of reason.

As an example, organizing a wedding with 60 people and more involves an average of 1 year of organization. A small wedding can realistically be organized in less than 6 months. Be careful, if it is abroad, you must take into account the delays sometimes necessary for visas.

Step 1: Notify your guests (especially those who will NOT be invited since you are choosing a wedding in small groups)

Step 2: Calculate your budget 

Step 3: Choose a date and location 

Step 4: Send your invitations 

Step 5: Declare your celebrant 

Step 6: Select your wedding providers (caterer, photographer, videographer, etc …)

©jcloss_events / ©crémeuxphoto /  ©weddingpassiones / ©paulammcmanus 

– A REDUCED BUDGET – 

Getting married in a small group will reduce your budget considerably. The budget for a wedding with 20 rather than 150 people changes a lot (catering, furniture rental, room rental, etc…). Therefore, you will be able to allocate the difference to other projects, such as accommodating your guests for the entire weekend or a more luxurious honeymoon. As weddings in small groups are often less traditional, you can more easily opt for original culinary formulas: brunch, foodtruck, potluck, barbecue… Anything goes!

Several options for your culinary ambience: 

  • You can imagine a homemade buffet, which you will prepare yourself, offering dishes that come straight from your childhood, your memories or your region. This option will also be an opportunity to make beautiful winks to your loved ones. They will surely be touched by this menu that suits you! Please note that this solution is less expensive, but may require more time. We do not recommend it if you have more than 20 guests, the goal being to enjoy, not to work behind the stove!
  • Also, you can call upon an outside caterer to guide you and prepare a meal according to your desires. The meal can be cooked on the spot (in a chalet for example), delivered to you at the place of the ceremony or you can also pick it up yourself the day before if you choose a buffet. The caterers will adapt to your desires and your budget. In small groups, you can be more daring in the elaboration of your menu and opt, for example, for a “around the world on your plate” theme (if you are frequent travelers), a sushi bar, a chocolate fountain, a buffet that mixes your two cultures, a brunch, a chic picnic, and why not go even further and ask your caterer for a surprise buffet. 

Entrust your wedding buffet to Montreal’s renowned caterers. We advise you for your savoury table: Épicerie Conserva, Société Traiteur, Bréra Traiteur & for your sweet table discover in one of our articles the list of good addresses in Montreal for your wedding cake.

– CLEAN UP YOUR GUEST LIST – 

The guest list is perhaps the most sensitive subject to get through the wedding in small groups. The rigorous selection of your guests can become a source of anxiety and tension. With your spouse, take the time to draw up this list together. After all, this is your day, so imagine it the way you want it to be, with the people of your choice. Try to let go of any family pressure, and your loved ones who love you sincerely will understand. By daring an intimate marriage, you are unfortunately taking the risk of offending those around you. It is very important to take responsibility for your choice and to remind your loved ones of your desire for a simpler marriage. Be transparent to avoid any form of guilt on the day (this is not the goal). 

©harleenaphotographer

– THE COURSE OF THE DAY –   

For this type of wedding, the course of the day takes a slightly different turn from conventional weddings. The moments are much more intimate. The bride-to-be prepares herself alone or accompanied only by her mother or her bridesmaids to then join her future husband for the “first look”. The first look is a privileged moment when your partner discovers you in your beautiful dress for the first time, all immortalized by your photographer. Allow yourself this parenthesis for two. It will remain one of the most emotional moments of the day. Your ceremony will resemble that of a traditional wedding but with less blah and talk. Whether you are just the two of you or surrounded by a few loved ones, the key moment of the ceremony will be your exchange of vows. Declared in front of your maid of honor or eye to eye, these exchanges of vows are even more intense in intimate ceremonies. As it will not be necessary to plan a long photo session after the ceremony, you can go straight to the beginning of the festivities. The traditional group photos, sometimes laborious and interminable during a classic wedding, will give way to more spontaneous photos.

– GETTING MARRIED IN SMALL GROUPS : EMOTION GUARANTEED –  

What if getting married in a small group became an incredible memory? Forget for a moment that you had to postpone your wedding. The desire for an intimate wedding seduces you but you don’t dare to take the plunge, perhaps because of the reaction of your loved ones? Close your eyes and imagine yourself with your fiancé(e) in an idyllic setting that you would never have been able to book with ALL your guests. Re-open your eyes and tell yourself that all this is possible. For the other brides and grooms: you don’t have time to organize THE big wedding, you have a small budget or you want to bet everything on emotion? The small wedding is for you. The emotion is really the strong point of the wedding in small committee, you take advantage 100% of your guests, the atmosphere is warm and full of love. Each of your guests will feel privileged witness of your union.

© katjasimonphoto

– A WEDDING ANYWHERE YOU WANT –

The great advantage of a small wedding is that you will have the opportunity to have a dream wedding in a crazy place: a wedding on the edge of a cliff, in a cottage in the middle of Quebec, on the beach, in a restaurant that you love that could not accommodate many people, in your parents’ garden or on a Rooftop with an incredible view. Small weddings also make it easier to get together abroad. It’s less complicated to have 20 people traveling than 150, and choosing the location is easier for an intimate wedding!

– OVER SEVERAL DAYS… –

And why not prolong the pleasure ? The magic of a small wedding is also to be able to welcome and accommodate all your guests for a weekend. When you book your place, think about this very important detail. We know how precious the day before the wedding or the day after around a brunch are precious moments to share. They also will build the memories of your wedding. So, try to find a place that can accommodate everyone. Time will be suspended for an entire weekend with your loved ones.

– LOVE ALWAYS TRIUMPHS – 

And remember, the most important thing is your LOVE, it’s you! If sometimes you feel guilty or are afraid to take the plunge, small weddings are the best way to focus on the essentials and enjoy every moment without getting caught up in the stress of preparations. 

A small group wedding is a day filled with authenticity and emotions. Even Justine, the owner of the store could tell you about it like no one else. She did it: bringing 20 people together in a chalet a few hours from Montreal! And when she talks about it, she radiates happiness because for nothing in the world would she have changed anything.

 ©paoloceritano /  ©xelanyaphotography / ©elliemckinneyphotography

Finally, a wedding in a small group is an opportunity to enjoy exceptional moments with your loved ones, in the heart of a day so special and intense. You have made an assumed choice to get married in a small group, so escape in this bubble of love without any logistical pressure that you might have felt for a larger wedding. Think only of yourself, of your loved ones, and of the beautiful chapter of life you are opening… We hope we’ve answered your question : How and why to organize an intimate wedding ?

If you’re up for a small wedding, we hope you enjoyed this article ” How and Why to organize an Intimate Wedding “! By reading this article, if you have made the decision to choose a small wedding, devote some time now to your outfit, then here are our collections to find THE gown of the Madame.