Micro weddings, weddings with less than 20 guests, have become very popular from 2020 onwards, as the shift to smaller, more intimate weddings have been the only way to get married during the latter parts of 2020.
But it has enormous advantages over a traditional wedding size. With the average wedding costing £31,974 in 2019, according to Hitched, you can understand why there’s a push for smaller, less expensive weddings during a global financial crisis due to covid-19.
Another advantage of a smaller wedding is that, when you invite just a few of your closest family and friends to celebrate with you, there are fewer people requiring your attention. At a typical wedding the couple are fortunate if they get 5 min to catch up with each and every guest, never mind being able to talk to each other during the day!! So it’s much easier to spend quality time with each guest, than when there’s a guest list of 150.
You can always arrange an evening of celebrations another day, so you still get to enjoy a time of celebration with all your family and friends.
Elopement Wedding
Don’t even want 20 guests and wish for an even more intimate wedding? Why not elope?
There are no rules on who should be at a wedding, it’s totally up to you both to decide. Hence some choose to simply elope to a venue with the only required legal minimum of 2 witnesses. This allows for the ultimate, intimate celebration of your love without the pressure or worry about how to look after a certain number of guests.
Before, during and after your ceremony, all you need to think about is the love of your life and savour the special moment and location you’ve chosen to celebrate your love for each other.
Micro Wedding Photographer
Just because the wedding is smaller doesn’t mean you’ll skimp on the photographic record of this important phase in your lives together. Many have packages that are perfect for smaller, intimate celebrations.
You might wonder though: “Won’t the photographer be getting in the way and ruining the intimacy of this small, private affair?”
This is where the advantage of booking a documentary wedding photographer shines through.
My way of working is not to detract from the intimacy of any wedding day by constantly directing you or asking you to pose for certain group photos. I generally work alone so I can be very discreet during the day, and my role is to observe and faithfully record your time together, capturing authentic emotions between you both, without interruption. You won’t even know I’m there!!
Where Can I Host My Micro Wedding Celebration?
If you choose to get married in England, the current law at gov.uk (Nov 2020) states:
A religious wedding can take place at any registered religious building.
You can have a civil ceremony at:
- a register office.
- any venue approved by the local council, for example a stately home or hotel.
- You must have at least 2 witnesses at the ceremony.
- A registrar must carry out, or be present at, your ceremony.
So, the registered venue can be indoors or outdoors. If outdoors, the ceremony must be held underneath the registered permanent and covered structure, like an outdoor Gazebo or building
The rules are more relaxed for weddings in Scotland, as the current rules (Nov 2020) says:
- You can get married inside or outside at a public venue such as a hotel, register office or a place of worship.
- You can also get married outside in a private place such as a garden outside your home.
Small + Micro Wedding Venues
There are now more than ever micro wedding venues appearing, as many are seeing the advantage of starting to cater for the smaller weddings people are planning.
Because each wedding is a more intimate and personal affair, expect to be offered a tailor-made price package once you’ve explained your requirements.
Here are a few awesome West Midlands venues, suitable for your micro wedding:
If you’re looking country-wide, here are a few other great places to elope or hold your smaller wedding:
What Next?
If you’re looking for an elopement photographer or one who specialises in shooting smaller, micro-wedding celebrations, and you want the minimum of fuss and stress, I’d love to hear about your wedding plans.
