Thinking about having a micro wedding? Or heading off to elope?
My thoughts on Small Weddings and Elopements
I know what you’re thinking, a wedding isn’t a wedding without 25 bridesmaids, a six tier cake and a 150 guests!
But I’m here to tell you that mainly, you’re wrong…. sort of. Yes, we all love a great big lavish wedding with all the flowers, and the posh cars, and the massive entourage, but teeny tiny small weddings (some might say micro weddings), and elopements can be just as amazing, if not more so!
So I’ve put together my 5 Reasons to Have a Small Wedding or Elopement.
THE REASONS
01.
MORE QUALITY TIME
You get to spend more quality time with each other…
At a bigger wedding with guests constantly coming over to congratulate you and crow about how gorgeous you look – they’re not wrong – it’s easy for 5 hours to suddenly pass without you having seen your brand new husband/wife. It’s much harder for this to happen in a room of 20 or under (unless you’re actively avoiding them, but that’s a whole other blog post). When you have a small wedding, you can spend more if not all of your day together, soaking it in side by side. This is especially true for elopements, too, where you can just focus solely on each other with no other pulls on your time!
…and more quality time with your guests
Even if you’re not having an elopement, another reason to have a smaller, more intimate wedding is that you get to see more of your guests. You won’t need to worry about whether your guests are alright or enjoying themselves enough, because you’ll be able to see them having a belter of a time right there with you.
02.
NO GUESTS = NO GUEST LIST DRAMA
Addressing the problem at the root, here, getting rid of guest list drama by getting rid of guests. If you are in a situation where family politics could ruin your enjoyment of the day, it may be easier and feel better to just not invite any. You can always celebrate with them symbolically another time, if you so wish, but for now – onto more wine sampling!
03.
Stunning small wedding venues and elopement locations
ronically, a big wedding can often really restrict your venue search by taking you over capacity at a lot of places. Small weddings don’t have this problem, and open you up to a whoooole host of gorgeous options. (I’d recommend The Old Cow Shed and The Chilli Barn as my starters for stunning small wedding venues outside of London and The Paradise by Way of Kensall Rise and The Zetter Townhouse in London) ! If they’re not a reason to have a small wedding alone…oooft.)
Elopements kick this up a notch into another dimension too – whether you’re thinking wet and windy British beaches, magical Scottish glens or charming city escapes, the backdrops of the world really are your oyster.
04.
YOUR BUDGET GOES FURTHER
Budgets are totally personal things that differ wedding to wedding, couple to couple – so it’s not always true that elopements are a cheaper option. What they are, however, is an option where your money goes further, because you’re only doing it for the two of you and the two of you alone. Naturally, things get a bit pricier when you’re covering 50, 75, 100, 250 heads!
05.
MEMORIES YOU’LL ACTUALLY REMEMBER
Big weddings can be a whirlwind – one minute you’re saying your vows, the next you’re cutting the cake, and suddenly it’s midnight and you’re wondering where the day went. With a micro wedding or elopement, the pace slows right down. You’re not rushing from table to table or sticking to a strict schedule; you’re soaking it all in. You’ll remember the way your partner’s hand felt in yours during the vows, the sound of your family laughing together, and the tiny, unplanned moments that made the day uniquely yours. Those are the memories that stay with you for a lifetime – and obviously I’ll be there to document it all.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS
Whether you’re dreaming of saying your vows on a windswept beach, in your favourite city park, or tucked away in the hills with just a handful of guests, a micro wedding or elopement lets you strip it all back to what really matters — the two of you, and the start of your marriage. However you choose to celebrate, make sure it’s a day that feels like you. If you’re planning something small but mighty and want it captured exactly as it unfolds, you can take a peek at my wedding info page here.
See my fave London Weddings
My Guide to Getting Hitched in London
Whether you’re getting hitched in a warehouse, gallery space, old chapel or a London boozer, there’s always so much to capture.
London is a photographer’s playground, with stunning spots like Primrose Hill or St Pancras (my favourite building ever!) or the vibrant markets or the brutalist Barbican…the list goes on. I’ve shot glorious weddings at the Union Club in Soho, 100 Barrington, the amazing Wilton’s Music Hall, not to mention all the lovely Town hall weddings including Marylebone Town Hall, Islington Town Hall and Hackney Town Hall.
Click below to discover my Guide to London Weddings, including my fave venues.