Micro Weddings and Why They Are Awesome

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Suncadia Washington Small Wedding Bride and Groom

With the rise of COVID-19 in 2020, came some huge changes in MANY wedding plans. Some chose to cancel and re-schedule for 2021/2022, some carried on with their original plans but with higher precautions, and some got really creative. That last group I mentioned I believe helped create a new phenomenon in the American wedding industry which I like to call: Micro Weddings.

Prior to this year, it was not uncommon for people to gather in groups of multiple hundreds for a wedding with elaborate decorations, fancy meals and huge dance floors. It was also starting to be more common for people to elope with just a few close friends on a mountain-top (which is AWESOME). But because of new regulations and a culture shift of health and safety consciousness, there was a need for something in between these two styles of weddings; and that is where Micro Weddings came in!

Micro Weddings are a beautiful blend of big and small, elaborate and simple, and so much more. I personally had a Micro Wedding this 2020 year and had the honor of photographing a few as well. Below you will find a quick little list of why Micro Weddings are AWESOME and should totally be carried into 2021 and beyond!

Micro Weddings and Why They Are Awesome:

The Intimacy

When you have a larger wedding, the couple getting married often spends most of their time visiting each guest during the reception space. This doesn’t leave a lot of room for multiple conversations, especially if your guest list has 100+ people. The beauty of a Micro Wedding is that they are typically anywhere between 10 and 30 people depending on how large your immediate and extended families are and who you choose to invite. These environments create SO much more opportunity for the couple to have deep and meaningful conversations with each of their guests and feel like the get to experience their big day with everyone fully! How cool is that??

The Cost

You’d be surprised how the wedding costs in different areas can be dramatically different between larger weddings and Micro Weddings. When you only have 10-30 people in attendance, you can easily rent an AirBnb, get a permit for a local park, or use a family home like the couple in these photos chose to do! The costs for these options can be anywhere between $1000 for a few night stay at an AirBnb or even $0 if its a family home! The cost for food, and seating will also be much lower with a lower guest count; or you could splurge and get a super fancy meal at one of your favorite restaurants and spoil your guests! If having a lower budget wedding is your desire, this is very attainable with a Micro Wedding. But if you also have lot of flexibility in your budget you can create an unforgettable experience for your friends and family!

The Creativity

Probably one of my favorite things about Micro Weddings is the amount of creativity is unleashed. When your guest list includes your closest friends and family, you have more flexibility on picking a date that works for each guest. You can also utilize part of your budget to provide experiences like lawn games, food/dessert trucks or even an activity like renting kayaks and going on an adventure! If you are working in an unique outdoor ceremony space you can build benches or collect chairs and blankets for your guest seating to really make the space shine and feel just like you. There are SO many things you can do at a Micro Wedding!

The biggest thing to remember is a Micro Wedding is no less of a wedding because it has a smaller guest count. What matters the most is that you and your partner are getting married, and you get to have your most favorite friends and family in attendance to witness this beautiful day.

If a giant wedding feels overwhelming, but not having some of your favorite people there saddens you too, consider a Micro Wedding!

Below you will see a Micro Wedding I had the pleasure of second shooting for Morgan Tayler Photo Design this summer at Suncadia, Washington. These are some of my favorite images that I felt portrayed the beauty of Micro Weddings!

Another Micro Wedding I was able to capture this summer was Austin + Cassidy’s Spokane Micro Wedding which you can find here!

December 7, 2020