Having a small wedding does not mean that the celebration or party spirits will be any less, as there are epic small wedding ideas and details that can transform your big day with memorable details. Surrounded by the closest people who add meaning to your life, you and your sweetheart can relax and create an enjoyable atmosphere for everyone. You will always get more 'wow' for less wallet when you decide to have a small wedding as you can splurge on anything and everything that you have always wanted and secretly noted on your bridal checklist. You can host a truly lavish wedding without breaking the bank when you decide to have a smaller wedding guest list and include every inspirational and artistic detail without thinking twice about the costs. Hosting an intimate wedding also opens up a plethora of options when it comes to choosing the perfect wedding venue, whether it is a quaint little coffee shop, your native farmhouse, grandfather's backyard, or a countryside wedding venue with bed and breakfast for the entire family.

 

For making your wedding guests feel right at home surrounded by cozy and comfy vibes, having a small wedding also gives the opportunity to all your near and dear ones to get actively involved in the entire wedding planning process. From making handmade centerpieces for reception tables to joining hands for DIY wedding decor ideas, your wedding guests always have a better opportunity to mingle with each other and get to know better before the wedding day comes. We also cannot miss out on how smaller weddings entail a very personalized touch where each guest feels welcomed and special, and you and your better half can blend with everyone comfortably and not make them feel like strangers who are fulfilling social obligations. Let all your creative juices flow in on your wedding day as you personalize and customize each wedding detail while making your wedding feel like 'you'. 

 

Some of the best small and cozy wedding details that will forever remain our favorites: 

 

Selective wedding guest list 

The first step to planning an intimate wedding day is to start with a smaller guest list. Vibing with the entire small wedding theme, and as a tip for small wedding planning, go through the last text messages and calls for the past one year and invite the ones who have kept up with you for this long. One of the best tips for a smaller guest list is to invite only the ones you will not think twice before inviting them home for an intimate dinner or the people who will be happy that you've tied the knot or the ones who invited you to their small wedding.

 

Small wedding celebrations 

You can opt for a standing arrangement for a sweet and short wedding ceremony or consider a registry office wedding that can be inexpensive but also architecturally brilliant for your wedding photographs. You can also play around with wedding traditions like walking the aisle and rearrange the entire seating and let your guests be seated in a circle or semicircle as you exchange your wedding vows to enable everyone to get a great view of the entire ceremony. Alternative wedding seating arrangements for a short and sweet wedding ceremony can give a different edge to the entire wedding day.

 

Traditional family-style dining

Forget about the 2 p.m. reception service and indulge in traditional family-style dining at a big round table or a long table and enjoy a big brunch instead of an evening reception. Fill up the plates with mimosas, waffles, muffins, and other wedding brunch menu ideas and celebrate love with the closest people in the most important meal of the day. For a more casual and small reception opt for a backyard BBQ and enjoy comfort food like delicious ribs, corn on the cob, and pulled pork instead of a formal reception menu. You can also open up the mic for traditional wedding speeches during these intimate wedding dining options.

 

Splurge on what's important 

The biggest benefit of having a small wedding is the extra budget for splurging on things that are most important to you and hold meaning in your life without breaking the bank. Skipping things that do not matter to you and your partner is a great start for intimate wedding planning and listing down your priority wedding details like having a gorgeous floral decoration plan, budget for big entertainment units, an open bar, or even choosing a unique wedding venue can be a great way of celebrating what's important to you and your love.

 

Discard traditional wedding venue 

Do you love camping in the outdoors? Does your grandpa's backyard hold significant meaning to you? Or do you want to get lost in the woods? Make all your wedding dreams come true by celebrating your intimate wedding day anywhere. Host your wedding day doing what you love doing most whether you want to go for a camping trip with a few friends and family and get married around the campfire with some yummy s’mores, or hold a backyard wedding under the canopy of greenery and dreamy string lights or get married in the woods for a wild experience, or on a boat to immerse yourselves in a nautical adventure. 

 

Intimate and relaxed atmosphere 

Whether it is a large wedding event space or a smaller one, to spruce up your intimate wedding day feels, there are many ways to make it feel snug and cozy. You can set up a comfortable and inviting lounge area and make your guests feel right at home, or gather everyone around a fire pit for roasting s'mores and sharing stories, or have a European-style late dinner and dancing. The originality and flexibility of a small wedding lie in the casual and relaxed atmosphere created by people who matter the most to you.

 

Creative ideas for fun

There are so many creative and fun ideas for small weddings starting from interactive sessions in lawn and board games like giant Jenga or skittles to painting your wedding live, to including your furry friends, to even hosting a ceilidh. The brilliant and inclusive wedding entertainment ideas can create lively connections and keep everyone entertained without a dull moment. Bringing a lot of fun to the wedding day, your guests will be interacting with each other and creating memories that will stay with them a lifetime.

 

Ditch some traditions 

There are many ways to swap wedding traditions and replace or alter them with modern amendments. From swapping your traditional wedding venue with a space more sentimental and meaningful to forgoing some of the traditional dancing and trading it with a live DJ or a live wedding band. Choosing an alternative to a traditional wedding cake and replacing it with a waffle wedding cake or even wearing a colorful wedding dress instead of a traditional crisp white wedding gown can be a fun way to add personalized touches to your wedding day.

 

Invest in a good wedding photographer 

Time flies and memories fade, and hence investing in a good wedding photographer is always a yes! Every wedding moment is precious and frame-worthy whether it is about squeezing your small wedding party into a tight-knit family photography session, breathtaking couple portraits in the golden hour, or wedding group photos, that will be marked with candid laughter and priceless moments. These treasured moments of laughter, friendship, and happy tears can be turned into precious frames and memorable wedding albums that will speak for generations to come.

 

Hire a wedding band 

Live music is the best entertainment for a small wedding. Hiring a few musicians or a live wedding band or even a DJ can be a great start for your guests to kick off their shoes and rejoice in a fun dance time at your wedding reception. Create a reception playlist and cue up your music band in a live Motown or festival-style act to sing-along and dance through the night. Since an intimate wedding is all about making and rejoicing connections, a little background music can commonly bring people together faster. However, you need to be a little conscious about the proportion of wedding bands according to the number of guests present a huge wedding band might overwhelm them.

 

DIY wedding ideas 

From making DIY handcrafted centerpieces for the reception tables to getting creative with personalized cocktails to making handmade wedding favors, there are so many creative wedding ideas. These inspirational DIY wedding ideas can not only save you so much of the wedding budget but also can be a great way to bring all your wedding guests together under one roof. It will also help you to customize the entire feeling of the wedding day while getting to know each other and feel personal about the new union by becoming a part of the entire planning process.

 

Go heavy on personalization 

An original way of making weddings unique, personalize and customize each and every wedding detail starting from creating an intimate seating arrangement where everybody can get to know each other to swapping traditional reception chairs with an eclectic mix of the seating arrangement, you can personify the wedding details that can reverberate with you and your partner's unique and unrivaled personalities. From placing handwritten menus and creating unique escort card display ideas to crafting a handmade photo booth with special photographs, the more personalized touch a wedding has, the more intimate your guests are going to feel.

 

Add family heirlooms 

Adding a bit of the family history will bring a special kind of personality and character to the entire wedding day. Family heirlooms in weddings like vintage China and silver posing as serve wares or your grandparent's handcrafted tablecloths and napkins laid-out at the reception tables make it all the more poignant and feely. You can also make a photo wall or photo booth out of wedding portraits from your parents' and grandparents’ big wedding days. Wearing a traditional or vintage wedding accessory handed down through generations can speak volumes for the priceless emotional binding of your family.

 

Personalized wedding invitations 

If you are having a small wedding, there are many ways to personalize your wedding invitations to make your guests feel personal and attached to you at your wedding celebration. From sending out calligraphy handwritten letters to sending your loved ones invites with a special and creative touch, there are so many ways to add a personal brush to your wedding invitations. Customized wedding invitations are the best way to stand out on the door of a crowded fridge littered with other save-the-dates and notices.

 

Swapping wedding caterers

If you are inviting a small group of family and friends to your big day, check out these food and drink ideas for small weddings that can light up your day. For instance, setting up a food truck station instead of a formal sit-down meal, a mid-afternoon picnic, a massive brunch buffet, or nominating the chef in your group to take the lead for all the culinary and gourmet experiences or even considering a potluck menu for the wedding reception. You can plan out your wedding menu with your sweetheart by bringing your favorite food to the table, which can be anything from a favorite dessert to a preferred appetizer for adding the personal flair to the wedding tables.

 

Couples are opting more and more for intimate wedding celebrations not only because of budgetary reasons but also for the unmatched quality and vibe that a small wedding involves. From making your wedding day a true reflection of the unique personalities of the newly married couple to being the host of swoon-worthy creative ideas for a small wedding, hosting an intimate wedding celebration can give your guests a one-of-a-kind experience and it is likely to be fondly remembered in the future. Also the thousands of dollars that you will save after deciding to go small on your wedding budget can be used for a lavish honeymoon soiree or even saved up for the upcoming future. For all the fun and intimate wedding ideas and inspirations, tune with George Street Photo & Video, and host the grandest and most memorable wedding day for your loved ones.