Finally! This year is coming to a close. 2020 is in the rearview and 2021 is in sight! Here comes a new year full of possibilities! A year of positive changes, of hope and happiness! For those of us who have had to postpone our big day, 2021 means the hope of our dream wedding will become a reality! So where do we start? Where do the new rules fit in? Answer? The growing trend for 2021 – a micro wedding. What is this new trend and how is it the answer?
As we have all seen, the pandemic has forced more and more couples to postpone or cancel their wedding. This has ushered in a new industry-changing trend. No --small weddings are not a new thing, but they are becoming more and more popular each and every day! Especially during COVID-19. What is the main reason this trend is gaining traction? Cost. A micro wedding is exactly like the big dream wedding you have been planning with a few minor adjustments. The biggest one being – you guessed it, the guest list! This wedding trend has a significantly smaller guest count, typically no more than 30. The upside to this? You can take your budget per head, typically charged by caterers and bar service, and invest it by splurging on a few things you wanted but could not make happen with an original guest list of 50 or more. Let’s face it, with the rollercoaster of life in a pandemic world the rules and regulations are ever-changing. I don’t know about you, but I personally have a limit on how many times I plan on postponing the day I say, “I do
By embracing this new trend, you have the freedom to explore other options! Perhaps, opting for an open bar with premium choices you passed on because you originally planned to have 150 guests! You no longer have to stick to food options like buffet beef or sauced up chicken, instead go for the Prime Rib, Beef Wellington or Chilean Sea Bass. The possibilities are endless! Pull out all the stops and get custom food stations that embody who you are as a couple, hiring a food truck would be a fun idea and it gets your guests to move around a bit! Now would be the right time to seize the opportunity and get it catered by a super fancy restaurant, or one that holds sentimental value (maybe both)! Remember when you had your heart set on offering a more elegant style dinner reception with servers and sommeliers? I mean personally, I am a sucker for those passed hors d’oeuvres! Tiny bacon-wrapped quail bites? YUM-O! Instead, you had your dream crushed by the all too real fact that it would be $50-100 or more per person! Well, now is your chance to turn that “if only” into “let’s do this!” Not big on the food option? No worries! You can go Avant-Garde or add elaborate details to the design of your cake! Heck get two cakes! Get a dessert table that puts any previous Pinterest pins to shame! Now that you can shorten the guest list, here comes the best part! You can make some or all these dreams come true! With the additional money save from that portion of your budget, it opens a whole new world of opportunities! You have more options in venues, you can treat your guests to a pre-wedding brunch, choose centerpieces that would make Martha Stewart cry at the sheer beauty and grandeur! Go for those super cool custom wedding favors! “Spread the Love, Not the Germs” hand sanitizers for each table.
The truth is weddings can get pricey with all the wants and wishes. Now that you are reallocating your budget towards various things that size does not affect, like photo/video services, added entertainment, a multitude of cultural/spiritual traditions, more extravagant food, and jaw-dropping florals, things that were not doable before, are now achievable. This gives you that magical setting you always dreamed of and also gives you the opportunity to save the rest for the future.
If cost was not a big enough factor, COVID plays a serious part in your wedding planning. The reality of how socially distant you can be is directly affected by the number of guests in attendance. The thought of trimming the guest list can bring on a lot of stress and anxiety that you do not need at such a special time in your life. So where do you begin? Here are a few tips on where to start: first, focus on your local family and your closest friends. Next, base your decisions on the current regulations for the city and venue. Consider any required rules from your vendor, i.e., masks, temperature checks at the door. If people are not willing to adhere to these rules, they may not attend. Another good tip for reducing the guest list is to remove previously allowed plus ones. Finally, think about your current relationship with the guest. Ask yourself, “when is the last time I spoke to or saw them?” Consider their personal and financial situations. Are they possibly high-risk due to health conditions? Have they recently experienced financial difficulties? Do not forget to check with your guests if they are still comfortable attending, especially if it means traveling
Once you have your list narrowed from 200 to 20, the toughest job is now on the table. Telling previously invited guests you are no longer able to have them in attendance due to COVID restrictions. So how do you tell your aunt's neighbor's daughter that she is no longer invited? Be realistic and honest. Tell them that you would love to have as many people as possible being a part of the love and happiness, but the truth is you want to keep them and all your loved ones as safe as possible. You are adhering to the city regulations to observe social distance by lowering the number of people gathering and while still trying to make memories by sharing your special day with the people you love. With so many people comfortable using different platforms like Zoom to live stream events, you can easily take that extra step to make sure that those who are unable to attend can still be a part of your magic moment and stay healthy and safe. Send them a care package with wedding favors to go with the virtual Love Stream of your magical day!
A smaller guest list also means that you can spend quality time with your guests! Rather than spending the night going from one table to another just to say hello and goodbye, possibly feeling guilt that you may have offended someone by not spending the same amount of time as you did with others, you can relax a bit more. As a newly married couple, you should enjoy your day as much as possible. Relish in the quality of the conversation about the excitement that your magical dream is a reality. Be a guest at your wedding. Use some of that leftover budget making your day as stress-free as possible. Just because this is a smaller scale wedding, does not mean you have to handle it alone. You do not need the stress of making sure the food is served at 5:45 on the dot when you should be enjoying being Mr. & Mrs. Hiring a wedding planner is a great way to make sure that nothing important is left out.
So out with the old and in with the new! Enjoy the experience of making this your journey. Make your micro wedding THE wedding of your dreams. I promise whether it’s 1 or 100 years from now when you look back all you’re going to remember is one of the best days of your life with the love of your life. Leave the stress of all the details to your wedding planner and have fun!