Big VS. Small Weddings
How to choose what’s right for you
With micro weddings trending, everyone is asking themselves the pressing question: “should I have a big or small wedding?”. And while only you and your loved one can make that choice, we’ve gathered some pros, cons, and compromises to ensure you make the best decision for you!
pros:
Big Wedding
Large guest list
Less awkwardness when you have to make cutoffs.
Bigger registry
You won’t make back the money you spend on your wedding, but having a larger guest list does mean a larger registry. As new homeowners, this may be a plus for you.
“Splurge-worthy”
Your budget may help you determine whether you want to host a lot of guests or keep it to your close friends however larger guests means larger budget and you can choose to splurge across your table decor, dance floor, and more!
Small Wedding
More intimate
Having a smaller event with your closest family friends keeps your wedding private and personal.
Less worries
You may be a little more at ease having less people to worry about.
More options -
When it comes to pricing & venues, there may be more to choose from if you are in a smaller group.
Photo Credit: Fred Marcus, Felix Feygin & Juan Cespedes
cons:
Small Wedding
Exclusive invite list
Might offend friends and family members who are not included
FOMO
There’s always a chance that down the line you’ll wish you had invited certain people as your relationships are always changing.
Big Wedding
Many people to accommodate
If you are a people pleaser, trying to accommodate all of your guests might be the perfect way to drive yourself insane on your wedding day.
Many people to “greet”
You want to focus on celebrating your day. Having to say hello to 100’s of people may add stress to your night.
Costly
This one goes without saying, but more people = more expensive!
SO how do I make the right decision?
The bottom line is, you should plan your wedding according to what you want and what will make your event the memory of a lifetime. Sometimes, that can be easier said than done when you’re not the sole entity paying for your event, or when you just have too many family members to invite.
When making the guest list, we recommend asking two questions:
Who are the VIPs?
When starting the guest list from scratch, have you and your partner make lists of the people closest to you. Don’t think of it as an invite list - simply name the people you share the big news with and who you talk with regularly. Once this VIP list is made, you can start to gauge what size wedding you may want to have based on how many people are “must-haves”.
What is our cut-off point?
Your wedding doesn’t have to be an excuse for a massive reunion. Whether it’s a second cousin, a distant uncle, or a coworker in a different department, sometimes, you can’t - or just don’t want - to include everyone. Decide where in your social circle is the cut-off point and stick to it. Especially now with a global pandemic still among us, more than ever people are understanding about shortening the guest list. You can even make accommodations to this by live streaming your ceremony and just be sure to reassure your loved ones that you want to be as safe as possible.
Destination Wedding TIP
If you’re looking to have your special celebration across the country, or even across the world, you can get around being responsible for everyone’s transportation. Planning an event in a remote location is hard enough, you don’t need to be everyone’s travel agent. On your Save The Date, you can include the destination, then inform invitees that each person is responsible for their own form of transportation. Just make sure that your RSVP date leaves you enough time to plan for who is and is not coming. Depending on how far your destination is, this may work better in some cases than others. This can help narrow down the guest list to those who truly want to celebrate with you, without imposing more stress on yourself.
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Warrick
We hope these tips and tactics help make your planning a little bit easier. Planning your wedding should be about your visions coming to life and celebrating your love. At the end of the day, the happiness of you and your partner should be your top priority. Happy planning!
