4 Reasons Why Keeping Your Guest List Small Is The Best Thing Ever
Massive weddings always make for some very impressive photos. Sweeping down an aisle that is a veritable corridor of everyone you have ever met sounds like such a dream, until you are looking down a receiving line of 300+ people.
Leslie and Brett's dream-come-true winery wedding has all the look and feel of a big, over the top wedding but their guest list was less then 60 people. With a little help from Leslie, here are some of the best reasons ever for why you might want to keep your guest list small.
Don't miss a moment of this stunning wedding day. We have a full gallery filled to bursting with images thanks to the talents of Onelove Photography!
From the Bride: We decided to get married in Wine Country because we love how beautiful it is - but also because it has a great, laid-back vibe (and we love wine!). With the majority of the guests coming from Florida (including us!) we knew we wanted the entire weekend to be family and friend-filled, relaxing, and fun! So for us, the key ingredients for that were great food and drink, a killer band, and decor that was elegant and sophisticated but still really intimate and not pretentious.
Family & Friend Participation
It was also a true family affair - my maid of honor was my cousin, Brett's best man was his dad, my uncle married us, our brother and sister did the readings, and our niece and nephew were our flower girl and ring bearer.
Splurging On Decor Is More Manageable
I loved the beautiful amounts of greenery used in our decor. Paul from Tesoro put eucalyptus everywhere - which was just what I envisioned. The arbor we were married under was breathtaking, and the cascades of eucalyptus down the aisle, and again on our table was perfect.
We also had this really cool lighting structure made of vines and a ton of tiny tea light drops that brought a distinct outdoor feel to the Barrel Room at the CIA.
My absolute favorite thing was our massive feasting table. With under 60 guests, it made the evening feel like a private dinner party. I could go on and on - it was all perfect!
A Little Easier To Ask for Help
Since my job is pretty demanding, my mom really took the reigns in the majority of my planning, and I am lucky that she has impeccable taste. We also worked with an incredible team of vendors, led by our amazing wedding planner, Kai from Little Blue Box Weddings. This kept everything really stress-free for me. I didn't get bogged down by the details, and let the professionals (which I now include my mom in!) guide me on what was best.
Planning a wedding in 6 months from the other side of the country was not easy, but we had the perfect team to make it look just right.
More Time For Family & Traditions
There are so many memories from the day that I will cherish forever. Laughing with my MOH while we got ready, having my mom help me into my dress, walking down the aisle with my dad. Seeing Brett during our first look was my favorite moment - it instantly relaxed me and made me so excited for how the rest of the night unfolded. There was so much dancing and laughter - truly the best night of our lives!
I will say that (of course) it goes by so fast! I could relive that night every weekend for every - so much love with my very favorite person in the world - plus the best food, wine, and music and all our family and friends. What else is there?
- Dress & Apparel: Jenny Yoo Collection, Inc.
- Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo
- Cakes & Catering: The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone
- Event Planning & Design: Little Blue Box Weddings
- Flowers: Tesoro
- Groom & His Men: Suitsupply
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Sherrie Long
- Jewelry: Tiffany & Co
- Lighting & Entertainment: Five Star Rentals
- Officiants: Steve Geyer
- Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Invitation Galleria
- Rentals: Encore Rentals
- Wedding Dresses: Inbal Dror
- Wedding Films: Well Spun Weddings