The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding ^{Photo Credit: Lane Dittoe Weddings; @lanedittoeweddings}

You know, to me, elopements take balls - really, they do. It’s something that I just never considered when I got engaged, because my family probs would have just laughed and said “okay, well, we’ll see you there” without so much as a second thought. Tbh, I couldn’t imagine getting married without them, either, so suffice it to say, it just wasn’t in the cards for me and my guy to tie the knot so off the map. That being said, there are options for couples to get married more intimately, without eloping altogether: it’s called a microwedding, and it’s a mood that we’re ALL about.

Amy, one of our founders’ sons got married with a beautiful microwedding last year, and for real, looking at the photos, you don’t even wonder where all the people are - you just find yourself saying “whoa, holy happy couple, Batman.” This was their day and they will remember it forever. Not that couples who marry in front of more people don’t remember, they can just zero in on and reminisce about all the details that much more clearly.

If you had asked me even 4 or 5 months ago to name some benefits of a microwedding, I probably wouldn’t have been able to rattle them off without some serious contemplation. But given the way the world is right now, I had a decidedly easy time doing it.

Read on for some HUGE advantages to the microwedding.

Especially if you’ve been thinking about it for some time, and just needed a little push to get you there… This wedding will absolutely give you that push…

You can pick a place that’s so much cooler than the rest.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Because you don’t have to worry about finding a site to accommodate crazy crowds of people. If you want to get married in something as surreal and dreamlike as an enchanted rose garden, you can. That’s exactly what Jay and Tina did. Their stunningly-small ceremony and reception were held at Ella Rose Farm, a family-owned boutique cut garden rose farm in Fallbrook, California. The setting was incredible and it could shine even more, because there was no distraction from too many guests to deal with.

Think about it from the venue’s point of view, too. Brides and grooms who choose to have a microwedding on their grounds end up giving the hosts a lot more flexibility. They can show up BIG for their couples and really get creative with their charm.

You can roll with the punches a lot more.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Andy, Tina's dad, has played an amazing role in Jay's life. Andy has loved Jay like he is one of his own. I'm so grateful our families have come together.

Any wedding is nerve wracking, no matter how big or small it is, but a microwedding can definitely ease a little bit of the tension. It can be a skosh bit more relaxed and if things don’t happen exactly how they should have happened, then oh well. For instance, Tina’s sister and brother-in-law (who just so happens to be Jay’s best friend since age nine) couldn’t make it to the wedding, because they were becoming PARENTS to a baby boy just as everyone was getting ready to walk down the aisle…

Not to say that a bride who was missing her sister on her wedding day would feel ANY worse if she were having a bigger wedding. But a microwedding just feels a little more down to Earth. Sister’s having your nephew just minutes before you become a wifey? It’s all good 👍

You can share handwritten vows and not feel shy about it.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Jay's dad was honored with the best seat in the house and some pretty flowers that he would have laughed about - but a motocross bike or a 68 Chevelle just wouldn't have fit in the space. It was an emotion filled day with lots of tears. Mostly happy and a few sad ones.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Going with a much smaller wedding (Jay and Tina had a total of 20 people at their wedding, but microweddings can be as small as 10-15 people), you’ll likely just be surrounding yourself with your closest people - family and a few of your best friends - which can mean a lot less pressure for your ceremony. If you ever worried about writing your own vows, because of the ‘audience,’ then you’ll be much less stressed to recite what’s in your heart in front of the people who have seen you at both your best and worst.

In the same vein, since you’ll have trimmer attendance, you won’t feel an obligation to shout your pledges from the rooftops so that the 'people in the back' can hear you. The intimate feel is so palpable.

You can have a dining experience that’s not basic.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Of course, wedding food has come a LONG way in the last few decades - the culinary experiences at play now are so different and much more personal than the bland buffets or surf and turf sit-downs that were in rotation in the 80s and 90s. That being said, if you plan a microwedding, you can be creative with the fare (and go as casual or formal as you want).

“Originally Jay and Tina wanted to get married at a courthouse and go out to eat at a local restaurant afterwards, but they visited their local courthouse and it just didn't feel right to them. Then they decided they wanted to get married at a park and move to a dinner reception at a restaurant. It was then that we thought of Ella Rose and moved it all there. The restaurant where we were going to have the dinner originally ended up catering it at the farm!”
~ Amy Zawacki, Wedding Chicks Co-Founder

You can dress however you damn well wish.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

This is a major perk to adjusting your party size, IMO. While these two dressed pretty traditionally for their wedding - Jay in a classic navy blue suit and Tina in a blissfully-romantic lace gown #weddingperfect - if you choose to slim down your guest list, you can have more freedom with your dress code. Want to wear a little white dress or a relaxed jumpsuit or tailored shorts paired an embellished, mixed metallic cami? You can. It’s your prerogative!

You can sit in the company of your favorite humans.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

Sweetheart tables are cute and all, but how about a long farm table that can fit your entire crew for the evening? Since you have much fewer tables and space to outfit with flowers and other decor, you can get really festive with your head (and only) table and bring in tabletop rentals (fun charger plates, beautiful glassware, candles galore, etc.) for a super luxe look. And since your squad is scaled back at a microwedding, you can afford to have several more toasts outside of the usual Best Man and Maid of Honor speeches. Like when your baby boy gets married and you raise a glass to cue all the ugly cries. 🙌🙌🙌 Priceless.

The Perks That Come With Having a Microwedding

And of course, one of the BIGGEST benefits of a microwedding is the savings. We’ve talked about guest count being the biggest wedding budget killer. So, if your count is grossly minimized, you’re looking at a huge per-person savings.

Find out more about The Garden Wedding Elopement at Ella Rose Farms.

In collaboration with my event company, Oak & the Owl, Ella Rose Farm is excited to introduce The Garden Wedding, a fully custom elopement for 15 guests, including the couple. We know you may have had to cancel or postpone your original wedding because of Covid-19. Because of that we wanted to give you a beautiful space to be able to celebrate with a full wedding event, but with a smaller guest count. You will have access to most of our property and will get a fully designed ceremony, a cocktail hour, and a beautifully catered dining reception.

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