The year 2020 with all of it's restrictions and cancellations has brought on a whole new wedding season where elopements and micro-weddings are really all we can do! Gone are the days of 100-200-500 person weddings for this season. Instead, we are seeing elopements of only 5 people in attendance (under current restrictions), and soon, we hope - will be the micro weddings that can host 10-50 people.
Here are some helpful points to consider if you are planning an elopement or micro wedding for yourself.
Budget
Let's start with budget - the obvious no-brainer for elopements and micro weddings. Of course you'll save a ton of money! Couples easily spend $30,000 and upwards on weddings when hosting hundreds of people for their wedding. You can also spend your entire wedding budget on your micro-wedding as well, though, if you decide. Many couples decide to spend the entire budget, and just spend it on specializing every detail to make the celebration even more special. Want to go all out and have live music at your wedding? It's much easier to afford when you aren't hosting hundreds of guests.
Decor
Budget brings me to my next point - decor. You could do the DIY - save all your money route. Or, you can have the wedding of your dreams with your original wedding budget at a smaller scale! The table decor you were going to do for 50 tables can be narrowed down to two tables and made to be extra gorgeous with details. With the guest count being so small, I know the guests coming to your wedding are extra special to you - so spend some time catering to each guest on a smaller scale with details that speak to them. The same applies to florals, and so much more - now that the scale is smaller, you can really add detail to each piece to make it stand out that much more. You'll get to have that Martha Stewart decor wedding of your dreams.
Location
You don't have to go to the courthouse! I repeat, you don't have to go to the courthouse! Elopements can happen anywhere in Nova Scotia. Now that parks are open again, the possibilities are endless. Want to get married on a cliff-side in the Cape Breton Highlands? Sure! On the beach? No problem! You are not limited to the dark and old-school courthouse at all. If the group gathering remains at a 5 person maximum as it currently is - You can have yourself, your Justice of the Peace, one witness, and your photographer as your second witness. If you don't want to have a landscape as a background, you can also get married at home.
Intimate
It really doesn't get more intimate than this. Yes, having a huge party is awesome - but it's not for everyone. And if it's not for you, that's okay! Going the elopement route and spending your wedding day with your spouse and no one else is a beautiful thing. A micro-wedding is also a beautiful thing. Spend your wedding day with 10-50 of your absolute closest family and friends and I guarantee you will have such a memorable experience with your loved ones.
A Tip from Chris and Amber Photography
Make it Yours
The best thing about eloping is that you have the ability to make your day completely and totally YOU. Eloping no longer means that you have to run away and get married in secret, it has evolved to be something much more than that. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate you, your partner and the love you share for each other in a way that you actually want to. Personally, my husband and I decided to elope for a few reasons, but the number one reason was because it was a more intimate setting and that was what we felt the most comfortable with.
Ultimately, big weddings are not for everyone and that’s totally okay. If you’re thinking of eloping, the best tip I can give you is to keep your day true to you and your partner. Follow your heart and stick with your gut. Don’t let your wedding day vision get lost in what everyone else wants from it. Take the entire day, be present, enjoy every moment, soak it all in and celebrate in such a way that you’d want to relive the day over and over again. It’s your day and you should get to celebrate it exactly how you want to.
Amber, from Chris and Amber Photography.
We loved this article in Brides Magazine for more tips on planning a micro wedding: How to Throw a Micro Wedding