As many of you know, this Ethical Weddings project was born out of my photostudio ComePlum‘s desire to give our engaged couples a place of inspiration in how to use their wedding day to do social and environmental good. We were frustrated with how it was (weddings being a one-day event but often were wasteful and opulent) but had a vision with how it could be. Amanda and Megan sisters and founders of the Silk Stem Collective are cut from the same cloth. They were also frustrated with how it was (floral selections for weddings were overwhleming) but had a vision of how it could be (rent silk florals that are pre-styled). Their entrepreneurial optimism about 2021 weddings gets me hyped. Check out their 5 Reasons To Love Micro-Weddings:
2020 was a really tough year to plan a wedding. With the pandemic forcing couples to cancel and change plans, many decided to host micro-weddings. These mini weddings allowed couples to accommodate guest count limits and social distancing guidelines while still getting the wedding of their dreams.
We are all hoping to see life return to normal in 2021, but the micro-wedding trend is one thing we hope sticks around. Pandemic or not, micro-weddings open the door to many opportunities that traditional weddings just cannot accommodate. Here are some of the reasons we love micro-weddings.
1. Micro-Weddings Have Intimacy
Micro weddings are similar to a traditional wedding with vendors and guests, but the scale is much smaller. Instead of 200 guests, many have just 20-40. With fewer guests comes a stronger connection between the guests and the couple that isn’t possible with a crowd. It also gives the couple room to share an intimate moment without the embarrassment of a large audience.
At my traditional wedding, I barely had time to greet each guest, much less sit down for a full conversation. With a smaller guest count, I would have had more time to catch up with each guest.
2. Micro-Weddings Have Less Stress
With large events come complicated logistics, timelines, and to-do lists. And if the stress of planning seems bad, wait until the day of the wedding! Luckily, with micro weddings the logistics are less important. Less people means less logistics and a more flexible schedule. A smaller space means less décor, less set up, and less clean up. We think this simplicity is something to celebrate.
3. Micro-Weddings Are Less Expensive
The micro-weddings we’ve been seeing in 2020 cost between $3,000 and $10,000. This is well below the national average wedding budget. But couples aren’t skimping! With fewer guests, couples can afford to upgrade to more luxurious options. This also opens opportunities to spend more on higher-quality food or dessert. With a smaller guest count, the bill doesn’t add up nearly as fast.
While micro-wedding couples are spending more per person than a traditional wedding, the overall spending is far less. Micro-weddings are a great option for couples with other financial goals that are more important to them than a traditional wedding, like paying down debt or saving for a down payment on a house.
4. Micro-Weddings Are Inclusive
Now more than ever, couples are ousting tradition to personalize their wedding ceremony and reception. Without the pressure of traditional wedding expectations, couples have the freedom to plan an event that fits them.
For example, we’ve seen an increase in couples choosing to un-gender their weddings by using gender-free language and wearing nontraditional attire. Many couples choose to replace the terms “Bride” and “Groom” for terms like “Celebrant”, “Couple”, or just their names! And many people are choosing to forgo the white dress in favor of less traditional options.
Micro-weddings embrace the non-traditional and can be molded into whatever best fits the couple. We love the inclusive aspect of these unique events.
5. Micro-Weddings Have More Creativity
With the departure from tradition comes the opportunity for creativity. We love the colorful flowers (like the bouquet from Silk Stem Collective), eccentric themes, and unique styles coming from micro weddings in 2020. We believe this trend will continue. Couples around the world are embracing individuality and personal style over traditional wedding expectations. We can’t wait to see what whimsical, fun ideas micro-weddings will bring next.
How are you approaching your 2021 wedding? Make sure to check out the blog for our 5 question to ask your dress maker, planner, and rental company. Also, in San Francisco? Our team of photgraphers would be pumped to photograph your micro-wedding. Say hi!
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