Not everybody is comfortable having an intimate wedding, and not everyone is on board with having 200 people on their guest list. We all have different goals, budgets, and tastes, and the right size can have a very different meaning for each person.
However, medium to large-sized weddings has always been the standard for many couples. You’ll probably be hard-pressed to find a couple amongst your peers that have had a wedding with fifty guests or fewer. Usually, an average wedding would have around 50 to 150 guests, and larger affairs would have more than 150. But what if your heart is pointing you towards a more intimate event?
If you are still aren’t sure about having an intimate wedding, here are the signs that may mean you’re heading in the right direction:
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Life is too busy
Most couples take around 12 to 18 months to plan their wedding, which usually totals around 200 to 500 hours. While every couple is different, the bottom line is that planning a wedding takes a lot of time and energy, both of which you may not have enough of as you have many other things on your plate.
If you don’t have enough time to spare for wedding planning, consider limiting your guest list so that you can have an easier time finding a suitable venue, planning a menu, tailoring a program, and accomplishing every other task on your wedding checklist. Doing this can also give you more time to prepare yourself, allowing you to do things like get a haircut, get your nails done, and pamper your skin without rushing.
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You have better things to spend your money on
An average wedding in 2020 would cost around $20,000 to $25,000 for about 100 to 150 guests. That amount of money can give you a great wedding, but it can also buy you a lot of other things, such as a dream honeymoon, a new car, or even a down payment on a house.
Some couples may be perfectly comfortable spending tens of thousands of dollars on one day—it is an exceptional (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime event, after all. But if you are not part of the same crowd and have better ideas on where to spend your money, then trim that guest list and have an intimate wedding instead. Just make sure that your future spouse is on board with the idea—but you probably won’t have a hard time convincing them if your financial habits line up.
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You want the day to be more memorable
Weddings are memorable, yes, but there is often so much going on that you don’t know what to focus on during the day itself. For this reason, many couples feel like their wedding day just breezed through and left them reeling because, on the day itself, they were too busy entertaining dozens of people.
If you want your special day to be as memorable as it can get, an intimate wedding is the right choice for you. Unlike a regular wedding, it is easier to focus on what’s happening with only a few guests there to celebrate the day with you. And since your guest list is limited, this helps make sure that your most special people are present, making the day even more full of good memories.
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You want to have a destination wedding
Holding your wedding in another city or country is much easier if you have a smaller guest list. Having only a few guests can also give you the option to offer to pay for their transportation costs so that you don’t burden them.
Nevertheless, be sure to communicate your plans for a destination wedding early with the people you plan to invite—not everyone can travel far for your wedding, and it helps them know in advance so that they can plan, file for leave, and arrange for transportation.
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You want to be more eco-friendly
Any event or gathering produces waste no matter how you put it, but having a smaller wedding can help you keep that amount at the minimum. Smaller wedding equals fewer guests, decorations, food waste, favors, and less of every other wedding consumable—which also reduces your expenses in the process (which, in turn, means more money that you can splurge on something else).
There are so many benefits to having an intimate wedding, but, of course, it’s not for everyone. However, if you are entertaining the idea of having a smaller guest list, these signs should tell you if it’s the right choice for you.
