Small Wedding Celebrations: Why Couples Are Choosing Small Weddings
The Coronavirus pandemic has had a far-reaching and lasting impact on all of our lives. With social distancing and stay-at-home orders, most of us were forced to reconsider our lifestyles. There are changes to the way we work, socialize, travel, and even the way we interact with our families, and some of those changes have become a permanent feature in our lives. The wedding industry is experiencing the impact of this lifestyle shift. Throughout 2020 and into the early part of 2021 small wedding celebrations were a necessity for any couple who wasn’t willing to postpone their wedding until restrictions were lifted.
Cancel It or Scale It Back?
Faced with the choice between canceling their wedding until some future undetermined date, or scaling things all the way back to a small, intimate wedding many couples went for the latter. Small wedding celebrations may not have been what they initially wanted, but most couples I have spoken with agree that it was actually exactly what they needed! Now, even although restrictions have been lifted in most areas couples are voluntarily choosing small wedding celebrations due to a shift in priorities.
Let’s take a look at why couples are choosing small weddings.
Why Couples Want Small Wedding Celebrations
So, the question is, why did small weddings turn from a necessity to a desirable option? Even pre-pandemic I was an advocate for small weddings or elopements and the most common reasons for choosing a small wedding were to save money and to avoid family politics. Those reasons are still valid, with many people losing jobs or cutting back on hours since the pandemic. However, there are some other reasons why a growing number of couples are turning to small wedding celebrations.
1 – Escape The Pressure
Planning a wedding comes with an immense amount of pressure. There is an expectation to spend a certain amount, choose the perfect venue, invite the right people, and so on. Somewhere along the way it becomes more about the wedding celebration and less about the marriage itself. Small weddings give couples the chance to relieve some of that pressure and focus on what matters. Exchange vows with the person you love, in the company of only your nearest and dearest.
2 – Make It Personal
Following on from the previous point, small wedding celebrations are far more intimate. The focus isn’t on the fancy party, it is on celebrating the union of two people. It is the ideal opportunity to make the wedding much more personal. Couples are finding it easier to make choices that reflect their own personal style and personalities. We are seeing more interest in unique and quirky venues that wouldn’t be able to accommodate large numbers. It’s a chance to have a great wedding day that is all your own!
3 – Cutting The Cost
Saving money remains a big reason for small weddings and elopements, but now that everyone is feeling the impact of an economically challenging period during the pandemic, it has become more socially acceptable to cut costs on a wedding. A few years ago your parents may have expressed embarrassment at a ‘cheap’ wedding, but today it is a far more socially acceptable choice.