What Is a Small Wedding?

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, many couples are having to rethink their marriage plans! Restrictions on gathering size, travel, and more has meant that couples who would previously have had a big affair are now looking at smaller, more intimate options – or even elopements! But how much of a difference does that really make? What do we mean by the terms ‘big wedding’ and ‘small wedding’? Let’s explore that in more detail!

Big or Small Wedding?

What is a small? There is no hard and fast rule for this. What seems like what is big to one couple might be small to a couple planning a grand affair! According to Martha Stewart, a small wedding is typically one with under 50 people. For many vendors, that is a fairly accurate guideline when it comes to advertising their packages. However, in terms of an elopement – 50 guests still sounds like a pretty big wedding, right? In fact, in many states, a gathering of that size is still not going to be permitted due to Coronavirus concerns. 

So, with that in mind –  what sort of terms can you look for instead to find something smaller? In my recent book, BIG Weddings SUCK! I provided a plethora of terms that are being used to label smaller weddings. These include terms like intimate weddings, micro weddings, and tiny weddings all of which refer to much smaller affairs than the Martha Stewart definition! In my opinion, a micro wedding is one that features under 10 people while an intimate wedding is in the ballpark of maybe 20-30 guests. These are the kinds of numbers that are going to be manageable in most states despite Coronavirus restrictions. 

Have you changed your plans to something a little smaller in light of Coronavirus? We’d love to hear about your experiences.