The Smaller The Better: Small And Intimate Weddings

I am always amazed by couples who contact me for small budget weddings and go ahead to say they are expecting 500 to 700 guests with a really small budget.

When planning a "small wedding" size really does matter. Start off by deciding whether you want a low buget small wedding or an extravagant low-key wedding with a few guests.

When planned right, know that a low-budget small wedding with a few guests can look really elegant and classy. And when it comes to weddings, smaller may actually be better.

There is more time for the bride and groom to spend with their guests, the group really gets to know one another, and everyone contributes to the event in his or her own way.

Intimate celebrations, it seems, have certain advantages. Here, we unveil the truth behind small celebrations.

Limit the Guest List

Do you find yourself agonizing over the guest list thinking, who is so and so? No mother's best friend's club will be attending your wedding. Read on how to trim your guest list here

Not wanting to deal with a sea of unfamiliar faces on such an emotional day, some couples decide to limit their lists agreeing that a smaller celebration can create a more joyful atmosphere:

Bonus: There are so many creative options for locations when one is not trying to accommodate hundreds of guests.

Now the hard part: You may be greeted by howls of protest from your families when you ask them to cut down portions of their lists to the lean-and-mean few who really matter. And, of course, you and your sweetheart must be prepared to do the same.

This may mean having to explain to friends who expected to be there why they will not receive an invitation. There is no easy way to do this, except to be perfectly honest. Tell your friends that you are keeping the event very small and limiting the list. But be prepared for the occasional hurt feelings and lingering bitterness.

Keep to a Smaller Budget

You might decide that a three-course meal for 200 guests is better than jollof rice and soft drinks for 500 guests. Some couples having over 400 guests have cut their guest lists to the bare minimum in order to maximize their budgets. It becomes a choice between cutting corners in order to have 150 guests or cutting the list in half and having everything just the way you envision the day. And yes, it is possible.

Treat Your Guests Well

A small wedding gives you the chance to really go all out. Perhaps guests can stay at a luxurious hotel or your reception party can be more elaborate and take place in a fancy restaurant with a wine-pairing for each course.

I know one wedding where all 150 guests were picked up by fancy cars and were delivered to the wedding ceremony. Afterward, guests were taken to a private room at a top-notch restaurant for an unforgettable reception.

Keeping things small means that the extra details, like providing limousine service, loaded gift baskets, and three-course feasts for your guests, are suddenly more accessible. Think boxes of chocolate instead of small chops, the best champagne rather than cheap wines, the list is endless really.

Pay Attention to the Details

Often when a pair is planning a small wedding they're inclined not to hire a wedding consultant.

The heiress warns: smaller is not synonymous with simpler. When the wedding is small, every detail is noticed, so careful attention to detail is called for.

There is no hiding behind the crowd at a small celebration -- little things that might have gone unnoticed with 500 people milling around but will be painfully obvious with 200 and under.

Make it Entertaining

This is perhaps the best part of having a smaller wedding: With fewer people on the scene, it's easy to get everyone into the act somehow.

Depending on how small the event will be, you can have the Emcee have them stand and encircle you as you exchange your vows, seat them at one big table at the wedding reception, or pass around a blank guest book and big box of colored pencils for all to share their favorite memories of the bride and groom.

Please and please make sure you hire a good, infact a great DJ or a band. A dull band or DJ can totally ruin a small wedding, there is nothing worse than your guests not being able to dance and shake it off after good food and wine.

I hope this helps with your decisions. All the best!

Olamide~ The Heiress