My name is Tiffany and I’m a DC Wedding + Event Planner. I LOVE THIS BUSINESS and I’m sure my posts will show you why. 

explore:

welcome to the 411

details & specs galore

Wedding advice

events

weddings:

DC

Maryland

Virginia

beyond

DC Wedding Planner, Wedding Advice

May 9, 2020

Why Intimate Weddings Have Always Been In & The Pros To Planning Your Own

DC Wedding Planner | Why Intimate Weddings Have Always Been In & The Pros of Planning Your Own

Have you ever considered a small and intimate wedding for your big day, or secretly wished you had, when your dear mom and friends were trying to convince you otherwise? Well it’s no big secret that intimate weddings have always been around, yet never given the light they fully deserve. In fact we’ve been planning them for our couples for years. So what’s all the fuss now you say? It’s simple – Now more than ever couples who are wanting to tie the knot, looking for ways to still bring details and glam to their big day, but in a healthy environment (in the year 2020 let’s not forget) need a solution. The answer: Intimate weddings.

DC Wedding Planner | Why Intimate Weddings Have Always Been In & Pros to Planning Your Own

Image Above: Tedi + Luke were married on the rooftop of The Line Hotel among their closest friends & family for an intimate DC wedding.

Now hear me out, weddings on a smaller scale aren’t for everyone. If you’re like me and you already have enough siblings to compete with the Brady Bunch, then that might not leave much room for your three best friends and their plus ones. So while this celebration style isn’t suited for everyone, for those who recognize that a small, intimate and beautifully designed wedding feels true to who they are and how they wish to walk into their special day, well then this is the blog post for you.

What is an intimate wedding?

What classifies an intimate wedding most is their size; ideally 50 guests or less. Because of this, these weddings have the ability to take place in a number of settings (at home, your favorite local rooftop, & even abroad when we’re safely able to do so). With the ability to focus on each individual guest, these small weddings tend to be highly personalized with dozens & dozens of details that wow. From personalized table settings, custom made take-aways, upgraded food & beverage experiences, to luxury welcome gifts galore.

DC Wedding Planner | Why Intimate Weddings Have Always Been In & Pros to Planning Your Own

Image Above: Misty & David’s guests received one of these custom gift boxes filled with goodies such as La Croix Key Lime (their favorite), a bag of White House Cheddar popcorn (a favorite of the groom with nods to both Wisconsin and DC), a package of dark chocolate covered pretzels, and a custom welcome map outlining their room blocks and wedding venue.

Elevating Overall Guest Experience

The number one goal for most couples these days: “How can I make my wedding stand apart from the rest?“. If you’re a couple who has been to many weddings, you might be looking for an experience not only for yourself, but also for your guests. With a smaller guest count, your ability to create an experience with a high level of service can be achieved easily. For example, maybe you want to host your wedding on the water and shuttle guests there via sailboat or private chartered ferry. At one of our own personalized intimate weddings, we created the perfect lobster feast filled with New England’s clams, oysters, and lobster boils for each guest in attendance. The night was not only special for their guests, but also for the bride & groom who wanted their guests to experience a taste of the groom’s upbringing in Rhode Island. Due to the lower guest count, our couple was able to easily afford lobsters for all of their guests without breaking the bank. Some guests had never even had a lobster of their own before – experience achieved! For those couples that cherish experiences, a small wedding can allow them to celebrate their marriage while immersing themselves in an experience together with their guests.

DC Wedding Planner | Why Intimate Weddings Have Always Been In & Pros to Planning Your Own

Image Above: After dinner, guests were able to lounge on the venue’s property, taking in the New England breeze.

now lets talk numbers

Why are smaller weddings more appealing to your bottom line? Here’s the unique thing about intimate weddings as it pertains to budget. Catering is hands down the largest line item in any wedding budget, and with a high guest count you can usually expect to spend 30-40% of your overall budget to this expense. However with a lower guest count, your catering bill will follow suit, freeing up more of that lovely budget to be spent on design details such as flowers, stationery, rentals, guest gifts and more. The result is a budget spread more evenly over categories, giving you that wedding that stands apart from the rest.

Still not convinced? Bottom line the world of weddings as we know it is experiencing a shift and we all need to be prepared for the unexpected. So while intimate weddings may not have been the norm merely 6 months ago, I predict we’ll be seeing a lot more of these small celebrations pop up throughout this year and next, and we’re here for it!

Ready for your FREE Guide to planning your own minimony? Grad your very own copy here!

Tiffany Rivera is a DC Wedding Planner & DC Event Planner serving DC, Maryland, Virginia and beyond! For more information on our offerings be sure to check out our latest post on Elopements

Share this Post!

  1. […] no surprise that one of the industries hit hardest by COVID has been the world of weddings. Couples around the world have had to face the hard decision of postponing their wedding date to a […]

  2. […] An elopement (or affectionately dubbed “minimony“) is exactly as it sounds: a mini ceremony. Due to COVID, elopements these days are taking on a whole new meaning for themselves. Where typically these celebrations may have included running off to Las Vegas to get married despite mom & dad’s wishes, these days an elopement can be your special way of tying the knot sooner than later, while still keeping your date sacred to the two of you. Not to mention, they also more than likely can include up to 10 guests depending on your state’s social distancing guidelines. Couples are making their elopements special by still including their officiant, added touches such as a bouquet, personalized vows, a cutting cake, and other elements inspired by their original wedding day. Elopements or minimonies, are a great way for couples to honor their commitment to one another with their loved ones while still keeping a safe distance. Planning an elopement on your original wedding date is a great way to keep the love alive while still putting health and safety first.  […]

  3. […] everyone wears face coverings in public for the foreseeable future. So, if you do plan to host your wedding during the COVID-19 era, then we predict masks will also be apart of weddings for the foreseeable future. BUT […]

  4. […] with, it wasn’t too shabby of a memory to live with. When Brittney filled me on all the wedding details she dreamed of having for her winter wedding at Anderson House my eyes grew bigger and bigger with […]

  5. […] and staff. As a result, couples are opting to downsize their wedding guest list and partake in minimonies by doing their part to keep contractions low but still tie the […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *