Micro wedding vs. elopement: which is right for you?
When Michael and I got engaged, our least favorite—yet most commonly asked—question was:
“So when’s the big day?”
No sooner had the ring been on my finger than people left and right started asking how the wedding planning was going. We’ve only been engaged for 2 days!
Wedding planning is basically a full-time job in and of itself. Now that we’ve been married for almost seven years (!), all I remember from our own wedding planning seasons is a blur of meetings, Pinterest boards, and a lot of stress as we juggled wedding planning with our jobs.
Given how elaborate weddings seem to be these days, it’s no wonder that small, intimate weddings such as micro weddings or elopements are becoming more and more popular. We get it: we had a small wedding too, but even trying to pull that off felt like a drawn-out ordeal.
So when you’re looking to say “I do” to your love while saying “No way” to all the stress and chaos of wedding planning, micro weddings or elopements may seem like a perfect solution. But what’s the difference? Should you have a micro wedding or an elopement? Which one is right for you?
In this post, let’s dive into the differences between micro weddings vs. elopements, what makes each one unique, and which one is right for you.
MICRO WEDDINGS
What are micro weddings?
While you may find differing definitions of what a micro wedding is, we would describe it as the experience of a traditional wedding but at a fraction of the cost (and stress). While a traditional wedding ceremony may be large and elaborate or small and intimate, we consider a wedding “micro” if it includes 50 or less guests (including the bridal party).
When you host a traditional wedding, you sometimes don’t get moments with all your guests on your special day, but a micro wedding allows you to celebrate with your closest friends and family at a fraction of the cost of a larger bash.
Where to have a micro wedding?
Since a micro wedding is essentially a traditional wedding at a small scale, you can plan to have your micro wedding anywhere that you might hold a larger wedding! Some of our favorite places to hold a micro wedding are:
At your local church
A small event venue space
A public botanical garden
Your home or backyard!
A wedding venue made for small, micro weddings
And of course, if you’re in the Central Florida area, take a peek at Our favorite unique picturesque locations to get married at in Central Florida!
Who should you invite to your micro wedding?
Since your micro wedding is a scaled-back version of a traditional wedding, you can have an array of guests at your ceremony. However, given that micro weddings are typically 50 or less guests (including your bridal party), you’ll want to choose your guest list carefully!
Perhaps your micro wedding will include family only, if you both have a large extended family, or perhaps you’ll limit the list to only close friends and family. Whichever you decide, your guest list will play a key role in determining the size of your wedding—and whether a micro wedding is right for you. (We’ll talk about this more later in the post.)
How do you plan a micro wedding?
Planning a micro wedding is no different than planning a larger wedding, although there are some trade-offs. First, you’ll (hopefully!) experience less stress, as perhaps you’ll choose to get married at your own home or ask friends and family to pitch in with decorations or food. However, the flip side is that you may be wanting to save money, in which case you won’t have the aid of a wedding planner or wedding day coordinator to step in and handle logistics. This may mean you’ll be calling vendors, nailing down day-of schedules, and asking Great-Aunt Josephine if she’s ever going to send in her RSVP in time.
Because we had a small wedding ourselves, we know how much of the wedding planning process is falling on your shoulders. That’s why all of our micro wedding photography & videography packages include guidance on your day-of schedule to make sure all the details of your day are fully captured! While we can’t help you with Great-Aunt Josephine’s RSVP, we can ensure that your photography and videography are one less detail you have to worry about during wedding planning—and on your special day.
How much does a micro wedding cost?
The answer to the question “How much does a micro wedding cost?” is one nobody likes to hear: It depends on your budget!
Since your micro wedding can really be whatever you want it to be, it can also happen at nearly any budget. We’ve seen some of our couples throw gorgeous, intimate weddings at jaw-dropping venues; and we’ve also seen newlyweds exchange vows amongst friends and family at home. Both have been equally beautiful, special, and magical in their own ways (and to be honest, we love both types of micro weddings equally!).
Keep in mind that your guest count may impact the cost of your micro wedding. If you choose to cater food for all 50 of your guests, that will cost more than serving a few hors d'oeuvres to a handful of loved ones at home.
Whether your micro wedding is elaborate or simple, we recommend prioritizing your wedding photography and videography in your budget. (I know, we’re supposed to say that!). But it’s true: while you and your guests won’t remember what food you served at your micro wedding, you will want to remember and cherish every moment of your special day. Hiring a wedding photographer and/or videographer you can trust to ensure all the details are captured and that your photos turn out exactly as you’ve dreamed will be well worth the investment.
ELOPEMENTS
What does “elopement” mean?
Elopements have gained massive popularity in the past decade or so. Whereas our parents’ or grandparents’ generation thought of elopement weddings as illicit runaway couples, today’s elopements are not running away from family so much as from societal pressures to hold big, elaborate weddings.
Having an elopement wedding ceremony—which usually takes place in an exotic, adventurous, or meaningful outdoor space—is a way for you and your loved one to exchange vows in front of a very limited, intimate gathering (or just your officiant and witnesses) in a location that is significant to you both. The only real connection between runaway elopements of olden days and 21st-century elopements is the element of going away somewhere to exchange your vows (a backyard wedding is not typically considered an “elopement”).
While elopements of old were commonly last-minute, unplanned weddings, modern-day elopements are usually planned months in advance as a private and special way for a couple to say “I do.”
What are the best elopement locations?
Since an elopement is just an off-grid ceremony, requiring only the bare minimum of attendees, you can hold your elopement wedding ceremony anywhere you’d like!
National Parks are a popular choice, with adventurous newlyweds choosing a remote location (often involving quite a hike) to exchange their vows. As we’re based in Central Florida, we often see a number of couples choose our state’s sunny beaches as a tropical getaway to hold their engagement. Alternatively, many couples choose courthouse wedding ceremonies as a quick, cost-effective, and low-key way of eloping.
While most eloping couples choose to travel for their outdoor ceremony, you really can choose any location that’s meaningful to you—even if it’s within a short distance of your home. The element of adventure, getting away somewhere (usually) remote, and intimacy is what marks a modern-day elopement as a meaningful alternative to micro-weddings or full-scale weddings.
How much does an elopement cost?
Since elopements usually involve only the ceremony and little to no guests, they’re an extremely affordable option to holding a wedding celebration. Whether you choose to drive to your local courthouse to exchange vows or travel to a remote outdoor location, the cost of your elopement really depends on how much you choose to spend.
A courthouse elopement requires little else but the cost of the marriage license and performing of the ceremony; on the other hand, some wildly adventurous couples choose to travel to an exotic location, wear an expensive dress, purchase camping equipment, and even hire a helicopter to reach a remote ceremony location!
Should I have a micro wedding or an elopement?
Whether you’re considering a small, intimate micro wedding vs. elopement for the sake of saving money or stress, this crucial question is one of the first you’ll need to answer when planning your wedding.
Here’s a few considerations that can help you decide what’s best for you:
Decide your priorities
What is most important to you and your fiance when it comes to your wedding day? Is it to share your love with family and friends, or to share an intimate exchange of vows in private?
Often, weddings are not just about you as the couple but an opportunity for family to gather (in our extended family, weddings serve as mini family reunions) or to dance the night away with college pals. If your wedding is expected to serve as a meaningful event for those closest to you, choosing to elope instead may ruffle some feathers—unless you’re okay with that, that is!
On the other hand, if your priority is to escape and have your day just be about the two of you (regardless of family expectations), an elopement may be just the right fit.
Decide your budget
Budget may be a determining factor in deciding whether to hold a micro wedding or to elope. Perhaps you’re saving for your first house and the idea of dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a big party would derail your goals. Or, perhaps you’ve always dreamed of having a big wedding but you’d like to do so on as budget-friendly a scale as possible. While eloping is often the most affordable option (especially if you hold a courthouse wedding with a reception at a local restaurant), a micro wedding is the perfect bridge between affordability and the full-scale wedding experience.
Decide your must-have guest list
When we were planning our wedding in 2017, we seriously considered eloping to a national park that had meant a lot to us during our dating years. However, at that time my mother was losing her battle to cancer, and having her at our wedding meant much more to us than our own dreams of exchanging vows in an intimate setting.
I don’t say this was a bad thing—our wedding was a wonderful experience, and we absolutely made the right choice, not only for our family but also for ourselves. However, it brings up an important point that sometimes your VIP guests may impact how and where you hold your wedding ceremony.
When you have ill family members who can’t travel (and whom you wouldn’t dream of holding your wedding without), a micro wedding can be a beautiful compromise of having the low-key wedding you desire while still including those most important to you.
On the other hand, if you’re trying to get away from difficult family dynamics—whether your day would be more meaningful without all the drama, or inviting everyone would put your guest list, and budget, over the edge—eloping is a wonderful way to make your day just about the two of you and to draw some healthy, respectful boundaries.
Ultimately, when you’re planning an intimate wedding, the question of whether a micro wedding or an elopement is right for you is a big question to ask. While it’s important to start by envisioning your perfect wedding day (is your dad walking you down the aisle? Are you dancing the night away with your besties? Or are you escaping on a romantic adventure for an intimate ceremony?), there are also other important considerations to factor into which type of wedding is right for you.
Finally, don’t forget that the memories you make on your wedding day will last you a lifetime. Make sure every moment is preserved forever by choosing a wedding photographer and videographer to capture the details, feeling, and intimacy of your micro wedding or elopement. If you think we might be a good fit for you, we’d be honored to help you share your love story!
