4 Ways to Make Your Small Wedding Less Awkward
I can’t lie – I love small weddings. I’ve always found them to be less awkward than a large wedding. What’s weirder than hundreds of people staring at you while you say your vows? I’m not sure, but I do know that a small wedding is so much more inviting!
Though if you were planning on hosting a large wedding and suddenly had to change plans, it’s jarring to be thrown into a miniature wedding. Is it still a wedding if none of your original guests are there? And what the heck do you do when timelines are thrown out the window? Where do you stand? Do people sit? Do you play music? What do you doooooo?
Deep breath. Calm down. Your small wedding will be just as great because here are four easy ways to make your small wedding less awkward:
1. Stop thinking it’s awkward
It’s easier said than done, but it really does boil down to reframing your mindset. What makes the wedding awkward for you? The lack of tradition? The lack of people? Having no prior experience or context with a small wedding? List everything weird or strange about having a small wedding. This gives you a base to know where your fears are and how to tackle them.
And those traditions we usually have at a large wedding? Throw ‘em out the window! As long as you’re legally married (or even symbolically!), that’s what constitutes a wedding. The size of your wedding doesn’t matter. Whether or not you have a bridal party doesn’t matter. You don’t have to even have a reception. Your wedding is simply a ceremony. That’s it.
2.Find one special thing you can do for your day
If you go into planning a small wedding with the mentality of it only being your legal wedding, it’s going to feel awkward no matter what. Switch those thoughts around! This day is about you! You get to hang out with your partner and a few close people and live simply, beautifully. How often do you get to do that?
Instead, find one special way you can celebrate your day. Is that hosting dinner with your family after the ceremony? Is it cooking a massive brunch earlier in the day? Is it literally Netflix-ing the day away and taking a breather? Finding something to make your day unique and special to you will help separate the day from all of the other days you’re alive.
3. Hold off on announcements/expectations/etc
When we announce we’re engaged, the world suddenly hands us their expectations they insist on seeing for your day. But…it’s not their day. It’s yours. When we feel pressure to report to the world about our wedding plans, we suddenly feel less like the day is ours and more like we’re meeting a list of demands.
If you don’t tell anyone about your small wedding plans, the day becomes yours again. You can tell them later. Or not at all. Or tell them at your larger wedding!
4. Let your heart out
When you have an intimate ceremony, you don’t have to worry about others judging you for the length of your vows, the content of your vows, or anything else they might try to throw judgment at you for. Even if you’re not particularly sappy people, your small wedding is a chance for you to take a step back from life and deeply reflect on your time together. So, write it out – say everything you never once said and don’t be afraid to say it. There’s literally no one else to judge you about it anyway.
Below is an example timeline of an ideal wedding plan:
12:30 PM – Bride puts on dress and bride individual photos
12:45 PM – Groom heads to first look location
1:00 PM – First look, letter reading, couple photos
2:00 PM – Bridal party photos
2:45 PM – Family Photos
3:30 PM – Family Photos done
4:00 PM – Hide away for Ceremony (eat something, drink water, have time alone together)
4:30 PM – Ceremony Starts
5:00 PM – Ceremony ends – cocktail hour begins
6:00 PM – Grand entrance with bridal party
6:15 PM – Dinner starts
6:30 PM – Speeches
7:00 PM – Cake cutting and dessert served
7:30 PM – Start Dances (couple’s first dance, father daughter, mother son, then open dance)
8:30 PM – Sneak away for golden hour photos
8:45 PM – Sunset time
9:00 PM – Return to dance floor
10:30 PM – Sparkler Send Off
Here is an example timeline for a wedding in the winter where the sun sets at 4:00 pm, and the couple wants to do their first look down the aisle.
12:00 PM – Groom and groomsmen group and individual photos
12:30 PM – Bride and bridesmaid group and individual photos
1:00 PM – hide before ceremony starts
1:30 PM – Ceremony begins
2:30 PM – Ceremony ends, guests head to cocktail hour
2:30 PM – Family group portraits
3:00 PM – Bridal party group photos
3:30 PM – Couple portraits heading into sunset
4:00 PM Sunset time, head to reception
4:30 PM – Cocktail hour ends, guests get seasted
4:45 PM – Grand March
5:00 PM – Dinner served
5:30 PM – Speeches
6:00 PM – Cake Cutting
6:30 PM – First dances
7:00 PM – Photography coverage done
The Bottom Line
If you’ve read through all of these and are still thinking, “Well do we have music? Should we process in?” My one last takeaway for you is this, do you want to? Ask yourself this through the process and only allow yourself to answer it, not Google, your parents, or anyone else who may influence your decision.
Have your small wedding plans set and are ready to start writing your vows? Pop over here for some actually useful advice on how to write them.
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Though, narrowing down which photographer to hire in a sea of photographers can be tricky, especially if this is your first time booking a professional. Even if you have previously worked with someone trained in photography, wedding photography is a whole new field, and it’s definitely not a vendor you want to skimp on.
If you’re wondering what the most important traits you should consider when selecting your photographer, Michelle from Wandermore Photography and me (Liz) compiled five elements to consider when browsing wedding photographers.
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So, you’re engaged! Yay!
You probably know the venue and have already selected the photographer – you’ve got your main priorities covered!
But then what? You’ve got a laundry list of vendors to contact, meet with, and choose, And all this hassle on top of working at your day job while juggling every other priority in life.
And there are all these websites that give you conflicting, and often unrealistic, information about when to book your wedding vendors.