It’s been an uncertain time for weddings this year, current guidelines will let you have 30 people present for a ceremony and so many people who want to plan a small but meaningful wedding with only their very nearest and dearest present can do so in a totally unique way in what has been a very unique year!
My husband and I eloped just the two of us…the witnesses were people we didn’t even know from The Scarlet Hotel in Cornwall and we had zero worries about making the day perfect for anyone else. All that matters to us, was that we were married and that we had our wedding in a way that didn’t feel stressful or too much like a performance for my people shy husband!
I LOVE weddings. Weddings when you invite everyone you know and create a huge fuss or weddings that feel like afternoon tea in your garden. The link between the two that makes me love both equally?! The fact that weddings are best when you plan them exactly the way YOU want to. They are best when you worry less about what will make guests and family happy, and more about what would make your proclamation of love for each other feel the most momentous it possibly can do.
For some that means the whole SHEBANG, 200 guests, circus performers amidst the guests, metres of glamorous grazing buffets, fireworks at the end of the day. For others that will mean dipping their toes in the sand just the two of you or gathering a few precious people together in your parent’s garden with your own one of a kind ceremony.
A couple of years ago I had the pleasure of photographing this intimate, bespoke and mini wedding near Bourne in Lincolnshire. Less than 30 people, the ceremony taking part in the garden and it would have just been the perfect wedding set up for a mini wedding in these strange times we face of wedding planning!
Let’s ignore the fact that there is very little clarity on wedding guidance right now (and certainly when we can hope to see some change in numbers and restrictions!…But that is for a whole new blog post!).
Instead we can look at the positives of holding a mini wedding and why you might want to go ahead with your current date or even book a last minute mini ceremony in!
- Let’s get to the biggy – it costs less. This leaves you room to spend on other things like a delayed honeymoon, having the moment captured on video, or hey you could treat yourself to a luxury photography album.
- There is less pressure on the day, if either of you feel at all stressed about the notion of getting married and ‘being on show’ then a mini wedding could be just the thing to make you feel at ease.
- You get more time to talk to each other! On a wedding day the more guests you have the less you actually get to talk to your loved one on the day!!
- You get more time for creative portraits, ok so I admit I’m biased on this one! But of course I was going to look at the photographic benefits right?! With less of a schedule on the day you could drive to the beach for a walk along the sand, climb a ridge in the Peak District or simply walk the streets of your pretty local village for some unique and historic portraits! I always think the photos of just the two of you are the most important as these are the ones likely to be printed big on your wall somewhere right?!
The wedding shown above was the perfect example of a mini wedding with maximum love and although this wedding was two years ago it’s a perfect example of how a mini wedding can be absolutely the right thing for you. For some that don’t want to change or downscale plan then postponing your wedding is absolutely the right thing to do. If that’s you then my best advice is don’t delay. Many wedding suppliers are now fully and over fully booked for 2021. That’s pushing more booking than usual into 2022…so don’t delay and get your wedding moved if you’d love a huge whole SHEBANG event.
If you’re thinking mini might be just the thing then carry on with your plans and I’ll be chatting to my couples about how we maximise your photography and make the most of capturing your unique mini day.
If you’d like to chat to me about booking in for a mini wedding, elopement or bespoke wedding idea then hit the My Style Tab to look at more of my work or the Contact page if you can’t wait to check dates and secure yours!
Just promise me one thing, downsize your wedding but don’t downscale your love for the one thing that suvirves your wedding day (other than hopefully your love for each other!)…
…the PHOTOS. The photos and videos are the most important thing you will purchase for your wedding day. I am so biased…but they really truly are the one everlasting thing, the most important momento. Find a photographer you absolutely LOVE (in your budget) and relive those memories forever, together.
0 Comments