Planning a wedding during a worldwide pandemic presents major challenges. Wedding couples this year found their dreams being dashed. Government restrictions made wedding dates unavailable and canceled. Changes and adjustments needed to be made for these couples. The wedding this couple envisioned many months ago was not the wedding they ended up having. They downsized their guest list dramatically for the safety of all. However, there were some silver linings to their wedding too! Let’s take a look at how their small intimate wedding unfolded and how they celebrated their wedding day!

We had been planning for almost a year, and every month I would touch base with them to assess the situation. We really didn’t know much. But I kept a positive outlook for them. Decisions had to be made and plan B had to be formed. First of all they had to uninvite all of their guests, not a fun thing to do. They put the information on their website and explained their safety concerns. They decided to have just their wedding party and family. The total number was 23 people, and that included the wedding couple!

Next we had to work with the caterer. The fewer guests meant changes to the menu. The couple decided to create a menu which reflected their love story. They asked the caterer to create a seven course meal with foods that respresented their relationship. How cool is this menu!

• First course was for welcoming their friends and family
• Second course was the food native to where they met
• Third course was food native to where they traveled to internationally
• Fourth course was food they ate when they got engaged
• Fifth course was the meal she missed while crying after the proposal
• Sixth course was the food native to their new city
• Seventh course was where they were married – Georgia, it was Peaches and Cream

Now if they had 180 guests as planned, they would not have had this unbelievable custom dinner! Here is one silver lining! The caterer couldn’t reduce the price, but she adjusted by changing the menu. Feeding and providing alcohol for 180 guests adds up! Why not use that money towards the things your really want, just like this couple did!

Next the florals needed to be addressed. Fewer guests mean fewer tables, which means fewer centerpieces were needed. So the floral designer worked with the couple to come up with a new design. They could add back in elements that had been taken out due to budget constraits. Again, another silver lining!

The final adjustment was to the furniture decor. In the original plans, there was no extra furniture or decor. But now with things changing, the venue provided extra furniture and decor!

So planning a small intimate wedding has many benefits. Keep it small. With fewer guests you will have more time to spend with the people who mean the most to you! Keep it special. Include elements that mean something to you, and tell your relationship and your love story. Keep it simple. A small wedding doesn’t mean having less things. It means having the things that mean the most to you. This couple was so happy with how their small intimate wedding turned out. They said it was everything they wanted!

While we do not know how long this pandemic will last, we do know that we can adjust and adapt to this new wedding planning process. We would love to help you plan and coordinate your small intimate wedding day! Keep it special. Keep it simple. Keep it small!