Since micro weddings are designed to only accommodate a small number of people, it offers couples the unique opportunity to really get creative with certain aspects of their celebration. With less people, you can go bigger and bolder, and splurge in areas that wouldn’t be possible with a traditional wedding.
While the possibilities for your own micro wedding are only limited by your imagination, we’ve rounded up 23 unique micro wedding ideas that are sure to help make this event one that you’ll never forget.
Ceremony Ideas
Get Creative With Ceremony Seating
Since you’re only seating up to 50 people (and usually far less than that), you can really get creative with how you gather your guests for the ceremony. This might mean using a unique seating item, like couches, hay bales, cushions, or mismatched chairs. If you’re throwing a budget micro wedding and looking to save money, round up the dining room chairs from people you know and use those!
You can also change up how your guests are seated. Considering surrounding them around you and your partner in a circle, or in one long line of chairs leading to the alter.
Hold the Ceremony Somewhere Unique
Since you’re only taking along a handful of guests, you and your partner have the freedom to hold your ceremony in a completely unique and different location than the reception. This is also a great opportunity to hold your ceremony in a place that reflects a passion or hobby that you two share.
Some unique ceremony locations include:
- On top of a mountain
- On a boat
- In a hot air balloon
- On a rooftop
- By the beach
- In a forest
- On a dock
- At the zoo, museum, or planetarium
- Next to a waterfall
- At a national park
The options are truly endless, and depending on how small (and adventurous!) your crew is, you can really create a magical ceremony that’s sentimental, exciting, and memorable.
Involve Your Guests in the Ceremony
Involving your guests would be nearly impossible if you were hosting a traditional wedding with hundreds of guests, but micro weddings bring a whole new level of guest participation opportunities, especially when it comes to the ceremony. Consider having each guest make a vow to you and your partner in how they’ll support your marriage, or have them take part in a unity ceremony (with candles, sand, etc.).
Since these guests are people that are likely going to be a big part of the success of your marriage, getting them involved in the ceremony is a special way of saying that you appreciate them and what they do for your relationship.
Food/Drink Ideas
Create an Epic Menu
Micro wedding can end up being a foodie’s dream. Since you’re hosting fewer guests, you can allot quite a bit more money per guest on food. This means that you can create a completely epic menu, that will almost make up for all of the bland chicken and fish they’ve had before.
Incredible food will look differently for each couple, but could include:
- A multi-course meal prepared by an esteemed chef
- Food catered by your absolute favorite restaurant or caterer
- Theming your menu (carnival, Mexican, breakfast, etc)
- Customizable options (pizza, tacos, nachos)
- Unexpected food items (sushi, sea food)
- Incredible pre-meal displays (hello epic charcuterie board)
- High end menu items (lobster, handmade pasta, filets)
Host a Food Truck Wedding
Everyone knows that food trucks offer some of the best food choices around, so how perfect would it be to host one of your favorite food trucks at your wedding? Food trucks also create a laid back and relaxed vibe, letting guests choose their menu items and enjoy them in a casual setting, making them the perfect choice for a backyard micro wedding.
Many food trucks are willing to customize menu items, and some even offer the opportunity to create a special menu item named after the couple. If you don’t know of any food trucks in your area, check out Roaming Hunger, a site that allows you to search and compare hundreds of food truck options.
Host a Bar Cart or Truck
Gone are the days when food trucks claimed all of the mobile glory, because bar carts have arrived and they looked GOOD doing it. We’re not sure why being incredibly cute and trendy became a thing for mobile bars, but we’re certainly not complaining about it.
Not only do they bring the fun right to your front porch (or wherever you may be!), but you can also find a bar cart for just about any taste. We’ve seen carts that feature everything from Prosecco, to craft cocktails, all the way to signature beers.
If you’re really lucky, you’ll be able to score a mobile bar that also fits your theme. Whether it’s clean and classic, rustic farmhouse, or sleek and modern, there’s surely a bar cart to tickle your fancy.
Create Custom Cocktails
Signal wedding cocktails are both fun and unique, and a truly memorable way to put a personalized stamp on your wedding celebration. Brainstorm with your significant other, and come up with a drink that reflects your spirit, personalities, and style. And don’t forget a fun name! Think about something that’s meaningful to you both, whether that’s a special place, event, or memory. We’ve even seen couples who base their signature cocktails off of their pets!
Consider highlighting seasonal ingredients, such as watermelon in the summer, or apples in the fall. You can go fancy and create something truly unique, or simply add your favorite fruit to the champagne offerings.
If you’ve decided to hire a bar cart or bar service, talk with them and ask if they’d be willing to help you come up with something fun and delicious. Many businesses are more than happy to create with their clients!
Have a Family Style Meal
One element of a micro wedding that will always be our favorite is the fact that you can gather all of your guests around the table to enjoy a celebratory meal. Connecting and chatting with all of your guests throughout the meal is simply something you can’t get at a traditional wedding.
Up the closeness factor by hosting a family style meal. Hire a caterer or restaurant to provide some of your favorite dishes to share, and set up a long table to accommodate your loved ones. We promise that this experience is something that everyone will appreciate and remember for years to come.
Decor Ideas
Create an Epic Tablescape
If you haven’t already drooled over pictures of epically beautiful micro wedding tablescapes yet, we suggest you pause right now and go do that. One beautiful thing about throwing a micro wedding is the fact that you can zoom in on the little details, and splurge more on the decor if you choose.
The goal of creating a gorgeous tables cape for just one or two tables is far more attainable than trying to do it for 20.
Keep these important things in mind when you’re designing your own tablescape:
- Keep the mood/vibe of your wedding at the forefront – if you’re holding your reception in a dark and woodsy cabin with rich materials, then a bright white tablescape may not be the right fit.
- Think about texture, color, and add-ons – don’t be afraid to mix materials (think velvet, crisp linen, and different types of dish ware/cutlery), as well as incorporate a variety of complementing colors. You can also incorporate fun add-ons like lights, candles, and all things sparkly.
- Incorporate florals and greenery – fresh flowers and greenery will undoubtably bring your design to the next level.
- Customize for your guests – your tablescape is a great opportunity to make your guests feel welcome and special. Use this space to place a hand written note for each person at their place, thanking them for coming and reminding them of why they’re so special to you.
If creating a tablescape from scratch overwhelmed you, then don’t be afraid to browse for some inspiration! There’s no need to reinvent the wheel, and countless couples before you have already brainstormed incredible examples that you can base your own off of.
Decorate With Lights
Few things are more romantic than featuring an abundance of twinkling lights at your wedding. Lights set the mood for a magical night, and inspire the feeling of romance. Since you’re probably working with a smaller space for your ceremony and reception, it’s much easier to create that magical effect with less money and effort involved.
Some ideas for gorgeous wedding lighting include:
- Creating a ceiling of lights
- Use glowing lanterns
- Fill the space with candles
- Put candles on all of your tables
- Hang string lights
- Create a path with lights or candles
- Feature a chandelier or other lighted statement piece
- Mix and match candle sizes
- Cover the trees in lights (trunk included!)
If you’re looking to save money, then make sure you check places like Facebook Market Place and Craigslist for gently used candles and lights. Many couples only use these items briefly, and end up selling them since they’re practically new!
Include Fun Furniture
Using fun and unexpected furniture is a great way to create intentional spaces for your micro wedding. Whether it’s bringing the indoors outside and putting together a comfy lounge area, or finding a beautiful antique statement piece to display your cake on, furniture can add style and functionality to any space.
We especially love the look of bringing classic and vintage pieces into nature, or setting up a plushy lounge in your backyard. Don’t be afraid to include items like rugs, pillows, trunks, and dressers as well. If you don’t have any of these items available in your own house, take some time to check second hand stores, where you’ll often find affordable gems that you won’t be paranoid about bringing outside.
Purposely Mismatch
Gone are the days when wedding decor had to look just so, and we’re welcoming the eclectic vibes with open arms. Mismatching your furniture or dish ware is a great way to create a laid back, yet artful look to your celebration. This can also be closely tied in with incorporating fun furniture into your look. Consider having your guests seated in a variety of mismatched chairs for the ceremony or reception, or some funky vintage couches for your guests to lounge on. You can also combine seating options, with a mix of couches, benches, and chairs.
Mismatching your furniture creates a unique aesthetic with all of the different patterns, textures, and hues, while also potentially saving you some cash if you get creative about where you collect your items from. These areas also create beautiful backgrounds for your photos!
Add Extra Decor
Most couples choose to hold their micro wedding in a smaller space, when then means less space to decorate. While some bag this as an opportunity to save some cash, other use it as a chance to go all out with their decor. If creating a breathtaking ambiance is one of your goals, then go all out with your decor.
Whether that’s adding extra flowers and greenery to your tables in order to create a lush an full table scape, or draping twinkling hanging lights from all of your backyard trees, less space to decorate means that the things you do choose to display will go further and be appreciated more.
You can also add decor to your ceremony by building or buying an amazing arch and lining your aisle with candles, flowers, or arrangements.
Entertainment Ideas
Hire Live Music
One way to add some flair to your micro wedding reception is to hire a live band or musician to play. This is an especially great option if you’re looking to create a very specific vibe with your music choice. Some couples aren’t interested in dancing the night away, and would rather have mellow and relaxing music at their reception. Others may want a funky local band that will carry the entertainment throughout the night, while also interacting with their crowd.
Be sure to keep in mind the logistics of hiring live music as well. Space, power, and accessibility are all important factors to consider if you’d like to host live music.
Have Games Planned
While most traditional wedding follow a fairly predictable script, all bets are off when it comes to micro weddings. Having some pre-planned reception wedding games is a great way to get your guests interacting (this is especially helpful if you’re guests don’t know each other that well) and ensures that everyone has fun.
Games generally work best when you’re hosting an outdoor wedding where there’s plenty of space, but they can also work for indoor events as well.
Some ideas for wedding games include:
- Corn hole
- Giant Jenga, Connect Four, or checkers
- Board game stations
- Old school drinking games (beer pong/flip cup) – you can also modify these by adding different liquors like Prosecco!
- Scavenger hunts
- Piñata
- Wedding Bingo
Many of these games can be rented, and rentals often include set up and drop off, making it a stress free way to provide entertainment and laughs throughout the night.
Another idea is to have games ready for your younger guests to enjoy, such as coloring, video games, or board games.
Throw an After Party
Why limit yourself to just one celebration when you could have two? These days, many couples are opting to throw a modest reception, and then following it with an after party out on the town. This can also heavily reduce your overall costs, since going out as a group means that you won’t be footing the tab for everyones drinks and food. You can also consider paying for your guests to have vouchers at the chosen location, and treating them to a drink or two on you.
Throwing an after party is also a great option if your venue closes earlier than you’d like, or you’re choosing to hold a morning/day ceremony followed by a brunch reception.
Theme/Venue Ideas
Have a Brunch Wedding
We’re honestly mystified by the fact that more couples don’t host brunch weddings. I mean, who doesn’t love brunch?! Not only does a brunch wedding include some of the best food, but it can also make your event more affordable. Most venues have steep discounts on ceremonies/receptions that are booked for daytime slots, while also offering more availability for you to choose the date you desire.
Fun elements that could be included in your brunch micro wedding include:
- Coffee/tea stations with top tier selections
- Delicious brunch bites as the passed apps selection
- Having a Bloody Mary or mimosa bar with a variety of delicious and fun add-ins
- Creating delicious brunch stations like omelettes, biscuits and gravy, and pancakes
- Lots of florals and bright colors to reflect the theme
Plan a Holiday Themed Micro Wedding
Hosting a micro wedding means that holding your event on a holiday is much more feasible. Since chances are you’ve only invited those closest to you, these are probably many of the people you’d be spending a holiday with already.
Whether it’s a wild and crazy Fourth of July wedding complete with watching fireworks over a lake (hey, just pretend they’re going off for you!), or a twinkling and romantic New Years Eve wedding, having your nearest and dearest help you celebrate your union with the added touch of holiday excitement is a great way to create an event nobody will forget.
Choose a Unique Venue
Chances are you couldn’t get away with hosting a 100 person wedding in the cozy coffee shop where you and you partner met, but holding a micro wedding opens up a plethora of previously unavailable venue options. Don’t be afraid to get creative with your venue, and think outside the box when it comes to possibilities.
Some unique venue options that are perfect for micro weddings include:
- Private boat or yacht
- Coffee shop
- Museum
- Airbnb
- Cave/waterfall
- Orchards/farms
- Brewery/winery
- Treehouse
Your options are truly endless, and simply depend on how adventurous and creative you can get!
Plan a Getaway
Hosting a micro wedding is a great chance for you to make your event into a complete getaway for you and your guests. Since you’re only asking a small handful of people to participate, it makes it much easier to choose a unique location and still ensure that everyone you want will be there.
Some couples choose to go all out and plan a destination micro wedding, while others choose a more local idea that simply involves a quick trip. We love the idea of renting out a group of cabins to host your guests in, or hosting your group in an epic Airbnb.
You can choose to cover the cost of the entire trip, or if you feel comfortable, ask your guests to help chip in for rooms and food. Some groups might enjoy working together to plan a menu, and take turns cooking/cleaning for each other.
Extras
Personalize Your Favors
Only inviting your absolute nearest and dearest gives you the unique opportunity to tell each of your guests exactly how much they mean to you. One way to accomplish this is to personalize your wedding favors! This might look like choosing a sweet gift for all of your guests, then writing a hand written note to attach to each one, letting them know how much they mean to you and your significant other.
You could also go the route of putting your guests name on their gift, which works especially well if you’re giving something like a tumbler, water bottle, or mug.
Another idea would be to theme your gift with the season or location of your event. If it’s fall, consider picking out cozy blankets for your guests to take home with their surname embroidered on the corner. If you’re holding a beach wedding, then maybe choose to gift each guest with an insulated bottle labeled with their name to keep all of their beach beverages cool.
Send Unique Invites
Sending unique invites takes on a new level of creative when you’re only sending a handful out. You might want to go all out with paper invitations, adding all of the bells and whistles to create a gorgeous display, or you may choose to go completely all out and present your invite via a small gift. Consider sending a cookie, cupcake, or even an engraved clear acrylic sheet to announce your date. We’ve also seen couples create mini board games, cutting boards, and even personalized bottles of wine or champagne with the date and location on the label.
If you’re hosting a getaway wedding, then try including a few items that give your guests a small hint about what the weekend will entail. These small tokens will up the excitement and make your guests feel like a part of the celebration before it even begins.
Have Welcome Gifts
If you’re planning a destination micro wedding (or even a mini getaway), then surprising your guests with a welcome gift is the perfect way to kick off the celebration. Many hotels are happy to place baskets or bags of goodies that you’ve prepared in rooms designated for your guests. Or, if you’re hosting an Airbnb wedding, you can put the gifts in the rooms before they arrive.
Try to theme your gifts to the location and vibe of your wedding for an extra thoughtful touch. If you’re throwing a beach wedding, tuck in a water bottle, flip flops, and fun sunglasses. If you’re cozied up in a mountain cabin, then choose some fuzzy socks, a cozy blanket, and gourmet hot choclate.
If planning and putting together your own welcome gifts seems overwhelming, check out companies like Lux Box Co and Marigold and Grey who put together incredible welcome gifts that your guests will be talking about well after your wedding is over.