The Beauty of a Smaller Wedding

Millions of weddings take place across the globe every year. According to the Association for Bridal Consultants, the average American wedding includes 175 guests, and the average size of the wedding party is 12 people. Many couples may view these averages and feel pressured to throw a big wedding. But smaller events can be just as much fun and easier on the pocketbook as well. Small weddings are making a big comeback. With all the over-the-top celebrity weddings and stories of people spending enough on their wedding to buy a small country, small weddings don't get a lot of press. But they are becoming very much back in-style.

The renewed popularity of small weddings may arguably be due in large part to the current state of the economy. The current trend no doubt emerged out of necessity to a large part, as more and more couples have had to reduce their wedding spending. But what couples have discovered along the way is that you can pull off a class-act wedding on a small budget by keeping the guest count low and the wedding small - without sacrificing style.

But apart from that, small weddings have always offered a certain charm and intimacy that offer a lot of allure for some couples. Small weddings tend to be more intimate. Couples can spend more individual time with guests instead of having to spread their time thinly around a large reception hall. Special moments, such as speeches or words of wisdom, may bear more significance when the group is intimate.

The small wedding is ideal for couples who prefer a more intimate and personal atmosphere for their wedding - as opposed to an affair for 450 of their "closest" friends.

Don't confuse the idea of a small wedding with the level of formality. A small wedding does not have to mean an informal wedding. Nor does it have to mean a simple wedding, or a cheap wedding (though obviously, because the guest list is dramatically reduced, there can be significant savings).

The concept of a "small wedding" simply refers to the size of the guest list. So instead of inviting your second-cousin's best friend from Chattanooga, the guest list and wedding party are limited to your small inner circle - just the closest of relatives and dearest of friends.

How small is small? Only you can answer that. It could be 15 guests, 25, 50, 75. Even 100 guests may qualify as a small wedding if weddings for 300 or 400 are what is most common in your social circle.

Beyond sharing the most important day of your life with a small, intimate group of friends, a small wedding allows you the freedom to focus on the areas of your wedding that are most important to you, may have otherwise been out of your reach.

For instance, a smaller wedding makes a destination wedding far more practical than it would be with a large guest list. A destination wedding is exactly as it sounds ... the wedding is held out of town, in a setting that appeals to the bride and groom. It could be Cancun or the Colorado Mountains. A castle in Scotland or a cruise ship at sea. Las Vegas or Disney World. Across the country or around the world. There really are no limits. When the wedding party and guest list are small, a destination wedding becomes much easier to achieve.

Whether simple or extravagant, a small wedding has the potential to be very elegant. A small wedding can be quaint or luxurious. You decide.

Like to keep things simple? The reception for a small wedding can be held in the intimate, comfortable setting of a family member's home. It can be held at the favorite restaurant of the bride and groom. It can be held outdoors in a park setting, or in the backyard of your best friend. Or on the beach.

Art galleries, small country inns, upscale restaurants or a local winery are other possibilities if you'd prefer to glam up your small wedding

Small weddings also give you more flexibility in your food choices. If cuisine factors in importantly for the wedding of your dreams, then with a small wedding, a high-end caterer or a reception at a posh restaurant are more likely to fit within your budget. But you may equally enjoy a potluck or a buffet, or even an afternoon of hors d'ourves.

A smaller wedding offers you so many options. What are your favorite ideas and inspirations for a smaller wedding?

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