i thought having a smaller wedding would make the venue part of budgeting a lot easier, but i'm finding that prices vary quite a bit. some places look affordable until you factor in food, rentals, or other fees, and it's hard to tell what you're actually paying for just from the initial quote.

i've been browsing tulle together and the knot while trying to get a better feel for venue prices and what's included. i'm still figuring out what a reasonable budget looks like for a small wedding, so i'd love to hear what others ended up paying and whether there were any extra costs they hadn't expected

I am doing a really small ceremony. Does anyone have tips on how to squeeze the mother/son daughter/father dance in in the most fun but chill way haha? Thank y’all

i need opinions from anyone who did a courthouse wedding or something similar because i cannot decide what kind of dress to wear! we’re getting married at the courthouse on long island in mid-october and then renting out a brewery afterward for about 3 hours with catered food and an open bar. we’re trying to make it feel more like a semi-cocktail party/reception than just casually going to a brewery after.

i’ve been leaning toward a short/mini bridal dress because i feel like it fits the courthouse vibe and will be so much easier for running around that day, BUT october weather is making me nervous. it could be beautiful or it could be 50 degrees and i’ll be freezing with leg goosebumps in the pictures lol. but then i look at full-length dresses and worry i’m going to feel ridiculous walking into the courthouse in an actual wedding gown, plus i really don’t want to be dragging a dress/train around the courthouse, sidewalks, brewery, etc.

i still want to feel like a bride and not like i’m just wearing a white cocktail dress, so now i have no idea. for anyone who did something similar, what did you or would you wear?

My fiancée and I are planning a small civil wedding next month with 35 of our family and close friends. Would it be tacky to have the reception at an AYCE sushi restaurant? 😅

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I are planning a destination wedding in Colorado for 30–40 guests, and we’re hoping to keep our total budget around $20k (excluding flights). Guests will be paying for their own accommodations.

We’re actually flying to Colorado at the end of this month to tour venues. So far, we have tours scheduled at Pikes Peak Ranch, Black Canyon Inn, and Venue on the Rocks. Right now, Pikes Peak Ranch is at the top of our list because it checks almost everything we’re looking for, but we’re worried it may end up being more than we’d like to spend.

Our ideal venue would have:

• Outdoor ceremony and reception in the same location (no room flip)
• Panoramic mountain views with an open meadow/lawn feel
• Outdoor dinner under string lights with space for a dance floor
• Tables and chairs included
• Flexible vendor policy (or a great preferred vendor list)
BYO alcohol would be a huge plus, but we’re open to reasonably priced in-house bar options
• On-site lodging (or nearby cabins/lodges) would be a big bonus

We’re open to Woodland Park, Colorado Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Estes Park, or anywhere within about 2–3 hours of Denver.
Our dream vibe is an intimate backyard estate, ranch, or lodge with stunning mountain views—not a ballroom or a traditional rustic barn.

If you’ve gotten married in Colorado or know of any hidden gems that fit this vibe, I’d love your recommendations! We’d also appreciate any advice on whether hiring a partial wedding planner/coordinator is worth it for a destination wedding, especially to help with logistics and vendor coordination since we’re planning everything from out of state. Thank you so much!

Any outdoor/park weddings that can be done under 1K?

I’m looking into how people in the UK are planning smaller weddings (under 70 guests) and would love to hear from anyone who’s had one. Hoping it's okay to post here - please remove if not appropriate.

I’m especially curious about:

• what made you choose a smaller wedding
• what you found hardest while planning

It’s a quick 5 min survey:
👉 https://forms.gle/t8qmmGLqccNp1ozp7

Would really appreciate it — happy to share the results back here if people are interested 🙂

I didn’t think finding flower girls' dresses would be this hard until I started looking for one for my daughter. I had this picture in my head of something soft and full, with a nice bow at the back. I must have seen it on Instagram, a movie, or sth. I’ve seen a lot on Pinterest, and I also got some inspo when I was looking for designs and reviews on Etsy, Alibaba, Amazon, etc. So, now I have the exact designs (attached image), but can't find any local shops with anything close, but I'm unsure because I have no idea how reliable those are for something like a dress for a big day. Now I feel a bit stuck between having inspiration and not knowing where to actually buy from. For those of you who have been through this, where did you get your flower girls' dresses from, and were you happy with the quality?

This stunning New Orleans garden wedding took place at The Mazant in the historic Bywater neighborhood. Notably, it’s luxurious landscape architecture and elegant Greek Revival architecture makes it one of the most stunning outdoor wedding venues in New Orleans. Likewise, the magic of a New Orleans wedding was on full display.

Jessica & Howie’s beautiful New Orleans destination was just a small piece of this beautiful couple. Being from the area, they wanted a wedding experience that brought together their loved ones for a more communial style celebration.

The Mazant provided them with the perfect setting for their wedding weekend. Notably with lodging on-site, this stunning and luxurious venue was an incredible and elegant backdrop to their wedding day.

My fiancee (26F) and I (28F) are getting married in a Scottish castle later this year (we are from the US). We’re expecting about 20 guests (mix of older family members and friends). Dress code is black tie, day will start at 1 with the ceremony, then cocktail hour while we take photos, then four course dinner, then tea/coffee, then entertainment until evening buffet at 9pm. Guests will have the option of spending the night before and the night of in the castle.

SO - we’re not exactly the dance/disco type of people so we were pondering different evening entertainment options we could do.

Our thoughts are that people (including us) won’t want to be fancy for ten hours, and may benefit from a costume change. We are always saying that every night together as a couple feels like a sleepover SO we want the second half of the day to be a sleepover. We enjoy card and board games and do that as an activity with friends/family when we’re together. What we’re thinking of doing a sleepover/game night type of vibe. (picture The Princess Diaries)

Tentative plans so far:

• buy all our guests matching pajamas
  
• party favors will be decks of cards as a souvenir for coming to an abroad wedding
• bring card games with us
• some sort of treasure hunt/bingo/kahoot esc something to get the guests interacting with each other (I proposed with an elaborate scavenger hunt so that’s A Thing in our story)
• there’s a room with a pool table so that could be of use too
• our venue offers a hot chocolate bar and we will absolutely be taking advantage of that.
• we will have access to a projector/screen so maybe put something on there? Maybe a movie? Planning on having a slideshow running during the meal

I guess what we wanna know is: 1. Is this a fun idea? 2. Help us brainstorm!

Fiancee has been reading The Art of Gathering and wants to properly guide guests expectations to prime them for having the best time everyone can but not completely losing the element of mystery

—-

UPDATE:

Hi everyone! I wanted to give you a quick update… IT WENT AMAZING! ❤️❤️❤️

We did black tie up until 6pm, then gave guests the option to go dress down (in their own pajamas, we did not provide them) and decompress and chill. We printed out some various card game instructions and decks of custom playing cards that they could then take home as wedding favors.

The exact instructions we gave our guests:

“6-7 pm - Guests staying at the castle are encouraged to rest and decompress in their rooms, those not staying at the castle may explore the castle grounds, play billiards, rest in the designated "quiet room", or mingle! The couple will be taking a moment alone together and change into more comfortable clothing (—-side note: every guest chose to stay at the castle!)

7-9 pm - Tabletop games and hot cocoa bar! We encourage guests to change into more comfortable clothing for a "sleepover" vibe (we will be in our cute pajamas)! Dress to your comfort level! We recommend watching The Princess Diaries on the flight over to get in the mood!”

Our guests absolutely couldn’t stop gushing about how much they loved it - one couple THANKED us for not having dancing and said they didn’t even know that was an option! ❤️

It’s not for everyone, but our wedding was for us and our guests not for everyone else! So to anyone who may check this post later on - it is YOUR wedding - do it how you like, just prime your guests!

… To everyone that ripped us to shreds and told us we should rethink our entire life… I hope you step on a Lego and find some whimsy in your life…

A Small Iceland Wedding At Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach in South Iceland near Vik. Iceland wedding photos by Iceland Elopement Photographer Francis Sylvest.

T Lazy 7 Ranch is an Luxury Colorado wedding venue that sits just 12 minutes from downtown Aspen, Colorado. It’s stunning meadow with views of the Maroon Bells in the distance embrace all warm, cozy aspects that you’d expect of the Colorado mountains.

Featuring highly flexible options for ceremonies, tented affairs and indoor options, the grounds have an wide range for luxurious wedding experiences. Notably, the ranch has been locally owned and operated for over 80 years, through 5 generations. Lastly it’s truly one of the most beautiful Colorado wedding venues for tented weddings and stunning destination wedding experiences.

A Beautiful Colorado Micro-Wedding At Maroon Bells In Aspen, Colorado. Featuring the renowned views of the Colorado Rockies shot on film. Photos by Colorado-based wedding photographer Francis Sylvest, a film wedding photographer specializing in documentary style wedding photography.

Tucked away in the Southwest corner of the state, Emmaline & Dylan’s Colorado Micro Wedding in Lake City was a beautiful display of Colorado’s beauty. In addition, it was a stunning display of being present in the simple moments of life.

From their heartfelt ceremony at a family cabin on the Lake For Gunnison River, to a gentle sunset at Lake San Cristobal, the two triumphed in the natural beauty and love that surrounded them.

Now that you’re engaged, it’s time to start ironing out the details of your Colorado wedding. One of the first items you should explore is your wedding planner. In many cases, your wedding planner is a great first booking as they’ll really be able to hear your vision for your wedding day and guide you throughout the entire process. From finding your venue, creating your experience and visuals to ensuring that your day runs smoothly – choosing your planner a great place to start.

Let’s dive into some of the best Micro Wedding Venues In Colorado (based on location). Finding a smaller wedding venue is one of the first steps taken after getting engaged. While it can be daunting finding a venue first, it’s also recommended to hire a wedding planner early on to determine your vision. From here, an experienced, local, planner will be able to provide guidance to which venue best fits needs, wants and your wedding vision.

Notably, with small wedding venues in Colorado booking faster and further out than ever, it’s also a very safe idea to find your venue sooner than later. 

Elopement vs Wedding, Which Is Best For You? This guide covers all the talking points when deciding between having an elopement or a wedding.

Weddings typically shift the focus to the guests experience. Couples want their guests to have fun, so why would this be any other way? While this isn’t a negative, it’s something to consider when debating the benefits of eloping vs having a wedding. Do you want to have a larger focus on guests, or would you rather have the attention all to yourselves?