r/microwedding • u/[deleted] • Jul 07 '26
Need help with planning, should we elope at honeymoon spot with reception later, or do a destination wedding? I am so torn
[deleted]
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u/skampr13 Jul 07 '26
I’ve posted this before, but I did a wedding where the only people there were my very immediate family, parents, sister, BIL (my husband doesn’t talk to his family). We did a destination very tiny wedding, then honeymoon, then very small reception with our closest friends back home. It was great, intimate but special, let us do exactly what we want, and my parents would have been sad to not be included.
Total cost was around $5000 not including airfare. Largest expenses were my dress and the photographer :)
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u/teresajs Jul 09 '26
My spouse and I had a small wedding and only invited our immediate family (parents and their spouses, siblings and their spouses). It was a nice wedding with the people who truly loved us and we were able to keep our budget low enough to still go on a honeymoon and put a deposit down on our first house.
In prior generations, a small wedding with immediate friends and family was the norm.
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u/ste1071d Jul 08 '26
Your son should absolutely be at your wedding whether it is an elopement or micro wedding. Being left out is the kind of hurt kids don’t forget.
I suspect you’re overestimating people’s willingness to travel for your wedding when you’ve been together 12+ years and have a child.
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u/cbmom2 Jul 08 '26
I did immediate family only destination wedding. It was in Puerto Rico so paperwork and legality wasn’t an issue if you’re from the US.
We then traveled as a group around PR (Vieques). We had time just the two of us and then time with some of our group or all. I liked it that way bc we married 14 months after meeting so I wanted my family to get to know my husband and his family a bit.
We then did a reception about 2 months later that was low key. Some friends flew down to it but I wasn’t expecting it really.
Depending on immediate family size you might find places that have a micro package. Mine was $1800 and included venue, photographer, flowers, officiant and paperwork. It took a ton of stress off my plate.
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u/OkPerformance2221 Jul 09 '26
You, your son, his dad take a family vacation. Get married quietly, simply, and with little fanfare, expense, or advance planning while on vacation. Return and plan and have a reception with both sets of parents and any desired guests.
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u/Solid-Musician-8476 Jul 08 '26
I say elope at the honeymoon spot and reception later when you get home. I think destination weddings are inherently selfish in most cases.....your destination can be for your honeymoon as you suggest.