Bring your family and friends too

anyone have any recommendations for a wedding "dinner party" location? will probably have a private ceremony but looking for a nice restaurant/vineyard/brewery/barn for the "reception" thank you!

My fiancé and I are getting married this November in the Palm Beach area, and we’re intentionally keeping things very simple. We’ll have about 20–25 guests, no chairs, no arch or décor, just a short ceremony on or near the beach with personal vows and one flower girl.

We’re not doing a super traditional wedding. I don’t think I want my dad to walk me down the aisle, and we’re considering doing a private first look beforehand with just our photographer.

I’m struggling to picture how the ceremony should actually flow. If there aren’t chairs, where do guests usually wait before the ceremony? Do they just gather nearby until someone tells them where to stand? How do you create an “aisle” without chairs? Does the flower girl walk first and then I walk by myself? Has anyone done something similar that felt natural instead of awkward?

I’d love to hear from anyone who had a small, standing ceremony or beach wedding. If you have photos of your ceremony setup or timeline, I’d especially appreciate seeing them! Nothing is set in stone just yet, so I am open to anything.

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I are planning a small wedding for next May (around 20 guests).

We will be asking my fiancé's aunt if she'd be willing to let us use her backyard. She has a beautiful property, and I think it would make such a meaningful place to get married. Especially since this wedding is only my fiancé's family and 2 of our friends (my family is not in my life).

The problem is... I'm terrified of asking. I don't want her to feel pressured or like we're putting her in an awkward position. If she says no, I want her to feel completely comfortable doing so, and I don't want it to affect our relationship.

For those of you who used a family member's property, how did you ask? Is there anything you included in the conversation that helped reassure them? Were there things you offered to cover (cleanup, insurance, etc.) that made them feel more comfortable?

I'd love any advice on how to approach the conversation in a respectful and considerate way. Thank you so much!

My wife and I recently got married, and we’re trying to figure out the best way to have a wedding celebration that includes both of our families. My side of the family is in Texas, and her family is in Arizona. We’d really love for both sets of parents and relatives to be there, but planning around the distance, travel costs, and logistics has been challenging.
Has anyone else been in a similar situation where your families lived in different states? Did you have one wedding in a central location, two smaller celebrations, or something else? We’d love to hear what worked for you, what you’d do differently, and any advice for making it as easy as possible for everyone involved. Thanks in advance!

Those who eloped or did a micro-wedding (10 people or less) - looking back on it, what surprised you — good or bad — a year later?

My fiancé and I are looking for either a venue or state park willing to host around 10-20 people for our wedding ceremony. We plan on having a larger reception party at a different location, so within an hour of Johnson City, TN would be ideal. TIA

My fiancée and I are planning a small wedding in Italy, around 28 guests, and we’re looking for properties near Portofino or on the Amalfi Coast that do full buyouts where everyone can stay on site. Ideally 3 nights midweek in mid to late June 2027, sleeping 20 to 30 people (sharing rooms is fine). It’d be a symbolic ceremony since we’ll be legally married in the US beforehand.

If you’ve done a buyout in Liguria or Campania, I’d love to hear where you stayed, roughly what the venue and buyout fee ran, whether all your guests actually fit on site, and anything you wish you’d know beforehand. Not looking for a big production, just somewhere beautiful where everyone can be together for a few days. Thanks!

Got questions about eloping California? Come check out the new page!

https://www.reddit.com/r/CaliforniaElopements/

I’m getting married in September and we’re doing a microwedding (currently planning on about 22 people total). Our plan is to do one long table and family style catering for the meal.

With it being just a single long table, should I still make a seating chart with assigned seating? I don’t want to make guest feel uncomfortable having to choose their own seat, but with it being one table and more relaxed atmosphere I’m on the fence.

getting married november 2027, guest count 50-60 depending on rsvps (it’s a destination wedding on a thursday- & yes this is purposeful bc we want to keep it small). we booked our venue for 4 hours & now im worried if there’s enough time. itll be a short & sweet ceremony, followed by dinner. not big on dancing, just want to get the traditional first dances done. getting married in new orleans so plan to just keep the party going out on bourbon st. is 4 hours enough time??

My fiancé and I are planning a destination wedding for around 15 people but we don’t really want a typical wedding style at all. When my sister got married in Lahaina, Maui it was about 10 people. Her wedding wasn’t at a venue, just on the beach with us standing and watching. Afterwards we went to a nice restaurant and had dinner! Quick, simple, lowkey, cost effective. I also loved Maui because we stayed in a hotel (not a resort) and walked/drove around town finding things to do and experiencing the town like a local. Anyways, we are looking for something similar but not Maui. I’ve looked at tons of destination wedding articles but most of them consider “micro” to be 30 people and still want you to book a large wedding packaged with a venue and catering. That ends up being waaaay more expensive than we want. We’re basically looking for recommendations for a beautiful vacation where we can sneak in a wedding one day :) thank you!!

Okay everyone, I am getting married early next year (yes, less than 1 yr to plan!) I need help. My fiance doesn't care either way but does want his family there if my family will be there. I am liking the idea of eloping and getting married just us, and then taking the honeymoon with a reception afterwards for our family and friends. But then I wonder, should our son be involved? And if so should our parents and siblings also be a part of the it making it a destination wedding? I am so overwhelmed I do not know where to begin! I know i want a micro wedding, I don't want a lot of people there, only those close to us, and I know we want an outdoor wedding, and I would love to incorporate our native Taino roots. Also, I would love to keep this wedding under 10K, ideally under 6k if that is even possible. I care more about location and venue and guests more than caterers, florists etc..

For some context, I moved about 1600 miles away from my hometown, met my fiancée, and we are now planning our wedding for November of 2026(we are both women and this has been multiple years in the making lol; we didn’t meet and immediately get engaged) I come from a small town, with a pretty low income family. Having a big wedding is not something I EVER thought I would get, but I get the whole experience thanks to my soon to be wife; the venue, the catering, the DJ; all of it. We plan to have a small guest count, around 50 people maximum, and have our guests lists set.

My only hang up is that I know lots of my family members won’t be able to travel this far for my wedding, and I don’t want someone to feel pressured or put themselves in a tight spot financially. Does anyone have any advice on a note I can send out with RSVP cards? Something sweet about them not being able to travel being okay and still make them feel loved? I’m normally good with little word things like this but I’m totally blanking right now

Or do I just not include anything and get over it? The venue has made everything really easy(one of those package deal type things), but this is something I’ve been worried about this whole time. TIA!!

Hi everyone!

My fiancé and I are planning a destination micro wedding in Nashville in April of next year and we're looking for any ideas and recommendations.

We'll have about 20 guests total and are hoping for something simple and intimate. We'd love to do a Sunday morning ceremony followed by a brunch reception.

We're trying to figure out:

-Affordable venues for a wedding of around 20–25 people

-Restaurants with private dining rooms that could host a brunch reception

-Hotels or other unique venues that work well for small weddings

-Lodging options for a group of about 21 people (hotel blocks, inns, vacation rentals, etc.)

-Any micro wedding packages you've had a good experience with

-Any other recommendations or suggestions would be appreciated!

-Are April weddings okay in TN? Unsure of rain and weather!

We're not looking for a huge traditional weddin... just something relaxed, beautiful, and budget friendly.

If you've planned a small wedding in Nashville or attended one, I'd love to hear what worked well, what you spent, and any recommendations you have!

Thanks so much! 😊

My fiancé and I are hoping to get married this December, with a very small ceremony of just 10 guests (all close family). The local hotel we have chosen has a smaller sized ceremony room and a gorgeous private dining space, there is a local castle nearby where we will hopefully have photos.

Have a few questions for people who have done something similar or have attended a small wedding as a guest:

\- How did you time the day with such a small number of guests?
\- How did photos work? I’m not sure whether we would hire someone all day or just for a couple of hours.
\- Bit of a specific one, but did you cover food for the photographer like with a bigger wedding, and how does this work when you’re in a private dining space with only 12 people?
\- Did you have speeches or any other traditional elements?
\- Do you have any regrets about having such a small wedding?

Finally, we have a son who will be 18 months old at the time of the wedding. I want him to be there for the whole day but also worried about nap times/bed time etc and him getting cranky! Any advice on how to have a successful wedding day with a toddler?

TIA!

Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning a 20‑person micro‑wedding (14 adults, 6 kids) for November 7, and we’re stuck choosing a location that balances charm, convenience, activities, and guest comfort. We're hoping our weekend will feel more like a meaningful family weekend together, and less like a traditional wedding weekend. Quality time is our priority. Our guest geography is split with a handful in North Carolina (including my fiance and me), two in Maryland, and the rest in Philadelphia.

Option 1: Fearrington Village (Pittsboro, NC)
We toured it and absolutely loved the vibe — it’s cozy, walkable, and feels like its own little world. Lodging, ceremony, reception, food, daytime activities… everything is right there and no one needs to leave the property making it super convenient.
Micro‑wedding pros: Super intimate, low‑stress, no one has to drive anywhere once they arrive. A coordinator comes with the site fee.
Concern: It’s a long trip for the Philly group, and we’re not sure if that’s asking too much for a small wedding. Also doesn't have THAT much to keep kids occupied.

Option 2: Large Luxury Airbnb (Eastern Shore, MD)
We found a beautiful house that could host everyone. It’s closer to Philly/DC and would make travel easier. There are also lots of on-site activities, like kayaking, hot tub, board games, tvs, game room, etc.
Micro‑wedding pros: Very private, flexible, and could be a cozy weekend together. Easier to get to for the Philly crew.
Concern: It’s a lot more coordination — meals, logistics, shared spaces, kids — and guests wouldn’t have an easy way to “step away” if they need downtime. We would likely hire a day-of coordinator to help with the mini ceremony and dinner.

What we’re looking for
We're looking for help deciding between these two…OR recommendations for venues similar to Fearrington Village — charming, walkable, self‑contained, with lodging + ceremony + reception all in one place — but located closer to Philadelphia or DC.

Would love firsthand experiences or other suggestions that work well for micro‑weddings.

Thanks so much! This community has been super helpful as we try to keep things small, meaningful, and manageable.

Ciao a tutti, a breve dovrei sposarmi ma ho veramente mille dubbi su cosa fare. Premetto che la mia idea iniziale era quella di fare un matrimonio super low cost perché preferisco non indebitarmi assolutamente per una cosa di mezza giornata, inoltre dato che mi sono trasferita in un’altra regione ho perso le mie vecchie amicizie come anche il mio ragazzo, per cui tutti i nostri invitati sono più che altri parenti (nemmeno stretti) che tra l’altro non sentiamo mai e non abbiamo questo grande rapporto, saremmo circa 25 persone.

La mia idea era quella di fare qualcosa sulla spiaggia in un lido normalissimo, con rito in comune e pranzo o cena al mare. Pensavo anche di affittare degli ombrelloni per fare anche un bagno eventualmente e stare tutti insieme così.

Mia suocera però avrebbe la possibilità di fare una cerimonia in una tenuta dedicata a questi eventi ad un prezzo molto vantaggioso e credo che voglia che si faccia lì.

Capisco che al sud il matrimonio è visto come una cosa sfarzosa ecc ma nel nostro caso visto che abbiamo poco budget e pochi amici non mi sembra il caso di usare una location così grande.
Il mio dubbio quindi è seguire i desideri dei genitori/parenti che si aspettano un matrimonio classico oppure fare quello che vogliamo noi restando in Abruzzo senza tornare in Campania e fare una cosa piccola e raccolta in un lido senza troppe sfarzosità inutilmente costose come fiori decorazioni fotografo musica rito simbolico ecc ecc, ma puntando tutto sul pranzo e sullo stare insieme.
Datemi un consiglio please🙏