When you think about a micro wedding you probably imagine an elopement or a ceremony in the backyard. However the truth is far more exciting. Our Mr and Mrs Wedding in Italy team has helped hundreds of couples discover the joy of a micro wedding. Let’s explore why a micro wedding is great for your celebration!
Understanding the Micro Wedding Definition
A micro wedding is usually a small-scale event with ten to fifty guests. It can include both a ceremony and a reception (typically with a seated dinner) and most other elements of a traditional wedding, such as photography, flowers, music, and dress, but on a reduced scale and with greater concentration.
A micro wedding is a scaled-down version of a traditional wedding with an emphasis on a small guest list (no more than 50 people). Close family members and friends are invited to the ceremony and reception, which feature floral displays, professional photography, music, and catering, and other elements.
A micro wedding can be considered somewhere between a big traditional wedding and an elopement, but it is not a compromise; rather, it is an expression of priorities.
Why Couples Choose Micro Weddings
Couples may choose to have a micro wedding because of the following reasons: with fewer guests there is a possibility to spend more on the wedding, less stress with fewer vendors and overall simpler logistics, and more time with the guests, at a 200-person wedding, a couple will spend on average 2 minutes per guest while at a wedding with 30 people the couple has an actual conversation with everyone.
Couples might want to scale back their wedding because of the following reasons: a dinner for 30 people with a plate of food per person is significantly more expensive than a dinner for 150 people with a plate of food per person. In addition, many couples would rather have a more intimate and upscale wedding for significantly less money than the overall cost of a larger wedding.
Micro Weddings vs. Other Celebration Types
It’s important to understand the differences between a micro wedding and other types of celebration. A micro wedding is smaller scale wedding (10-50 guests) with all the traditional elements of a wedding (ceremony, reception, etc.), whereas a minimony is a smaller version of a traditional wedding ceremony (typically with the couple and a handful of guests, usually held in a backyard), and an elopement is a more spontaneous (typically with just the couple and an officiant, with no guests in attendance).
The micro wedding offers a structured celebration with all the traditional elements of a wedding, whereas an elopement is more spontaneous and lacks a traditional reception.
Planning Your Micro Wedding in Italy
Planning a micro wedding isn’t any simpler than planning a bigger wedding, you just have less guests to worry about! You still have to pick your vendors and plan your menu, but you’ll be able to use the budget saved by having fewer guests to treat your guests to a fantastic open bar or unique venue or amazing entertainment.
Italy is the perfect location for a micro wedding! Imagine a small ceremony in a quaint Tuscan villa followed by an elegant dinner with hand-picked wines and local cuisine. Now imagine having such a wedding with only 50 guests, instead of 200!
Guest List Decisions:
The guest list should be kept small and intimate, consisting of close family and friends. Couples may choose to invite only immediate family members or a small group of close friends. This can actually be much harder to manage than you might think!
The Financial Reality of Micro Weddings
The average wedding costs more than thirty thousand (30,000) dollars and has 150 guests, meaning the price per head (for 150 guests) is around $200 per head. If that number scales down (for a micro wedding with 50 guests) then the price is just 10,000 dollars for the whole wedding!
This doesn’t mean that your micro wedding will be cheap, but it does mean that your money goes much further and you can splurge on things like catering or entertainment or photography without breaking the bank.
What You Still Need for a Micro Wedding
Don’t be fooled by the ‘small’ in this micro wedding, your guests are going to expect an elegantly styled event with a proper venue, décor, catering, music, cake, and photography. You still need a full team of vendors to create the perfect micro wedding, you need to get dressed up for the event, and you can still incorporate all the traditional elements of a wedding, such as speeches and a sit-down meal. At Mr and Mrs Wedding in Italy we help our couples create beautifully styled micro weddings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How is a micro wedding different from an elopement?
A: An elopement is typically just the couple and an officiant with very few guests and little formality, whereas a micro wedding has a proper guest list (10-50 people) as well as a reception, and all the traditional elements of a wedding.
Q: What’s the maximum guest count for a micro wedding?
A: Most wedding professionals deem a micro wedding to be up to 50 guests, although some stretch it to 60, so anything from 10-50 guests is classed as a micro wedding.
Q: Can we have all traditional wedding elements in a micro wedding?
A: Absolutely! A micro wedding has everything you need for a traditional wedding including a ceremony, a reception, music, dancing, cake, speeches, photography, etc., it’s just scaled down in size.
Q: Is a micro wedding cheaper than a traditional wedding?
A: It can be significantly less expensive in total, but you may find that per guest the price is similar or actually higher!
Q: Why would we choose a micro wedding if it’s not cheaper?
A: Many couples choose a micro wedding for the intimacy and quality of experience rather than the cost. You also get to spend more time with each of your guests, and you can afford to splurge on the things that are important to you.
Q: Is a micro wedding less formal than a traditional wedding?
A: No! A micro wedding can be as formal (or informal) as you want it to be, regardless of the number of guests.
Q: Can we have a destination micro wedding in Italy?
A: Yes! Italy is a fantastic choice for a micro destination wedding. You can afford to plan such a wedding with fewer guests.
Q: How do we handle the difficult guest list conversations?
A: Be honest about your vision early on and explain to people that you’re planning an intimate celebration with your nearest and dearest.
Q: Can we have a micro wedding in the same way as a full wedding?
A: Yes, completely. You work with the same vendors and plan the same elements of a full wedding, you just do it on a smaller scale. You may also choose to have a more traditional style wedding for your micro wedding but it still has the same formal elements.
Your Italian Micro Wedding Awaits
A micro wedding isn’t about settling. The couples who choose a micro wedding are making a deliberate choice about how they want to spend their wedding day.
At Mr and Mrs Wedding in Italy we specialize in small, beautifully styled micro weddings in the most stunning locations Italy has to offer. From Tuscan villas to Roman palazzos to Amalfi Coast villages, we know how to make small celebrations feel absolutely magical.
Ready to plan your Italian micro wedding? Contact us at Mr and Mrs Wedding in Italy and let’s create your perfect small celebration.
