Dreaming of an intimate wedding with just you, your beloved, and a handful of your closest family and friends? Planning the big day you want is easier than you might think—especially when you find the perfect micro wedding location. Keep reading to find out how to compare intimate wedding venues and find the event space that's right for you.
The Best Small Wedding Venues
It doesn't matter if you're searching for a ceremony space, a micro wedding reception location, or both—you're spoiled for choice. Here are some top spaces to consider in our small wedding venues rental guide.
Beach
Go barefoot on the beach and walk down the aisle with sand between your toes. This lets you make the most of the natural beauty coastal settings offer—expect some great wedding photos—and offers a relaxed atmosphere for your ceremony.
Private Garden
Book a lush garden space for a secluded and private small wedding venue. With beautiful flowers in bloom and gorgeous green surroundings, it's the perfect location for a simple yet stylish celebration.
Restaurant
Maybe you could tie the knot at your favorite restaurant, or the venue where you and your partner went on your first date. With a private dining room and delicious cuisine on offer, it can actually be a surprisingly convenient setting for an intimate wedding.
Your Own Home
You could also decide to have your wedding day in your own home, either inside or out in the backyard. A beautiful home makes for a pretty and private setting, and you get the added bonus of saving money on venue hire.
Historic Church
Some churches are grand buildings with acres of space and soaring ceilings; others are humble structures with a real sense of history. These micro wedding spaces are often located in peaceful country settings and have a simple charm.
What to Look for in Small Wedding Spaces
What makes the ideal wedding venue? What should you look for in a space to make sure you can have the intimate wedding you've been dreaming of? Remember to consider these factors.
Size
Your definition of a small wedding venue may be very different from the next person's. Consider the size of your guest list and the sort of ambiance you want to make sure you find a venue with the right amount of space.
Price
Your budget is a factor to consider when making every decision about your small wedding. Work out how much you can spend on venue hire before you compare any venues, then start shopping around.
Location
The best intimate wedding venues are ones that are in convenient and easily accessible locations. If your wedding ceremony will be at a different venue to the reception, they'll need to be close to one another. Your venue will also need to be easy for guests to get to by road or public transport, and you'll want to look for nearby accommodation options for guests who will need somewhere to stay the night.
Key Amenities
Think about everything you need in a small wedding location for a successful day. How much private parking do you need? Do you need a dance floor? Do you want an on-site kitchen for the caterers to prepare food? What about a bar area? Make a checklist of exactly what you need.
Venue Host
Finding an intimate wedding venue with a helpful and experienced host will make a big difference to your stress levels in the lead-up to your ceremony. The best hosts will answer all your questions, accommodate special requests, and work with you to ensure everything goes to plan.
Intimate Wedding Venue: Get Creative With Your Small Wedding Location
You've found your ideal intimate wedding venue and the booking has been finalized. So what are you going to do with the space so that it offers a memorable experience you'll be proud to share with your closest friends and family?
Think about weddings you've been to in the past that stand out above all the rest. What was it about them that made them so special? Was it the decorations, maybe the food? Could it have been the music, the other guests you shared a table with, or maybe the choice of venue?
The good news is that you can customize the space and the ambiance more for your guests at an intimate wedding. Adding pretty floral arrangements and other decorations can help boost the romantic atmosphere in any space. You can also add decorative flourishes to reflect your personal taste and style—after all, it is your day.
You can add unique touches to your micro wedding reception too. Smaller weddings allow for unique seating arrangements and give you the chance to share in-depth interactions with all your guests. Think about how you'll show your friends and family how much you appreciate them celebrating your big day.
Small Wedding Checklist
How do you start planning intimate weddings? Use this checklist to make sure you tick off all the important jobs well in advance of the big day.
Set the Date
Choose a date and time that suits you, your partner, and your most important guests. Send out save-the-date cards as early as possible.
Find a Venue
Compare venues that are available on your chosen date. Once you find a stunning venue that ticks all the boxes on your list of must-have features, lock it in.
Finalize the Guest List
Make a list of who you want to invite, and make sure the guest count will suit your venue size. Inviting fewer guests will also help you save money.
Choose an Officiant
Make sure you find someone you're completely comfortable with letting them share in your intimate celebration. The most popular officiants book out well in advance, so get in early.
Book Catering and Entertainment
Now it's time to make sure all the food, drinks, and entertainment are organized. Customize a menu with your chosen caterer, book a bartending service if needed, and arrange music and other entertainment. Don't forget to get the cake sorted as well.
Book a Photographer
Ensure that the memories of your wedding day last forever by booking an experienced wedding photographer.
Find a Florist
Flowers help set the mood and ambiance at intimate weddings, so contact an experienced florist to arrange flowers for you and your wedding party.
Relax and Enjoy
There are lots of other little tasks you may need to perform to create your dream wedding—it all comes down to you and the day you want. But no matter what you decide, don't forget to try and relax and make the most of your special day.
Magnificent Micro Wedding Venues: Small Wedding Inspiration
Need some inspo in your search for the perfect intimate wedding venue? Check out these small wedding ideas.
Backyard Bliss
A pretty backyard offers an intimate wedding venue with an affordable price tag. You could walk down the aisle at home, in the backyard of a friend or family member, or at a private residence available for hire.
Garden Goodness
Garden weddings are romantic and secluded, and they provide a peaceful outdoor setting for your nuptials. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, and with the pretty natural backdrop blocking out the rest of the world, you won't find an intimate wedding venue that's any better.
Rustic Farm
Next on our list of beautiful micro wedding venues, a farm setting offers the sort of authentic, down-to-earth charm that's hard to find. This venue type provides the flexibility of an indoor or outdoor ceremony, and the seclusion and privacy you can expect in a rural area.
Lovely Loft
Lofts are typically open and airy, with plenty of natural light to create a welcoming atmosphere. Doesn't that sound like the ideal sort of environment for micro weddings and intimate gatherings?
How to Plan a Small Wedding on a Budget
Small weddings are inherently more affordable than large weddings. But there are still several other simple things you can do to ensure that your special day doesn't leave you with a nasty financial hangover.
Set Your Budget First
Before you start comparing venues, booking catering, or anything else, work out how much you can afford to spend. This will stand you in good stead as you go about booking all the essentials.
Know What You Want
Work out the non-negotiable must-haves you need for your dream wedding, and work out what would merely be nice to have. Once you know what you want most for your wedding day, you can prioritize it and make sure it fits in your budget.
Don't Get (Expert) Help
Event planners and other wedding professionals can help make planning a micro wedding a much more enjoyable and less stressful experience. But they also come at a cost, so pinch your pennies by doing as much of the hard work as you can yourself, with your spouse, and with the help of family and friends.
Don't Get Drawn Into Spending More Than You Want To
It's easy to get swept up in the romance of hosting a fairy tale wedding that will wow your guests, but that could be an expensive mistake. Your family and friends only care about celebrating the love you and your partner share, not about how extravagant the bouquets are or that you're wearing a designer dress. Keep it simple and let your love be the hero of the day.
Find Your Dream Small Wedding Venue on Giggster
Small wedding venues offer a romantic and intimate setting for your nuptials. Compare small-scale wedding venues on Giggster today to find the ideal space for your perfect wedding.
