What is a micro wedding and should I have one?

2020 has been a bit of a year hasn't it?!

Micro weddings are growing in popularity (understandably) at the moment.  With everything that is going on in the world with Covid-19 and the restrictions that we are all facing. Larger more traditional style weddings are just not really possible right now.  But people still want to celebrate their love and get married, hence the rise in popularity of micro weddings.

The wedding industry is in a period of change, like everything else right now.  

It's a time of shifting, adapting and re-evaluating.  I get the feeling that couples are focusing more on what really matters to them and not just things that they are expected to do when it comes to weddings.  

This had resulted in much smaller more intimate “micro weddings”. Allowing people to get creative, to have a wonderful wedding but still keep within all the rules. 

But what actually is a Micro wedding?  

If you are planning a wedding in 2020 then you may or may not have heard the term micro wedding.  The wedding industry is a bit of a buzz with talk of micro weddings at the moment!  So, what actually are they and how do they differ from Elopements, Small weddings or intimate weddings?  

To be completely honest, and I might not share this opinion with everyone. I think that Micro Weddings are basically a different term for small weddings.  Simple as that!  They are typically less than around 20-30 people but they still follow a similar journey through the day as a larger wedding.  

Micro weddings are naturally intimate due to the small number of guests. They only differ from an elopement because traditionally an elopement would be just the couple (but to be honest, elopements can be whatever you want them to be and have guests too so they are not that different either!)  

I love a micro wedding/small/intimate wedding!

I’ve actually been photographing micro weddings for a long time now, but I’ve just been calling them small or intimate weddings!  Who knew!?  If you are planning a small wedding at the Zivilstandsamt or Stadthaus then chances are you are probably already having a “micro wedding” but you just might not know it!!

Why have a Micro wedding?

The beauty of a micro wedding is that anything goes.  Whether you are considering a micro wedding because of Covid-19 restrictions. Or if you are choosing to have one from the start.  You really can choose what a micro wedding means to the two of you and do it your way.  Choose the elements and wedding traditions that you believe in and want to include in your wedding and take out the unnecessary parts that you don’t enjoy or don’t believe in.  Usually a micro wedding will consist of at least the ceremony and then some sort of after party/reception/apero/meal.  Other than that anything goes!

Surround yourself with the most important people in both your lives.

At a micro wedding you can surround yourself with your closest friends and family and celebrate with them and just them.  The people who are there for you and whom you actually spend time with regularly.  Because you will have less guests, you have more time to spend with each person in a more meaningful way.  

It can be a difficult decision to reduce numbers of guests and only have a small number attend the wedding.  I know that you won’t want to risk offending anyone.  But, by only having those people that really are the closest to you, everyone else will understand and hopefully not be offended.  Your second cousin twice removed who you’ve not seen since you were 7 is not going to expect to be at your wedding if you are only having 20 - 30 guests.  

Consider live streaming the ceremony.

You could also consider live streaming the ceremony for people at home so they feel included.  Particularly if they cannot attend because of quarantine or Covid-19 related issues.  If you would like, you can also have a larger party/celebration sometime in the future for all your other friends and family who were not there.

A micro wedding can mean more choice in wedding venues.

Another benefit is the venue choice widens with fewer guests to accomodate. You can literally go anywhere:  A favourite restaurant, A beautiful outdoor picnic/BBQ, your own home.  You could hire a Swiss mountain hut/a gîte in the French countryside/a cute cottage/an Airbnb/swish art gallery/a fancy penthouse loft/stylish villa by the sea and make a weekend out of it.  

Micro weddings allow you to spend your money with intention and where you want to.

With a micro wedding you can still (and I would strongly recommend this) hire the vendors that you would have at a more traditional larger wedding.  For example; you will still want amazing photographs so hire your dream photographer (“Hello!”)  Decorate your chosen venue with gorgeous seasonal flowers, get that fabulous outfit (traditional or not - your choice).  Plan that extra special meal and enjoy an apero.  Just because you choose to have a micro wedding. It does not mean that you don’t deserve all the good things too!

A micro wedding can allow you to marry and enjoy the day exactly however you want to.  To actually be able to spend meaningful time with your closest friends and family.  

To be honest, I have always been a fan of intimate, small weddings and elopements so I say bring on ALL THE Micro Weddings!

All the photographs in this blog post were from a small wedding in Zurich at the Stadthaus and then at Coco Bar and Grill which is an excellent alternative wedding venue. You can see the whole wedding over here.

Here are a few more micro/small/intimate weddings that you might be interested in:

• M&M at Basel Zivilstandesamt
• M&P at Lörrach Stadthaus and a picnic
• C&H at Scloss Speiz and Wengen
• K&R at Zurich Stadthaus and Coco Bar and Grill