How to plan a small wedding

Someone's idea of a dream small wedding might be totally different than what you want. You can be creative with it however you want. You want to keep formal? Do a nice 3 course dinner party. Want to keep it relaxed do a backyard potluck. Really the world is your oyster. You can have it catered but really 13 people isn't enough for a full catered experience. Make a playlist and play it off spotify, hire live music, do whatever you want it's your wedding.

I would go the dinner at a restaurant route. I'd see if there are any nice restaurants in your area and see if any have a private room you could book. You could hire an officiant to come do your ceremony at the restaurant, or do the ceremony at a different location and then have everyone go over to the restaurant. I'd still get a photographer, and plan a dessert with the restaurant or get a wedding cake, but a DJ wouldn't be necessary.

Thirteen people is absolutely a good size to get catered (6 people can have a meal catered if they want.) And you WILL want, because who wants to be cooking a huge meal the day of their daughter's/sister's/brother's/BFF's wedding?

A small wedding could involve a heartfelt ceremony, great portrait photos and family pics, and a lovely extended dinner and drinks. This could be at an inn or a family member's home or the private room of a restaurant. If you don't expect dancing, just put together a nice dinner playlist. Have a first dance if you want, or a cake cutting if you want - or don't if you don't want!

It will be beautiful.

We are doing a small wedding of 20 guests. We are doing an outdoor ceremony at a place special to us along the Inlet, then we have a private room reserved at a nearby swanky restaurant. The restaurant is letting us pick four entrees from the menu for our guests to choose from, and we can bring in cake and cookies. We aren't dancers, so we are just planning for some background music from our iPod while we enjoy food and company.

What's been described is pretty close to our smaller weddings; an officiant, private room in a restaurant, a musician, photographer. I love these weddings; they're personal, sweet and expressive of the couple.

My cousin had a small wedding, if I remember right it was maybe 40 people. For the reception she had reserved a private room at a nice restaurant downtown Chicago. It was very nicely done! If I were having a small wedding, that's the route I'd go.

I know this is an older discussion, but it has become super relevant again in the time of Covid. We are seeing more small weddings these days, and they are getting more creative than ever! We just released a few guides for planning gorgeous and stress-free small weddings.

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