Small wedding brides (less than 50 guests)?

I love my small weddings; in fact, I did one this morning for 40 guests. Usually, it's the case where if you start inviting cousins and spouses; there's 20. Co workers and spouses; 40.....kids? People who you sorta like but only talk to on facebook? 100... after your immediate family, you tend to find people in groups....

It gets nuts. A lot of my intimate weddings don't have a bridal party, or they have one person on each side; many of them have more casual parties afterwards. I think it's a great idea! It will be just as special and meaningful as it would be with 100 more guests.

One of my favorite weddings ever was a couple who chartered a private ferry to take them to the Statue of Liberty. We did a quick vow ceremony at the South Street Seaport (since we could put an address down on the license, rather than, "somewhere in the Hudson River") and then me, them, their two photographers and their florist took a little cruise, docking long enough to do the rest of their ceremony

They are going to have a big party for their families, but it was important for them to get married by an iconic NYC landmark (they are both passionate New Yorkers) and to have a party elsewhere; this was just for themselves. It was lovely!

@Beatrice: I was just kidding. We both have HUGE families when you include aunts, uncles, cousins, etc, not to mention I have 4 siblings that have families and he has 3 siblings with familys, but we didn't invite the extended family. Just immediate family and close friends. And no work friends. We were super strict on our list. But its awesome y'all have so many people you are close too! You must get lots of Christmas cards!!

Aww, I'm really glad to see I'm not alone

I loved reading about everyone's ideas for small weddings!

Nope, you're not alone :-) We'll have about 45-50 people, for many reasons others have mentioned. We wanted to share the day with those closest to us. We also wanted some things that were not doable with our budget and many guests. For example, we really wanted an excellent meal, so we chose a venue that is not cheap, but is really elegant, beautiful and has incredible food. And I really want to spend a tiny little bit of time with all my guests.

I want a small wedding, so.incredibly.bad. But my fiance has a huge family, and they are very traditional and it would cause major family drama if we didn't invite everyone. Even people I haven't met and he hasn't seen in over 10 years!! And so many kids... ARGH.

We're having an intimate ceremony and lunch with 30 people. that's excluding a lot of family I would love to celebrate with, so we're hosting a larger cupcake buffet afterwards, that probably will wind up around 150 assuming all the family travels in

We're having a small destination wedding- just 20 of us going. We wanted to have a beach wedding, and we really wanted to share it with our close friends and family.

After we get home.... crazy house party with everyone who couldn't make it.

We're going to have maybe 50 people tops. Having such a small wedding wasn't what we were originally planning but some unforeseen things happened and prevented some of family from being able travel all the way here for our wedding. We won't be having a separate party because the people who originally couldn't make still wouldn't be able to.

Woo hoo! Reppin' the small weddings! lol

I am having 40 people and 12 of them are my wedding party lol... I know it's weird... a big wedding party for such a small wedding lol...

We are having a small wedding for many reasons! Our budget! The fact that if I start inviting certain people, then it will turn into me inviting everyone I have ever met in my entire life lol... so that's why I decided to do just family and VERY few close friends...

We are going to have a party up in Illinois about a month afterwards for the people who live up there who couldn't come down/weren't invited lol.

I'm having a small wedding. No more then 40 people. Just close family and a few close friends.

We dont have the money to be able to have a big wedding.

But a small wedding is fine with me. We;ll be able to spend the day with the people closest to us =)

Our initial guess is 75 people but I know we over estimated. I think the final count will probably be closer to 60 people.

Initially when we got married 11 years ago we were planning a huge wedding. Like 300 people. Everyone from neighbors to co-workers to childhood friends, to friends of the parents and friends of the aunts and uncles. Thank God we ended up just going to the JP.

Now we are inviting imidiate family, close co-workers and it's true, now that we are older we are pickier on who we call "friends".

Our bridal party is small. MOH - my BFF from high school, my SIL and my SD as a jr bm. So the BM and 2 groomsmen.

And since we are doing it small, now we can concentrate on quality over quantity. If we had done it like originally planned we would have had to opt for the cheaper food, served in big foil pans on paper plates, streamers for decorations and a cheap keg. Now we are aiming for good food, served on real plates and using real silverware and better alcohol!!!

I'm having 50 guests. My venue can hold only 55 guests.

BTW girls....due the size of my venue, I wont be able to have dance.

Do you guys think will be weird not having dance for a 5pm wedding?? what should I do?

We invited just over 50, and about 45 came, including children. Our biggest reason for a smaller wedding is that we did not want to share the day with strangers. We both felt that a wedding is to be shared with your closest friends and family, not with friends of friends and family who you have never met.

We had 3 BMs and 3 GMs, a flower girl and a ring bearer.

Our guest list is 49 people (counting us and our kids) and so far only one person has said they can't come. Our main reason for a small wedding is our budget, second is we want a relaxed, intimate wedding. We're not having a wedding party either. HOWEVER, ours is also a vow renewal so not as many people would really want to come anyway lol!!

We had 2 small weddings. We initially planned our DW in Punta Cana. There wasn't a judge available at the resort, so we had to get married the month before the wedding there. I felt guilty that my MIL/FIL couldn't come to the DW, so it was just our 2 extended families (35 people) at our wedding at my uncle's house. It's terrible but that wedding meant more to me than our DW. The house was originally my grandmother's so I think that's why. We did have a 100person reception after our DW. I was pretty much wedding'd out by then. LOL

Why did you choose a small wedding?

As a same-sex couple, we had to get married in Massachusetts. However, we didn't see the point in dragging all our DC friends 8 hours away on a weekday for the ceremony. We therefore had a tiny ceremony (a dozen guests, mostly immediate family). As a bonus, this meant that we could serve excellent food and drink, and even provide accommodations for all our guests, without breaking the bank.

How many people were in your wedding party?

Two, a maid of honor (my daughter) and a dude of honor (my son).

Did you have a party later for all the rest of your family and friends?

Yes. We had a reception back in DC with heavy hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, music, dancing, and a DIY photobooth for 60 of our friends.

I wonder if I should post this as separate, but anybody have ideas on how to do a "just married" party?

I liked the idea of a guestbook and photo table from here:

http://smallweddingstyle.com/?p=491

I don't know if we'll do a formal slideshow presentation, or just kind of have it running on a tv in the background...

Why did you choose a small wedding?

I chose a small wedding to keep things from getting too out of hand. Besides, I'm planning a destination wedding. I've been to many "big" weddings & it just seems so impersonal and like the poor bride and groom are so busy trying to socialize that they actually don't get the opportunity to breathe & enjoy themselves and soak in the moment. I also feel that the wedding should be about my FH & me, & the people who mean the most to us should be there. I don't want family drama at the wedding, so keeping it @ under 40 people was our goal.

How many people are in your wedding party? My FH & I will have a MOH & a BM. That's it.

Will you have a party later for all the rest of your family and friends? I am still kind of up in the air about this. I'm leaning towards probably not. I might just say, let's go out for drinks or something. Not really sure how I feel about having an afterparty, after the party. I think it might make some people feel weird..Idk.

We will have approximately 25 for our DW. Our kids will be our attendants. It will be an intimate beach ceremony with just family and one close friend for each of us. After we will head up the hill to a restaurant on a golf course for a sunset dinner reception, with dancing, the cake and all. We were so excited to have the small wedding but did not plan on the backlash of people at home that were disappointed they would not be invited, so we are having an AHR a month after the wedding. It will be at an old Victorian House in our town. It has beautiful gardens and a view of Mt. Rainier. We will BBQ, have the video of our DW, and lots of alcohol. Just booked the AHR and started planning that aspect.