Just because there’s a trend leading to bigger and more extravagant weddings, that doesn’t mean you should have to put together a mega-event to celebrate your marriage vows. It’s possible to design a minimalist wedding that’s tasteful, enjoyable, and free of unnecessary excess and waste.
But you have to plan ahead!
Reasons to Hold a Minimalist Wedding
A minimalist wedding is basically a small nuptial event that focuses on the essential elements and avoids all the unnecessary waste and superfluous features that, in fact, add little to the soul of the experience. Here are several of the potential benefits if you choose to host a minimalist wedding:
- Less stress. Smaller weddings usually mean lower stress (both in terms of planning and execution). You have fewer vendors, fewer logistical issues to have to work through, and less that can go wrong. That enables you to relax and enjoy the experience and focus more on the positive things (rather than worrying about all that could go wrong).
- Costs less. A minimalist wedding might cost between 25 and 75 percent of a traditional wedding that includes all the fancy bells and whistles. You can experience a reasonable ceremony and reception without going deeply into debt or blowing through your life savings. The money you save may be applied to other desirable items such as your honeymoon, a down payment on a house, or paying down student loan debt.
- More intimate. Hosting a wedding with 400 or 500 guests might sound appealing, but it won’t give you much time to spend with any one person. You’ll be compelled to spend the entire event moving from one guest to the next and making brief small talk. Because it features a much smaller guest list, a minimalist wedding allows for a more intimate and leisurely experience with the people who come.
3 Tips You Can Use
So if the notion of a minimalist wedding sounds appealing to you, how do you make it happen? Here are several helpful tips to get you underway.
1. Find a Beautiful Venue
If the decor and guest list are going to be on the small side, the place to go big is by choosing a beautiful venue. (If the venue is gorgeous and has a lot to offer in itself, people are less likely to notice how you cut back in other areas.)
Remember, minimalist doesn’t inherently mean cheap. It might be less expensive altogether, but it also means you do more with less. Don’t be afraid to spend some money here if your budget allows it.
2. Keep Your Guest List Trim
Often the greatest challenge for hosting a minimalist wedding is managing to keep your guest list nice and trim. Remember, the size of your guest list will determine many of the other facets, such as the size of the venue, the amount of food you have to order, etc.
When you’re deciding whom to invite, stick with close family members and friends who are currently active in your life. There really isn’t any need to go back in time to invite people you used to hang with in school but haven’t seen in 5 or 10 years.
You also needn’t invite fringe folks you see now and then because of mutual acquaintances. Stick with the individuals you and your partner love and know well.
That might be 30 people or 100. The exact number is not the point; the quality of your relationship is.
Typically, about 70 percent of the people who get invited to a wedding will attend. If you only invite your closest friends and family, however, the number is probably going to be closer to 90 percent. Keep that in mind when you draw up your guest list.
3. Aim for Quality Over Quantity
When it comes to decor, the priority should be quality over quantity. In other words, don’t get worked up about filling every square inch of the event space with decorations.
Instead, choose the key spots and invest in quality decor that makes a statement. This is especially the case in terms of flowers.
You could easily spend $10,000 to $20,000 on a wall of color, but why? Wouldn’t you rather put $2,000 into several tasteful arrangements that really catch people’s eye?
When ordering wedding flowers, you don’t have to work with a wedding florist. A same-day local delivery company that sells beautiful bouquets and arrangements will do the job just fine.
They’ll be much more willing – even eager – to work with smaller orders than a wedding florist who has high minimums.
Add It All Up
There’s no rulebook that dictates how to assemble a minimalist wedding. It ultimately comes down to you and your preferences.
Some people opt for minimal decor but stick with a vast guest list. Other couples keep everything small and are much more deliberate about the various details. The specifics are all yours to choose from!
