Guest Blog Post written by Laura Hillman
Intro Hi I’m Laura, a Kent based wedding planner ~ lovely to meet you!
Originally from Yorkshire I moved to London eight years ago to follow my dream of working in luxury hospitality. Up until very recently I worked within two of London’s top 5* hotels - Corinthia Hotel London and Rosewood London planning many wonderful prestigious parties, weddings, and events.
I absolutely love helping couples plan their perfect day and in early 2020 I launched my own wedding planning company. I believe in providing an individual, relaxed, and friendly approach to every couple. I really like to get to know each bride and groom, so I can grasp what is important to them when planning their special day. What is a Micro Wedding? A micro wedding is different to an intimate wedding as it is a celebration with no more than 20 guests, whereas a small wedding normally has between 30 – 60 guests. Usually a micro wedding is a pre-planned, thoroughly thought out wedding just with a much smaller guests list! Due to the size they are typically more relaxed and less traditional than a standard wedding.
The Benefits of Planning a Micro Wedding
Flexibility By hosting a much smaller celebration you will have more flexibility around the day of the week as you will have fewer guests to organise! You will also find popular venues have more availability away from peak days.
Increased Venue Choice Having a smaller guest list expands the number of venue options available to you and if you hire a celebrant you can host your ceremony pretty much anywhere! More time for you! Planning a small wedding of up to 20 guests is much less stressful than planning a larger wedding and allows you to have much more time prior to your wedding to focus on the areas important to you. On the day you will feel more relaxed and have much more time to mingle and talk to each guest. Quality over Quantity With smaller numbers the overall cost naturally goes down allowing you to splurge your budget on the areas that are important to you and your hubby. Allowing you to create a personalised and memorable day unique to you! Perhaps you are planning a micro wedding from scratch or maybe you're adapting your original plans to fit the current government guidelines of 15 guests. Either way, here are my recommendations on how to plan a stylish and memorable day.
1. Find the Right Venue Once you have decided on your guest list booking your venue is the next step. Choosing a space that is the right size for your numbers is especially important or you could feel overwhelmed in a larger space. If your venue is on the bigger size think about incorporating a soft seating area into the room to give the feeling of a more intimate setting. If you had your heart set on a particular venue then do ask if they have other rooms available that could suit your smaller guest list, venues often have hidden gems for 15 or less guests!
2. Spend your budget wisely Fewer guests means your wedding budget will stretch further and allow you to splurge in areas you may not have been able to with a larger celebration. You may decide to have one amazing micro experience with the flowers, dress, and shoes you had always dreamt of or you could throw a second larger sequel party when government restrictions allow. 3. Hire a Celebrant With micro weddings you can throw the rule book out of the window and focus on what really matters to you and your husband. Hiring a celebrant to plan and craft a personalised ceremony is the perfect way to make your ceremony unique and memorable to you both.
4. Add Small Personalised Details Just because you have fewer guests does not mean you have to compromise on style. Think about adding small delicate touches to weave your personality into the day such as bespoke personalised menus for each guest or serving your favourite dishes for your wedding breakfast! If you are planning a micro-wedding, a wedding planner can be very beneficial. They can ensure your day runs smoothly, and they have all the local contacts with the expert knowledge on hand! They can also plan a micro-wedding very quickly so if you make a last-minute decision to go ahead with smaller numbers, they are a must!
I specialise in creating meaningful and stylish celebrations for modern romantics and lovers of luxury. If this sounds like you, I would love to hear from you.
Thank you to Rose & Grace Ceremonies for asking me to feature on their blog! Tags: Website: www.laurahillmanconsulting.co.uk Insta: @laurahillman_weddings_events Facebook: @laurahillmanweddings
Photo Credits:
Photographer: ekr pictures
Flowers: Silver Six Pence Florist
Stationary: White Cottage Weddings
Table Décor & Styling: Perfect Day Stylist