Intimate Weddings and Elopements - Why They're Awesome!

So you’re thinking about having a small intimate wedding or just eloping in the mountains/beach/anywhere, but you're worried that you might miss out on a big wedding with a ton of guests, right? Then again, the thought of marrying your S/O with just your closest friends and family sounds so dreamy. This can be a huge decision on your wedding planning!

Well i’m here to tell you, both are amazing. There is no right or wrong answer to “You should have a big wedding” or “Just elope with your closest friends and family around!”. With that being said, here are some things to help you decide whether you want to say screw it, and go with a small intimate wedding.

One of the biggest pros of having a small intimate wedding is cost. If your budget is something you are concerned about, having a small intimate wedding might be right for you. Because you won’t have to worry about finding a venue big enough for a huge wedding guest list, as well as feeding hundreds of people, you can use that extra money on making your intimate wedding look more extravagant. Now if you’re eloping in the mountains or somewhere in nature, you don’t really have to worry about making your decorations look extravagant because the nature will do that for you. Cutting costs on a venue also helps save money for an awesome honeymoon if that is something you and your babe are wanting to do!

Second pro of having an intimate wedding: Spending time with the people closest to you. One of my favorite things about intimate weddings is that you have time to actually talk to your guests and have genuine conversations. During big weddings, you spend a lot of your time thanking each guest for coming and it becomes a lot harder to just actually enjoy your big day. (that is not always the case of course!)

Third pro of having an intimate wedding is that you can literally go almost anywhere in the world. Traveling is not always the easiest, but it is your special day, and it’ll be memorable no matter where you decide to get married. You can even double down and use your trip and location as your honeymoon spot too, to save time and money!

Now for the cons…. Truthfully, I don’t see any cons in going small and intimate y’all. I’m an extroverted introvert who gets fomo (fear of missing out) when I see my friends or family out without me, so the only con that I personally would have is the fear that I would’ve wanted a big wedding with all of my acquaintances and distant family members in attendance. On the other hand, I love small get-togethers where I can talk to everyone while still enjoying my own time.

There is no right or wrong answer to this decision you have before you. It is all up to personal preference! I have brides that absolutely loved having a big extravagant wedding (and they are extremely fun and eventful) and then I have had brides who absolutely loved just having their closest friends and family watch them tie the knot. At the end of the day, it is YOUR big day. You have to do what is going to make you and your partner happy and the rest will follow!

Here are some of my favorite photos from past small weddings and elopements I have shot!