It’s fair to say that until COVID-19 started throwing its weight around, “the norm” was to have a huge wedding celebration with all of your friends, family and those you were told to invite but couldn’t actually picture who they were exactly. Things have changed, for now.
As of the 4th July, the government has confirmed that weddings of no more than 30 wedding guests can take place in England. For some, this is very welcome news and means that those who planned to tie the knot with an intimate ceremony involving their nearest and dearest can now go ahead and do so! Happy days! But, for the majority who were planning a 100+ guest list, why would you consider a small wedding with up to 30 wedding guests rather than simply postponing again?
To answer that very question we’ve put together a few positives of having just 30 guests at your wedding… It’s not all bad, not by a long shot!
Please note, that the below is subject to changes in guidelines, isn’t necessarily what can work for everyone and is written with the underlying message of staying safe at all times. For full COVID-19 guidance for small marriages and civil partnerships, click here.
Cost
This is the obvious one. Less guests generally means a smaller venue and less people to feed throughout the wedding day. Plus, as food at weddings isn’t allowed yet, the cost gets even lower. The cost savings are clear and easy to see. One box ticked.
3rd Cousin Barry
It’s not all that uncommon that couples don’t enjoy being the centre of attention - for many it’s just not in their nature, which is perfectly normal. But, pressures from elsewhere steer you towards a large wedding including guests who you haven’t even met before - like 3rd Cousin Barry! Well now might be your opportunity to have that intimate wedding you wanted - what’s stopping you?
Your Dream Venue
Hiring a wedding venue is sometimes quite expensive to put it lightly. This, unfortunately, can put your dream wedding venue out of reach when you add on the other associated costs. But, without those additional costs weighing you down, you might just be able to book that beautiful barn conversion nestled in the Leicestershire countryside. We’ll get the pictures for you to cherish - don’t you worry about that!
All You Need is Love
We mentioned above that cost was the obvious benefit, but the most important benefit of not postponing to accommodate 120 guests is that you can get married to the one you love - now. Get those tissues handy, because this is the soppy part of the blog! The only thing that matters is that you are marrying the love of your life, why delay it? The vows you exchange mean the world and you can say them to each other next week if you want to.
This also paves the way for our final benefit for having just 30 guests at your wedding.
An Excuse for a Second Party
Why have one celebration when you can have two? It may be the case that you’re not able to have that massive wedding that you had always dreamed of right now, but rather than seeing it as a disaster, let’s call it an opportunity.
Any excuse to party, right?
So tie the knot and say the “I do’s”... then line up something really wild for next year! Those closest to you will have seen you make the marriage official and the rest of the guests, well, we’re sure that they’ll be thrilled to be invited to an absolute stonker of a party at a later date.
What Now?
If we’ve given you some ideas and you’re now thinking about how this might work, why not check out some venue options to suit? Petite Weddings highlight a nice selection of small venues to wet your appetite.
We don’t know if they’re all open, but it might inspire you to keep looking and to plan your intimate wedding.
Remember, all you need is love.
Phil and Al x