(Question: How Do I Do A Small Wedding)
Over the two-year pandemic period smaller weddings became the standard when holding weddings. Now that restrictions have been lifted and people are beginning to have larger weddings again, many are still opting for smaller wedding events.
To find out what’s involved with a small wedding, we checked out key wedding blogs and spoke to Hawai`i wedding industry veterans Mona Hirata-Sung, President and Founder of NEU Events and Leialoha Planners, and Darcie Wharton-Gongob, Senior Planner at Tropical Moon Events, to find out what makes a small wedding. Here are 6 things to consider when doing a small wedding.
1. Guest counts under 60. Have between 25-60 people total at your wedding, including the bride and groom.
2. Hand-pick your guests that are near and dear to you as a couple. Darcie recommends enjoying the day with people who matter most. Couples can use the “who are those in our lives the most” litmus test by strategically planning their guest list to only those they’ve spoken to in the past 3 months.
3. Forgoing traditional Wedding Elements. Throwing a bouquet and garter belt, which always found at most weddings may be eliminated. It’s optional to get rid of the dance floor and DJ, but when you’re celebrating, wouldn’t you want to dance?
4. Lavish yourselves and your guests. By having a small wedding 50 or fewer, you may be able to spend more on your guest than you would with a 250-guest count. Feature the most amazing farm-to-table culinary offerings and hire a professional mixologist! Or, as Mona suggests, provide ground transportation to/from the wedding venue.
5. Customize the wedding elements to match your personality as a couple. Add DIY touches or incorporate sustainable/eco-friendly elements. Have a miniature golf course or other activities that you enjoy together.
6. Do a destination elopement wedding. Have a whole weekend destination wedding with your loved ones, while keeping the guest count low, and Wedding Ideas Magazine adds that it will allow you to access anything you want.
As wedding party counts are on the rise in a post-pandemic environment, a small wedding may still be a great option to have the wedding customized to allow you to enjoy the people you care about the most, elements that reflect who you are as a couple, and the location that you want to be in for great memories of the most important day in your history as a couple. If you’re thinking of having a small destination wedding on O`ahu at a unique venue to help make your wedding dreams come true, contact us today at Wedding Estates Hawaii.