Your Guide to Planning a Small Wedding
You’re engaged. You’re planning a wedding. And then… In the best of times, wedding planning poses challenges – competing priorities, balancing work and wedding, BUDGETS… We recently saw what a global pandemic can do for wedding planning, creating emotionally trying challenges to manage in a time of very many unknowns. Whether you choose a smaller celebration or whether one of life’s many occasions threw a wrench in plans, and we are here to assure you that love is never cancelled. Small wedding to the rescue!
There are in fact some really good practical reasons to get married in any given time. In my own story, my husband and I had bought a house together, gotten engaged, and were planning a wedding (I know, we’re not strictly “in order”…) when I lost my job. The big wedding we had been planning got put on hold. We realized that getting married gave us some very real financial advantages. So we did. We eloped. And went out for a very nice dinner for two that evening. Months later, we had a celebration with family. You can do it! There is nothing wrong with grasping your forever now. So what are the options?
Eloping
Traditionally, an elopement consist of just the couple without friends and family. You, your fiance, the officiant. Words are said. Papers are signed. You’re done. Flowers, no flowers – it’s up to you. You might get dressed up… or not. (Confession: I got married in a Durham Bulls sweatshirt. We *meant* to dress up, but we ran out of time while running errands… Hey, we got dressed up for dinner! We’re not complete savages!) Petal’s Edge has provided bouquets and matching boutonnieres for many an elopement, and we can walk you through what option is best for you.
A typical elopement package might include:
- Bridal bouquet & coordinating boutonierre
- No contact pick up at our studio in Old Town Alexandria
- Starting at $275
Microwedding
A microwedding, you might say, is an elopement with a little bit of fanfare. You might include a short ceremony, a time to toast with immediate family and definitely time for photos. In addition to personal flowers like bouquets and boutonnieres, you might have a full dressed ceremony just for two, something that makes your vows pretty and memorable. The focus is on your nuptials.
A micro wedding package might include:
- Bridal bouquet & coordinating boutonierre
- Fresh flowers for your arbor, chuppah or two altar pieces for an intimate ceremony
- Available for pick up or delivery
- Starting at $850.
Miniwedding
Wait? Another term for a wedding? A miniwedding has many of the characteristics of a microwedding, but you might also have a beautifully designed dinner table. It’s that intermediary between a microwedding and standard wedding reception with everything on a small scale. You’ll want personal flowers. Maybe you want to dress up your ceremony. Most of all, though, you’ll want to dress your table. Something small and intimate that celebrates the event now.
A mini wedding package might include:
- Bridal bouquet & coordinating boutonniere
- Fresh flowers for your arbor, chuppah or two altar pieces for an intimate ceremony.
- 3-4 centerpieces for your tiny reception
- Accent blooms for your cake
- Available for pick up or delivery
- Starting at $1,400.
Any of the events above can be customized and still leave room for a larger celebration later. We have done many small weddings over the years. We can help you figure out how to best use your backyard. We can help you find officiants. We can refer you to great photographers. Caterers are some of our best friends. We can craft a simple package of seasonal blooms for you – give us a color scheme and maybe a photo of something you love and leave the rest up to us – or you can be more specific in your request. In short, we can help.
Of course, if going small isn’t your style, if you can’t imagine getting married without all of your family and friends, that is okay! We are committed to being as flexible as we can with all of our clients.
Photo credits: Stephanie Dee Photography, Holland Photo Arts, Red Shoes Photography
