For a while now, wedding planning sites like The Knot have defined “Micro-Weddings” as any wedding with less than ~60 guests. Others have set the bar lower at 20. Being a private person myself, I feel 20-60 still constitutes a “small” wedding, not quiiiite a “micro” wedding.

At Spark Experiences, we define a Micro Wedding as a beautiful, intimate, and personal event consisting of the bride and groom, plus 12 or fewer guests.

In fact, most micro-weddings we’re seeing right now are actually just the couple themselves, plus a photographer!

Some think of this as a romantic elopement, others as a “let’s do this!” spontaneous declaration of love. Either way, there’s no need to drive to Las Vegas or rush over to the courthouse. There are alternatives that are easy-breezy-beautiful for your special day. 😉

We love to help plan stunning micro-weddings in the Bay Area and welcome you to use our sample packages for your wedding inspiration. Always feel free to contact us for help planning the perfect micro-wedding. We love to make your day special!

Why We Had a Micro-Wedding

My husband and I had a micro-wedding with 12 guests. That’s IT, twelve (and one guy who flew in last minute for the mai-tais… but that’s another story!). Basically, our parents and two friends each, plus spouses.

We did it in Hawaii, which made it easy for us to explain the super-short guest list. And instead of spending our hard-earned savings on dry chicken for 100+ semi-strangers we wouldn’t ever get to talk to, we spent five days in paradise and took our family to an amazing luau. Pina Coladas and fire dancers also helped soften the awkwardness of our party’s language barrier; my family is American, while my husband is French.

And it was perfect. Perfect FOR US. Our micro-wedding was exactly what we wanted and we were so grateful!

Now, I’m not suggesting everyone should abscond to a tropical island to get hitched, but the point is, we did it TRULY SMALL, we did it our style, in a way that worked for our budget and situation, and it FELT GREAT. That’s the whole idea of having a special, beautiful micro-wedding.

Many couples have chosen to go with a small or micro-wedding, even before COVID required us to socially distance. These days, it makes even better sense and it could be the perfect option for you!

The Many Benefits of a Micro-Wedding

There are a lot of great reasons to go ahead and get married in 2020 and not wait another year, many of them rather practical, real-world considerations. If your intention is to get married, don’t let the world get in your way…seize this moment!

Choosing to have a micro-wedding, whether due to COVID or because you prefer an intimate ceremony, grants you so many options. In terms of the format itself, Micro-Weddings are wonderful in their flexibility and diversity of options.

Planning a Micro-Wedding is Easier

Because of the small scale, they are relatively painless to plan. In fact, if you work with a service, there should be little-to-no effort for you. You can purchase a carefully curated microwedding package and take out all the guesswork of location, flowers, ceremony, and the meal. All you have to do is choose the dress and stylist (and, actually, we can help with that, too!).

Now, just because it’s easy and the big stuff is done for you, doesn’t mean you can’t make it yours. In fact, customizing your micro-wedding is a huge part of the fun!

If you crave pizza or sushi, or your partner is into locally-bottled microbrews, you can totally have that. If you want to exchange vows on the Golden Gate Bridge, in the redwood forest, or amidst a charming vineyard setting, you can do just that.

You can make every moment of your special day entirely yours. It’s a LOT simpler and more flexible than making arrangements for dozens or hundreds of people where you’re tied to a formal venue, caterer, and what is “possible” when required to feed and entertain a crowd.

You also don’t have to worry about anyone else’s taste, opinions, or pressure. There’s absolutely no one to worry about judging your choices. It’s YOUR day to do however feels perfect to you!

A Micro-Wedding is More Affordable

Obviously, it’s likely to be much more cost-effective, too. Because you aren’t shelling out tens of thousands on catering or a tent to protect guests from the rain, that’s money you can spend on something truly special.

Consider hiring a professional videographer to produce a gorgeous documentary film, or splurging on a luxurious suite for your wedding night or an amazing honeymoon. You could even use those savings for a downpayment on a house!

If your budget is modest, and that’s money you wouldn’t have in cash to responsibly spend anyway, then a micro-wedding is truly perfect! You can still have a beautiful, memorable experience, celebrating your love and feeling amazing without over-leveraging yourself with a massive credit card bill to pay later.

The average American wedding is over $30,000. There’s no reason for YOU to be average.

After a Micro-Wedding, Have the Big Party!

If the big reception and after-party were what you were looking forward to, you can still do that! Once it’s safe to have large gatherings of people again, go ahead and throw a big bash! Following our small destination wedding and honeymoon, we came home and threw receptions in both San Francisco and France.

As a result, we actually got to celebrate several times and include more people, while spending far less money. The events were much nicer at a lower cost (we didn’t need to pay the “wedding” premium up-charge) and it was so much easier for us to travel to our families and friends than for them to all fly in and stay in hotels. Because our guests didn’t have to pay travel and lodging expenses, we found that they were also able to be surprisingly generous when contributing to our wedding registry. Another bonus!

At each party, we were able to take our time, properly visiting and talking to everyone we wanted to see. And I got to re-wear ALL the dresses and really get my $ worth! 💕

For us, it was also helpful to have a very small wedding, based on who we are as people. Neither of us is a social butterfly that particularly enjoys crowds. While we’re okay with being the center of attention professionally, in our personal lives we’re a little more shy. We really wanted to enjoy OUR special day, and to celebrate with the people closest to us in a way that made us feel most comfortable, beautiful, and joyful.

So that’s it. Micro-wedding benefits in a nutshell. Hopefully, by sharing our story, and the experience of our friends and clients, this will help other couples feel empowered to take their weddings back and do it THEIR WAY, too.

No matter what you decide, just make sure your wedding day is truly your day. It’s about YOU, feeling your most beautiful, feeling grateful, and celebrating being in love. 🥰

We truly love helping you craft the most beautiful day to celebrate your wedding. Contact us any time for help planning your special micro-wedding in the Bay Area.

With lots of ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤎,
Heather