Micro Weddings

7 Reasons to Wed Now and Party Later!

2020 was a tough year wasn’t it? Of course it was! What an understatement. Engaged couples wanting to get married and have the big day of their dreams was no exception. With everything going on in the world last summer – large, grand weddings were unfortunately banned. That is a tough pill to swallow. I know that before I was even engaged, I already knew what I wanted my wedding to look like. The most important aspect of course, was to be surrounded by my family and loved ones. I remember seeing my couples’ disappointment when told that they couldn’t have their big weddings. It was at the very least, heart wrenching. In 2020, couples were forced to look at their weddings in a new way and change it up if they didn’t already decide to cancel or postpone for a later date. Surprisingly, a positive outcome from this was the “Wed Now, Party Later” approach to weddings.

So far, it looks like the rules of 2020 may be continuing into the 2021 wedding season and couples will be forced to make the tough decision again. More and more couples are embracing small, intimate elopements with the promise to their loved ones that there will be a party later when the pandemic is over. The wonderful side effect of this, is that couples are now focusing more on the reasons why they are getting married rather than prioritizing the creation of a huge event. More effort is being put into the ceremony, the vows, and spending intimate time with the person they want to be with for rest of their life. No one is worrying about the guest list, the seating chart, or whether or not their guests are having a good time. Instead, they are truly in the moment with their partner as they say I do, and nothing else matters.

If you aren’t already convinced, here are:

7 Reasons Why You Should “Wed Now, and Party Later!”

1. More Remote, Beautiful Location Options

People are getting more creative with ceremony spots. Without the need for accessibility, couples are finding even more beautiful and remote places than would have been possible with a large group of guests in tow. This makes their wedding photos absolutely gorgeous! Take a walk off the beaten track and see where it takes you. Of course, don’t forget to bring your favourite photographer with you to capture some amazing moments and jaw-dropping gorgeous shots, with you and the views.

2. Intimate, Private Wedding Day

With just the two of you, and your most important witnesses, everyone will get a zero distraction, private experience. A common occurrence when it comes to large weddings, is that couples struggle to spend time with all of their guests. There just isn’t enough time during one event to make sure you spend quality time with everyone. When you are so worried about making time for everyone else, you get less time with your new husband/wife. With less guests, you can take the time to soak in the love, and truly celebrate.

Having a smaller number of people to feed at your reception, means that you can re-allocate your budget into other things, instead of paying for those extra plates. You could add in more custom details to the décor or to your party favours. Or possibly, invest in a more dynamic meal than you normally anticipated. Maybe you want to splurge and get that bottle of champagne to share with everyone that wouldn’t have been price effective with a larger group. You can really enjoy and take in the moment of this momentous occasion with those closest to you.

3. Personal Vows a Must!

Since your ceremony is already so private, why not share how your heart really feels about your fiancé/fiancée? Whenever I suggest personal vows to my clients, I almost always hear them say how embarrassing it would be. How they would feel too awkward to allow themselves to be so personal in front of an audience. With less people attending to watch you, it gives you the opportunity to fully realize your vows and be able to share them with your future husband/wife. I guarantee that you will cry happy tears and your partner will be blown away. Why not start your marriage with absolute honesty and carrying your heart on your sleeve?

4. You Get to Be Dressed Up Twice!

One of the most exciting parts about planning a wedding (for a bride especially) is figuring out what you are going to wear. There has always been a level of anticipation as the guests wait for the bride to walk down the aisle and exhibit her wedding dress. It is kind of a crazy concept that you buy a beautiful gown or suit and only get to wear it for one day. If you decide to “Wed Now, and Party Later” you will have the opportunity to dress up for your ceremony, and then possibly get to wear it again for your reception at a later date. Not every couple gets to dress up in their wedding attire twice! Even better, is that if you are wanting to take things up a level, you could wear a completely different outfit to each event.

5. No Family Drama

Family drama occurring at weddings seems to be inevitable. Having a large group of people in one place that normally aren’t in the same room, can lead to quite the unfortunate show. Possibly you have a crazy uncle that likes to drink too much? Or maybe you have two guests that need to be seated really far away from each other? Let’s take away the pressure of making everyone else happy and just focus on you two. A small elopement-style ceremony for just the two of you, makes for a convenient reason to leave the dramatic people at home.

6. Financial Commitment Spread Over Longer Timeline

Weddings are not cheap! You would be surprised how quickly the dollars add up, especially if you don’t stay on top of your budget! The average wedding in Canada is just under $30,000 and is normally planned within 12 months leading up to the big day. That is a lot of money to spend in one year. If your ceremony and reception are split up and possibly occurring on separate years, then it may be easier to handle. But be careful! It is also just as easy to spend twice as much!

7. Less Pressure Overall

You don’t have to worry about impressing anyone or making concessions, sacrifices or compromises for any of your guests. You can have exactly the kind of experience that you want. You would be surprised how often your families will get involved and make your day about them and what they think is best. They always mean well, but it is easy for it to get out of hand and before you know it, your wedding looks like someone else’s. As a wedding planner, I always ensure that my couples don’t need to worry about anything during their wedding, but with less people involved, it can take some real weight off of your shoulders.  

So, there you have it! If you weren’t convinced with those 7 reasons to decide to “Wed Now, and Party Later”, I don’t know how I will convince you.

If you need any help with planning your elopement or your reception later, let me know! Let’s connect and see how I can help!

I had two amazing photographers contribute to my blog today:

Chelsea Pope ; @chelseapopephotography

Melissa Marshall ; @melissamarshallx

They were absolutely wonderful to chat with and their work speaks for itself!

To check out the full experience of the Scotland elopement of Jac and Chelsea captured by Melissa click here!

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