6 Reasons Why You Should Have an Intimate Wedding

For couples who don’t want the extravagance of a traditional wedding, more intimate weddings have become the favored alternative. As a wedding photographer myself, I love intimate weddings; the closeness, the emotions, and the close-knit group of loved ones make for an amazing experience for couples and guests alike. There are some couples who aren’t sure if an intimate wedding is quite for them, which is very understandable. It can be a bit unnerving to stray away from tradition, especially if you have friends and family pressuring you to lean one way or another. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the reasons why intimate weddings might be a good option for you, and you can determine if you resonate with any of them!

Natalie Nicole Photo | 6 reasons why you should Have an Intimate Wedding | Texas Based Destination Wedding Photographer

You’ll have more unique venue options

When your guest list is more intimate, you have more freedom in terms of where you want to have your wedding. Most traditional venues are created with a larger guest count in mind, but that comes with a larger price tag. Venues are typically one of the most, if not the most expensive wedding expense for couples. But if you’re having an intimate wedding, you can choose a smaller venue, or even opt for something like a restaurant buyout. There are some beautiful intimate wedding venues in Texas that I’ve fallen in love with over the years!

For example, one of our favorite intimate wedding venues in Texas is La Colombe d'Or, which is a beautiful historic building turned boutique hotel. Your guests can stay all in one place, and enjoy the ambiance for however long your visit is. Check out this “Intimate Wedding in Houston at La Colombe d'Or” which is the perfect example of a restaurant buyout with an intimate dinner reception to follow.

An Intimate wedding is typically less stressful

If you’ve begun the process of wedding planning, you probably quickly realized how overwhelming it can be. The more people you include, the more stressful it gets! The guest count is only a small part of it though - the mental and emotional weight of planning a large, traditional wedding is enough to warrant a headache or two. The best way to eliminate most of the stress that comes with wedding planning is by making it more intimate. Less guests, a shorter timeline, and potentially less vendors to coordinate with.

You can spoil your select guests

With the funds you’re saving by not having to book a large venue (with a high food and beverage minimum), you could treat your guests to a higher-end experience. For example, if you want to prioritize having a 5 course meal, it’s much more realistic to be able to provide that for 50 guests vs 200. One of our past couples, Shaun and Michelle, only had 8 guests at their intimate wedding, but they were able to really go all out for their loved ones. They hosted their event at Spread Oaks Ranch and had their onsite private chef prepare a luxury meal for them. For couples who want their wedding to be not just about them, but also celebrating those who have truly supported them in their journey, an intimate wedding might be the perfect opportunity to show your love and gratitude.

You can focus on what’s truly important

I’ve had the honor of being a part of hundreds of weddings, which means we’ve seen it all. And the thing we hate to see the most is couples not being able to prioritize what’s truly important. Couples usually have the absolute best intentions, and sometimes that leads to putting others’ opinions in front of their own, and not creating an experience that’s meaningful to them. Not only that, but it can be so easy to get caught up in the rush of your wedding day that you forget to actually enjoy yourself and celebrate your love. It can start to feel like the world’s most stressful party instead of the happiest day of your life! When you have an intimate wedding, you’re letting yourself slow down and enjoy the entire day, however you choose for that to look like.

A more memorable and personable experience

Have you ever been to a wedding where you feel like you didn’t get to really connect with the couple besides a quick hug and “Congratulations!”? Unfortunately, with a lot of traditional weddings, the couple can get very busy and distracted, all while trying to stick to a strict timeline. And while we always encourage having a timeline even for intimate weddings, things are usually much more lax. You’ll have plenty of time to mingle and converse with your guests because it’ll be a much smaller group. You’ll get to celebrate, reminisce, and party with each and every one in attendance!

You can make it unforgettable

Last but not least, you can make your intimate wedding absolutely unforgettable. Whether you host an extravagant, intimate dinner party-style wedding or say “I do” at a beautiful, scenic location, it’ll be an event that you and your guests will never forget. When you say goodbye to tradition and start thinking about how you and your partner really want to celebrate your love, your wedding will be so unique and personal to you. And that is exactly what will make it unforgettable. Your intimate group of guests will have an amazing experience, you and your partner will have the capacity to give your undivided attention to each other and your loved ones, and you’ll have the perfect team there to capture it all.

Ready to start planning your intimate wedding?

I’m right there with you! To get in touch with me about documenting your day, no matter how big or small, you can fill out my contact form and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. In the meantime, you can visit my Pinterest for more inspiration for your intimate Texas wedding or intimate destination wedding or even check out the blog for other tips, tricks, and wedding days!