Covid-19 Micro Wedding Inspiration - Sarah and Simon

I know that many couples are either postponing their celebrations or having a smaller gathering now and having the larger one later. Some have even decided that they only want to do a smaller wedding. For those of you that are going ahead with a mini, micro, tiny, intimate or whatever we are calling it, wedding… these upcoming blogs are for you. I want to encourage you that they are still beautiful and romantic. They can be luxurious or they can be simple. The beauty about a micro wedding is that they can be whatever you want them to be. These upcoming blogs are from mini weddings that I photographed in the past. I’ve asked the couples to tell you why they did a micro wedding and why it was special to them. I hope that you find them hopeful and encouraging. I know that 2020 has been a whirlwind for all of us, but marriage isn’t cancelled. Love isn’t cancelled. You can still become a family in 2020 and that ultimately is what is important.

From the bride, Sarah-

We had a small wedding in the backyard of the home we were renting in Colorado, surrounded only by our immediate family. It was perfect and personal! 

Our family had flown in a few days prior to the wedding to be able to hike and see the city before the festivities. The morning of the wedding, I went to get my hair and makeup done with my sister and mom, while my husband had breakfast with his family. We then met up at the house to have our first look. It was just the two of us (and Erin). We were both nervous about saying our vows in front of others, so we decided to say our vows then. We exchanged our vows for one another and shared a very intimate, sweet moment basking in our love. We then went to take photos in the mountains before the guests arrived. 

All of our decor was either homemade or rented. Once everyone arrived, they helped us set up the chairs and assemble the arbor we had made out of copper pipes. Having said our vows earlier, and having had everyone around us prior, had taken away the nerves and formality of the ceremony. As my dad walked me down the aisle, my husband and I felt much more relaxed and could truly enjoy the moment. My husband gave a quick welcome speech and we repeated our vows for our family to hear. In Colorado, you do not need an officiant. We chose to hold the ceremony ourselves, rather than having a stranger attend or having to pick someone from our friend group. It was just for us and that’s what we wanted. 

After the ceremony, the catering arrived! As we took family photos, the catering team set everything up and left us to eat on our own. We shifted all of the decor into a pretty seating area, where everyone was able to see and talk to one another. There were times when the whole table was engaged in one conversation, a true combining of the families, which was really nice. After dinner, we crowded into the house for an evening drink, while the catering team came back and cleaned everything up. The food was amazing, and thanks to it being a small wedding, we had leftovers for weeks to come! Overall, it was the perfect wedding for us! It was stress-free, personal, inexpensive, and in the end, we were married! 

Why have a small wedding? The wedding was for us and about us. We didn’t feel the need to make a big show out of it or have lots of people witness it. We figured if we really wanted to, we could always hold a celebration party for more people at a later time. We are also both introverts, so the idea of being the center of attention to a large group of people was not appealing to us. Being able to spend quality time with our family was very important. Weddings are often very expensive to attend, then you barely get to see your guests. By having the small gathering we did, we were able to really soak in the time with our family, without being pulled in multiple directions. It was also substantially less expensive! With the money we saved, we were able to go visit the friends and family who did not attend, thus getting quality time with them as well. Plus it also allowed us to travel, which is something we value highly. Often people feel like they need to have a big wedding and invite everyone they know, simply because that is the norm. In the end, you need to do what is best for you. If you don’t want to invite your dad’s best friend’s cousin, don’t invite them! The wedding is for you and you’ll be much happier doing things your way! People may be surprised at first when you say you’re having a small wedding, but those who truly know you and love you will understand and be happy for you no matter what. 

I also wrote about it on Medium Here…..

Why should you choose Erin? (note: I didn’t ask her to write why you should choose me. That was just a bonus! Love you Sarah!) Erin was perfect! Not only did she take amazing photos, she was also great at reading the mood. When it was just my husband and I, during our first look and first set of vows, we barely knew she was there. She gave us space to have our time together and share intimate moments, while secretly capturing it all. When we were feeling nervous, she was there to support and to lighten the mood. She cracked jokes to take our mind of things and told us stories about her own life that were relatable. Once the family arrived, she slipped in and out, joining in when appropriate and giving us privacy when necessarily, again all while photographing the sweet moments that were occurring. I would highly recommend her for your small wedding!