A Lazy Cloud Guide to a Small Wedding
A small, intimate wedding is your opportunity to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life surrounded by the people who love you most! And, your wedding will allow you to be relaxed - and to truly enjoy your friends and family. Pull out all the stops! Be creative! You can splurge, change protocol, and customize your special day!
For starters, not everyone has attended a small wedding. You may wish to ask an attendant or a guest to “take charge” of informing the arriving guests of anything you would like them to know prior to the wedding. Here are some things you may wish to consider and want shared with your guests:
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Where and when will it begin? Guests usually know what to do for a large wedding, but many may have never attended a small, intimate wedding. Designate someone to show them where to wait, stand, or sit prior to and during the ceremony. |
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Where will the judge or the clergy be performing the ceremony? Let the guests know where the ceremony will take place and tell them where they will find themselves most comfortable. Where would you like them to sit or stand? Let them know now, or have your designee tell them. |
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During the service have you thought about facing your guests or will your officiator face them? Often times in a large wedding, the guests only see the backs of the bride and groom. This is your opportunity (and theirs) to be much more intimately involved! |
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Will there be a processional? And, who will accompany the bride? In a small wedding, it is entirely possible to have all of the guests accompany the bride and groom to the designated area of the ceremony! |
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Will there be a guest book? And, if so, consider having a designee who will be certain it is signed by other guests. Too often, the guest book is ignored. Here is your opportunity to make certain that this doesn't happen! Also, there will be plenty of pages in your book, so let the guests have lots of time to add some prose, some thoughts, greetings, and well-wishes to this great keepsake! |
Here are more thoughts as you plan your day:
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When the guest list is small, you have so much more time to spend with each of your guests! Plan to use that time! |
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Often times a bride and groom may have guests gather prior to the event over light embellishments and then have them proceed to their places. This is a great way for arriving guests to acclimate themselves to the intimacy of your wedding and to meet and greet other attendees. |
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A small wedding gives you the opportunity to get your loved ones involved in the ceremony:
With informal weddings, the bride may have her favorite flowers distributed among her guests. At the beginning of the service, perhaps during the processional, she then gathers the flowers from the guests for her bouquet, thus creating a bouquet symbolizing the contributions of everyone present.
Consider having your guests stand with you at your side, just as attendants would at a larger wedding. What a great way to personalize your wedding with all the people who mean the most to you!
Would you care to ask them to say a few words about the bride and groom - wishing them well - or telling a sweet story about them?
Have members of your family do the readings!
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Consider being your own ushers. Turn and greet each of your guests as you leave the wedding service. You have lots of time for this personal touch! |
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Ask a friend to oversee your guest book and have them encourage your guests to share comments, advice, or other messages in your book. It'll be a great keepsake! |
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The idea list is endless! Create your own, and then share them with our wedding planners. Our hope is that your small, intimate wedding with all of your wonderfully creative ideas will happen right here at the Lazy Cloud! |
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