Intimate Micro-Weddings became popular during Covid-19, but have continued to maintain popularity as couples choose to celebrate with their closest family and friends, rather than in a large wedding. We want to share 5 tips to help you create a successful small wedding, and make it truly your own.

Guest List

When it comes to choosing your "must be there," people, your parents, siblings, close relatives, best friends, your "without a doubt," people, your guest list becomes a much smaller group made by careful choices. By choosing an intimate wedding, you automatically eliminate those guests that don't fit into this category, and thereby eliminate the need to worry about not inviting them. You've successfully created a guest list that eliminates the extra worry of who to invite!

Venue Choice

Choose a venue that is suitable for small, intimate gatherings, rather than something much too large where you feel like your guests are lost in a cavernous space. If you're unable to locate a venue that suits your needs, backyard weddings give you the freedom to create your own vision, while still keeping your guests to a limited number. The Loft of Elements Preserved is perfect for a group of 50 or fewer; oftentimes, we find that many of our couples fit within the 25 person guest list! And, at The Loft, it's the ideal size to accommodate 50 or fewer people comfortably, while still having room to enjoy socializing.

Elevate Your Event Decor

When you limit your guest number, your food and bar bill immediately are lessened. Here's your opportunity to elevate your event with an upgrade in floral installations, choose a catering company that gives you a luxury presentation for food and drink, and add event decor that you might choose to forego, otherwise. Add a lounge seating package, or two. Guests love a cozy spot to sit during the reception, and you've created a little getaway area for the two of you to step back and enjoy from a distance!

Make Your Reception Personal To You

Here's where you can create something very personal to you and your partner's wishes. Favorite foods, desserts, a food truck, beverage cart, the ideas are limitless. Here are a few ideas:

1. Ice Cream Cart

2. Serve cake and other small bite desserts

3. What about pies? Individual hand-pies are a great option, as well as a huge variety of pies on a beautiful sweets table. We've even seen each guest presented with a tiny individual cake!

4. Fill a sweets table with a variety of small cakes, on pedestal cake plates, both large and small!

5. Hire a paint artist to paint your reception as a keepsake.

6. Hire a live musician to perform music throughout the reception.

Enjoy quality time with each guest you've invited

Choosing to celebrate with a limited number of guests allows you quality time with each. These are the people that mean the most to you, who have your back, who've supported and cheered for your successes, and who better to spend this milestone day with than them! A smaller group of guests also takes the spotlight off of you, and allows you to enjoy your day completely.

Choosing to celebrate your wedding in an intimate ceremony and reception isn't everyone's choice. If you don't like large groups of people, don't want to be in the spotlight, want to conserve on costs while still creating a detail-filled wedding day, we encourage you to consider an intimate wedding. More venues are offering a Micro-Wedding Package, with a limited timeframe to hold your ceremony and reception, while still having memories captured by a photographer.

Take a look at our wedding packages available online at www.elementspreserved.com/venue

Our Micro-Wedding Package includes a Chicago wedding photographer to capture images for 2 hours, an officiant to perform your ceremony, a florist to provide flowers for the couple and the backdrop, charcuterie appetizers and cake! We also include calligraphy signage for the entry, champagne toast for guests, tabletop decor, vintage china and flatware for dessert service, bluetooth speaker system for music playlist, onsite management the day of your event, along with coordination with our vendors prior to your wedding day, ceremony chair set up and strike, and farm tables and chairs for guests to enjoy during your reception.

Rather than hiring individual vendors that you have to locate yourself, we take on that responsibility, providing you with an all-inclusive package.

Reach out if this sparks your interest! Every wedding is unique and personal. We'd love the opportunity to create your vision and help you celebrate your intimate wedding at The Loft of Elements Preserved.

Vendors:

Floral - Designs by Janet

Cake - Delish Cakes

Charcuterie - Sage and Jam Catering

Photography - Kayla Dutcher Photography

Venue - The Loft of Elements Preserved, Elgin, IL