As you’re planning your wedding, are you finding yourself not enjoying going over the details of a traditional wedding? That might mean a more minimalist wedding is more your speed. Whether you’re at the beginning of the planning phase or you’ve always known you wanted to keep your wedding day simple, we’ve gathered a list of tips and things to keep in mind as you plan out the important details of your big day.
Pick Your Priorities
One of the most common reasons for people to go the minimalist wedding route is a desire to preserve their budget — which is an extremely responsible way to begin your marriage. If you don’t see yourself enjoying a large dance party with two hundred guests, there’s no reason to feel like you need to throw one. You’re welcome to skip out on any wedding “traditions” that you don’t enjoy.
A minimalist, budget-friendly wedding doesn’t have to mean skipping everything. If you can’t imagine celebrating your wedding without a cake several tiers high, you can absolutely still go that route. The key to a minimalist wedding is to ignore expectations and the impulse to include anything just because you feel like you have to.
Choose Your Venue Wisely
Your wedding venue is perhaps your biggest choice when it comes to planning your wedding celebration. Do you have access to a large back yard? Then you have access to a potentially free wedding venue. There are many untraditional options to consider that won’t be free but will often be much less expensive than a formal event hall or a hotel ballroom such as a public park or your nearest library. You may also want to consider an elopement-minimalist wedding hybrid. Many courthouses will allow you to bring guests. The most important people in your life can watch as you legally get married and then join you and your other guests for your reception. This reception can be a dinner party at a friend’s, a favorite bar, or a restaurant where you have placed a reservation.
Limit Your Guestlist
Planning out your guest list may be the hardest part of planning your wedding. A minimalist wedding is likely to have a small guest list with anywhere from ten to thirty people. This doesn’t mean you can’t have everyone you love at the wedding — but it does mean that you probably won’t be able to allow your guests to have plus ones and that your Mom won’t be able to talk you into inviting all of her friends. Instead focus on sharing an evening with a smaller group of people that you can’t imagine not being there.
Use What You Have
Using what resources you already have at your disposal is important — especially when you’re potentially using an untraditional venue that isn’t already set up for weddings. Look around your home and those of your loved ones and see what you can utilize. Do you or a friend already have enough nice cutlery to serve all of your guests? There’s no need to purchase or rent something special just for that day. Do you already have a pretty cake plate that can house your wedding cake or whatever dessert you decide to serve? These are the sort of problems that you can solve when you’re trying to keep things simple.
Do Things Digitally
Most people no longer send their loved ones letters through the mail, instead sending emails and making phone calls. If pretty wedding invitations aren’t a priority for you, you can go without. An individual phone call to each guest will be an even more personal touch. This can be followed up by an email with the details that they can keep for their records.
On the note of going digital, think about utilizing technology for your reception. Nothing can replace the skill of a DJ — but if you have access to a sound system and don’t mind occasionally shuffling through a playlist, you can easily use your own computer with a playlist instead.
Keep The Gifts
If you and your partner are already living together, chances are that you don’t need a lot of traditional wedding gifts. This can be a way to let your guests also keep their lives simple. In turn, no one will notice if you don’t give out fancy wedding favors — a lot of guests forget to take them home in the first place. Instead focus on having a good time. That’s the ultimate plus to a simple, minimalist wedding; you’re better able to focus on people instead of things or traditions you might not love.
Are you interested in having a minimalist wedding? Tell us what’s important to you and what you can do without.