Why a Small Wedding is Never Selfish

A small wedding ceremony at Jasper National Park with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Photo: Ashley Kennedy Photography

Large, traditional weddings often end up being more about what everyone else wants and following traditions, and as a result small weddings can be viewed as selfish or even earn you the dreaded ‘Zilla’ title. BUT we are here to remind you: a small wedding is never selfish.

Your wedding is a once-in-a-lifetime event for you and your partner(s) to commit to one another and celebrate your love; nobody else is entitled to be there. A wedding should never be about proving your relationship to others or seeking their approval, it should be about you and your spouse(s) and celebrating your love in the ways that make YOU feel the most loved. When you decide to have a small wedding you aren’t choosing to exclude anyone else, you’re choosing to include those that love and support you the most.

Choosing a small wedding lets you put your money and your time towards the things that matter the most to you and you deserve a wedding experience that brings you JOY. When you strip a wedding of the traditions, guests, and rules that you don’t truly want to be a part of your special day you create the time, space, and money for what matters the most to you. When you choose a small wedding you are choosing YOU, and what you want matters.

INVEST IN LUXURY

Weddings can get real expensive real fast, and when planning a wedding for 100+ people what may seem like a healthy budget won’t always get you very far. When you choose a small wedding you get to not only cut down most expenses but eliminate some all together, opening up space for you and your spouse to splurge on what matters most to you. A small wedding lets you recentre the day on you as a couple and what you truly want. Instead of spending money on food and drinks for people you barely know or barely want there, huge venues, and traditions you don’t care about, you and your partner(s) can create space in your budget for food, decor, entertainment, or experiences you actually want.
Wedding table setting with mountain and nature themed decor.

Photo: Ashley Kennedy Photography

SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR GUESTS

Have you ever tried to have a meaningful conversation with 100 people in one evening? How about 200? A small wedding transitions the role of your guests from spectators to participants in your big day! With rows upon rows of guests at big weddings the marriers are lucky if they are able to greet and have a quick conversation with everyone that comes, let alone meaningfully involve them in their big day. When you cut down your guest list to those who matter most it’s a win-win: you will want to celebrate with each and every guest and you will have the time to talk, dance, eat, and have fun with your people.

THROW OUT THE MILITARY SCHEDULE

Have you ever seen a wedding schedule for a big, traditional wedding? With dozens of traditions and events planned and so many moving pieces schedules are often in 5 minute or less intervals. Something the military would be proud of. While scheduling and time maintenance are important to any event planning, a day that should be all about your love and celebrating that with your people can quickly become a day that is all about being in the right place at the right time for 12 hours straight. A small wedding not only lets you choose what gets to take up time during your day, but also eliminates the need to put time and energy towards making sure you greet and involve every guest.

THE VENUE OF YOUR DREAMS!

Wedding party and marriers walking by lake in front of Rocky Mountains

Photo: Ashley Kennedy Photography

As your guest list shrinks your list of venue options is going to grow and grow. Big weddings are a logistical nightmare, and when looking for space for hundreds of people to gather your options are inevitably limited to places like banquet halls and community centres. Now think of all the places you can go to host a gathering of 50 people. 25 people. Couples planning small weddings get to choose their venue because it’s truly the place they want to celebrate their love, not because of its fire code maximum capacity. Art centres, museums, libraries, national parks, beaches, small wineries and breweries – the possibilities are endless.

 

Small weddings are the BEST way to refocus your wedding on you and your partner(s) and the love that you share. It isn’t selfish, it’s your right.

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