Written by Cynthia Zatkin Events
With the economic downturn, 2009 was the year of the small wedding and I have to say that I have come to really like them. The majority of my brides, this past year, have planned weddings in the 50-100 person range. I have definitely coordinated some that were larger and even had one that was smaller, but the norm hovered around that number.
You get a bigger bang for your buck with a smaller wedding for sure. I have seen my clients invest more money into food, florals, linens, and fun extras like photo booths, cigar stations, espresso bars, and even an on-site mini-donut vendor because they felt like they could spend a little extra when they didn’t need as much of any one item (50 people = 5 table linens v. 20 for a 200 person wedding).
I think 50 people is really the critical mass needed to have dancing at a wedding. With that number, you can fill the dance floor and feel the energy of a crowd.
Small weddings can definitely go “big.”
Steal this idea:
Over Thanksgiving weekend, I coordinated a wedding for only 40 people and it was a wonderful, very intimate affair. The bridal couple, Kathryn & Michel, wanted to spend time with each of their guests and therefore decided to sit with a different table for each course. They had their reception staff set (5) tables with (10) chairs each but only assaigned (8) guests per table. Kathryn & Michel opted for a drawn out 5-course meal and shifted to the empty seats at each table each time a new course was served. I thought the idea was brilliant! Only with a group of their size, could such a idea be possible. And their guests felt incredibly honored by it!
