Micro Wedding Checklist for a Perfect Ceremony

You and your partner have decided to host a small wedding ceremony with just a few guests to celebrate your marriage. There’s just one problem—you don’t know how to plan a micro wedding.

Not to worry: we’ve got you covered. Check out our definitive micro wedding checklist and plan a celebration that you, your partner, and your guests will never forget!

Setting the Stage: Establishing Your Micro Wedding Vision and Style

No micro wedding planning checklist would be complete without a brainstorming phase. Determining your vision for your wedding day is the first (and arguably most important) step in the planning process.

You can determine your overall wedding vision by asking yourself (and your partner) a few questions:

• What do I want my wedding ceremony to look and feel like?
• Which emotions do I want to evoke in my partner, my guests, and myself?
• What colors do I think of when I envision my dream wedding?
• Is there a wedding theme I want to follow?
• Who do I want by my side on my special day?

Use these questions to guide you through your micro wedding inspiration. Your answers to these questions should serve as your guiding stars throughout the rest of the micro wedding planning process. Your answers to these questions should serve as your guiding stars throughout the rest of the micro wedding planning process.

Crafting the Guest List: Selecting Your Most Cherished Loved Ones

Curating the guest list can be challenging if you’re committed to a small intimate wedding, and you and your partner might have to make some tough choices about whom to keep and cut from your roster.

If you’re struggling with your wedding invitation list, remember that:

• You are not obligated to invite anyone to your wedding.
• You’re allowed to get married with only a wedding officiant and photographer present.
• It’s okay to maximize the guest count and invite more people than you expected.
• Most of the people in your life will want to wish you well—whether or not they’re invited to your wedding.

Budgeting Basics: Allocating Funds for Your Intimate Celebration

Determining how much money you have to spend on your wedding elements will guide your decision-making process going forward, so it’s critical to set a micro wedding budget as early as possible.

Budget for the largest elements first, like:

• The venue
• The food
• Your photography/videography
• Your wardrobe/wedding dress

If you have some wiggle room, you can include optional elements like:

• Wedding entertainment
• Cocktails or open bar
• Wedding decor and flowers

If you plan on hosting any pre-wedding celebrations (like a bachelor(ette) party or bridal shower), remember to budget for these, too!

Securing the Perfect Wedding Venue: Finding the Ideal Space for Your Micro Wedding

Once you’ve established a budget for your wedding venue, you can start compiling a shortlist of potential ceremony sites. Remember to:

• Check that your venue has your ideal wedding date in mind. Alternatively, you could set your date based on your ideal venue’s availability.
• Ask about weather contingencies (if you’re planning an outdoor ceremony).
• Confirm specific vendor requirements, permit needs, and parking logistics.

Some wedding venues (like event spaces and botanical gardens, for example) fill up fast—so start looking for a venue as soon as it’s feasible.

Booking Vendors: Hiring Essential Professionals for Your Micro Wedding

Once your venue is confirmed, start booking the other wedding vendors who will help bring your special day to life, like:

• Photographers and videographers
• An officiant
• Entertainment and sound system vendors
• Hair and makeup professionals
• Florist/decorator

Vendor selection can become overwhelming quickly. To take a more streamlined, low-stress approach, consider working with a micro wedding planner or an events expert—someone seasoned in scheduling, securing quotes, and setting up successful soirees.

Planning the Ceremony: Crafting Meaningful Moments for Your Micro Wedding

Once your vendors are confirmed, you can start planning the ceremony—everything that happens between your guests sitting down and “I do.”

Depending on the complexity of your ceremony, you might need to plan for:

• Any music to be cued for walks down the aisle
• The kind of wedding attire you would like guests to wear
• How long your ceremony will take
• Which shots your wedding photographer and videographer will take during the ceremony

Your vision for your ceremony will impact your officiant’s role and actions, as well as your vows (and how you share them with your spouse).

This is a fun opportunity to work together with your spouse to design a ceremony that symbolizes your exciting future together. As you start to bring all of your micro wedding ideas to life, don’t be afraid to incorporate personalized elements and tap into your creativity during the wedding planning process!

Culinary Delights: Curating a Delicious Menu for Your Intimate Reception

Food and drink are key for micro weddings, and your chosen vendors will help you make a plan for:

• Meal format (e.g., sit-down or buffet)
• Menu items
• Drink options (e.g., open bar, cash bar, or signature cocktails)
• Dessert options
• Pre-ceremony food and drinks

If you have any special requests for dishes or drinks, let your wedding coordinator and vendors know as soon as possible in the planning process.

Day-of Coordination: Ensuring a Smooth and Flawless Micro Wedding Experience

Coming up with a play-by-play for your wedding in advance can help you relax and enjoy the moment when the big day finally comes. Your itinerary should list estimated times for:

• Waking up on your wedding day
• Pre-wedding morning activities
• Setting up the venue
• Getting dressed and ready
• Traveling to the venue
• Guest arrival
• Ceremony start
• Reception start
• The happy couple’s departure

Remember to give yourself a little extra wiggle room when possible; after all, you’ll want plenty of time to absorb and appreciate all the special moments throughout the day.

Simply Eloped: Making Micro Wedding Planning Stress Free

This micro wedding planning checklist will help you dot all of your I’s and cross all of your T’s ahead of your big day. But, if you’re looking to reduce your stress as you curate your dream wedding, Simply Eloped can help.

Our seasoned elopement and micro wedding planners have organized over 10,000 weddings for adventurous couples looking to break the mold, and creating one-of-a-kind ceremonies is our specialty. All you have to do is show up with your marriage license and say, “I do!”

Explore our top picks for picturesque micro wedding destinations and start your journey with our all-inclusive elopement packages today.