fd-is-open
 

Unbridely Suppliers PRO 2021 Wedding Planning Tips

Grab your FREE pdf ebook packed with pro tips to make your wedding planning simpler, more fun and more you!

Thanks and keep an eye on your inbox for your ebook!
Grab your FREE Wedding Planning Guide
Wedding planning that's simpler, 
more fun and more you!
Thanks and keep an eye on your inbox for your ebook!

Viewing entries in
Inspiration

Micro-Weddings, Major Vibes: Why Intimate Celebrations Are Taking Over in 2025

Micro-Weddings, Major Vibes: Why Intimate Celebrations Are Taking Over in 2025

The Rise of the Intimate "I Do"

Gone are the days when wedding success was measured by the number of guests you host. In 2025, couples are embracing the "less is more" philosophy with open arms, trading in 100+ family and friends for more intimate gatherings that pack a serious emotional punch. Micro-weddings—typically defined as celebrations with 50 or fewer guests—have evolved from a pandemic necessity to the intentional first choice for modern couples everywhere.

But what's driving this shift toward smaller celebrations? Is it just about saving money, or is there something else going on? At Unbridely, we've witnessed this transformation firsthand, and we're here to break down why these pocket-sized parties are creating such massive waves in the wedding world.

Quality Over Quantity: The Heart of Micro-Weddings

The core appeal of micro-weddings boils down to one simple truth: in the end, meaningful connections matter more than impressive numbers. When you trim your guest list to include only your closest people, something magical happens.

"I actually remember every conversation from my wedding day," shares Emma, who celebrated with just 28 guests in the Adelaide Hills last year. "I wasn't rushing between tables or feeling guilty about not spending enough time with certain people."

This sentiment echoes across countless couples who've chosen the micro route. When you're surrounded exclusively by people who've played significant roles in your journey, the entire atmosphere shifts. Conversations deepen. Moments become core memories. And your day transforms from a blur of handshakes and small talk into a milestone celebration for everyone.

Financial Benefits: Reallocating Your Wedding Budget

Let's talk numbers. The average wedding across Australia, the United States, and around the world in 2024 cost approximately $36,000—a figure that continues to rise with inflation. Micro-weddings offer a refreshing alternative, with many couples reporting total costs between $10,000 and $25,000, depending on their priorities.

But the financial benefit isn't just about spending less—it's about spending with your values front of mind. With fewer guests to feed and entertain, couples can redirect their budget toward elements that truly matter to them:

  • Enhanced dining experiences: Instead of 100+ average meals, treat your group to a multi-course gourmet experience matched with premium wine pairings

  • Dream venues: Locations that couldn't accommodate 150+ guests, and sometimes off the beaten path, suddenly become viable options

  • Luxury accommodations: Book out a boutique hotel or stunning holiday property for just your closest friends and family

  • Heirloom-quality details: Invest in the photographer you've been drooling over on Instagram, or commission custom artwork

  • Unforgettable entertainment: Hire that amazing band that's slightly out of budget when you're having to factor in everything else for a big wedding, but perfect for your favourite 30 people.

As one bride put it: "We spent the same amount on flowers for 35 people as we would have spent on basic centrepieces for 150. The difference was stunning—our venue looked like a botanical dream."

Your Guests' Experience: Extraordinary in Every Way

Perhaps the most compelling reason micro-weddings have captured hearts in 2025 is the dramatically improved experience for family and friends. When engaged couples aren't stretching their resources thin across hundreds of guests, they can prioritise truly special moments for everyone involved.

Consider these micro-wedding perks from the guest perspective:

  • No strangers at the table: Everyone knows each other (or at least has a clear connection to the couple)

  • Thoughtful welcome gifts: Budget for personalised welcome packages that would be impossible for a larger group

  • Premium open bars: Offer top-shelf spirits and custom cocktails without breaking the bank

  • More face time with the couple: Guests don't feel like they're standing in line for a handshake and a 30-second conversation

  • Comfortable seating arrangements: No cramped tables or trouble hearing things. Everyone is close, but without feeling like sardines.

"Our friends still say our wedding was the best they've ever been to," shares Michael, who married his partner in a 40-person celebration in Byron Bay. "We had yard games, a gin station, and a bonfire with marshmallows at the end of the night. It felt more like an epic house party than a formal wedding."

Planning a Micro-Wedding: The Logistics

If you're considering going micro for your big day, here are some practical planning considerations to keep in mind:

1. The Guest List: The Most Important Decision

Creating your micro-wedding guest list requires some brutal honesty and clear communication. Some strategies that work well:

  • Set basic and easily explainable criteria for invitations (i.e. immediate family and closest friends only)

  • Apply your rules consistently (no "obligation invites")

  • Communicate your vision early to manage expectations

  • Consider having a separate, casual celebration later for extended circles

2. Venue Selection: Think Outside the Box

With a smaller group, your venue options expand dramatically. Consider:

  • Restaurant private rooms

  • Boutique hotels

  • Family properties

  • Art galleries

  • Wineries with intimate spaces

  • Historic buildings

  • Glamping sites

  • Vacation rentals

Many venues that can't accommodate larger weddings now offer special micro-wedding packages in 2025, because they recognise the growing demand for these celebrations.

3. Timeline Adjustments: Embrace the Flexibility

Micro-weddings also benefit from a much more relaxed timeline. Without dozens of moving parts to coordinate, it means you can:

  • Extend your cocktail hour for deeper conversations (and more drinks!)

  • Include interactive elements like games or group toasts

  • Create a more leisurely dining experience

  • Incorporate unique activities that wouldn't work with larger groups

For guidance on crafting the perfect timeline, check out our dedicated guide to elopements and intimate weddings, which covers many of the same principles.

Personalisation: Where Micro-Weddings Truly Shine

When you're not bound by the practicalities of what works for a crowd of 150+, the possibilities for become nearly endless. Here's where micro-weddings really flex their creative muscles:

Meaningful Ceremonies

With fewer eyes watching, many couples feel more comfortable expressing genuine emotion during their ceremonies. Consider:

  • Writing deeply personal vows without the pressure of a large audience (see our guide to writing wedding vows)

  • Including unique rituals that reflect your heritage or shared passions

  • Involving every guest in some aspect of the ceremony, like a group ring warming or guest promises

  • Choosing readings that might be a bit too unconventional for a traditional ceremony and a larger audience (explore options in our wedding readings collection).

Interactive Guest Experiences

Micro-weddings allow for experiences that actively involve your guests:

  • Group cooking classes as part of a rehearsal dinner

  • Wine or whiskey tastings between the ceremony and the reception

  • Collaborative art projects that become your keepsake

  • Group activities like sunrise yoga or guided nature walks.

Intentional Details

The smaller scale allows you to invest in thoughtful details:

  • Handwritten notes at each place setting

  • Custom illustrations of each guest being incorporated into your decor

  • Menu items that tell your love story

  • Vintage family photos integrated throughout your venue.

Common Concerns (And Why You Shouldn't Worry)

Despite their growing popularity, some couples hesitate to embrace the micro-wedding trend. And if this is you, please know you're not alone. Let's address some common concerns:

"We'll offend people if we don't invite them"

This is perhaps the biggest worry, but in 2025, micro-weddings have become so mainstream that most people understand and respect the couple's decision. The key is communication—explain your vision clearly and consider hosting a casual celebration later for your family or friends who are not invited to your micro wedding. 

"Is it worth all the planning for such a small event?"

Absolutely! Many couples report that planning a micro-wedding actually feels more meaningful because every decision is intentional rather than dictated by tradition, convention, budget or venue requirements. Plus, the planning process itself becomes less stressful when you're coordinating for 40 rather than 140. Specialist micro wedding planners are also a thing and can take on your checklist and deliver a magical and personal celebration too. 

"Will we regret not having the big celebration?"

What we're hearing at the moment is that couples who choose micro-weddings rarely, if ever, express regrets. In fact, they often say they feel relief at having avoided the overwhelm that can come with larger events. As one bride told us, "I got to actually taste my wedding cake and remember every conversation. No regrets at all."

Beyond the Wedding Day: The Lasting Impact

The choice to have a micro-wedding often reflects a couple's values extending beyond just their wedding day. Many of our couples report that choosing an intimate celebration helped them:

  • Start their marriage without wedding debt

  • Put funds toward experiences (like an extended honeymoon) rather than a single day

  • Focus on what truly matters in their relationship

  • Set a tone of intentionality for their life together.

"Our micro-wedding wasn't just about having a smaller guest list," explains Jai, who celebrated with 32 guests last year. "It was about beginning our marriage by prioritising meaningful connections and experiences over appearances. And that's how we want to live our married lives together."

Is a Micro-Wedding Right for You?

While micro-weddings have undeniably surged this year, they're not for everyone. The ideal candidates for intimate celebrations are couples who:

  • Don't have cultural or traditional family expectations

  • Value quality time and deep connections

  • Feel comfortable setting boundaries

  • Prefer experiences over extravagance

  • Want to focus on the meaning of their marriage rather than the production of a wedding.

At Unbridely, we believe there's no single "right way" to get married—only the way that authentically reflects your relationship and values. Whether you're considering a micro-wedding, an elopement, or something in between, we're here to help you work through the possibilities.

Ready to explore how a micro-wedding might work for your vision? Start by checking out our guide to asking the right questions when venue hunting, which includes special considerations for intimate celebrations.

After all, the most beautiful weddings aren't measured by their size but by the love that fills the room—and sometimes, the smallest rooms hold the biggest feelings.

Credits:
Photography: Jessica Mary Photography
Venue: Marybank Estate
Planning & Styling: The Modern Approach

IF YOU LOVED THIS POST, YOU MIGHT ENJOY..

8 Blended Family Unity Rituals For Your Wedding Ceremony (That Haven't Been Done to Death)

8 Blended Family Unity Rituals For Your Wedding Ceremony (That Haven't Been Done to Death)

When a couple gets married, as much as it’s about them, their relationship and their future, it’s also the coming together of two families.

There are customary or traditional roles for the parents of the couple in a wedding ceremony and including siblings is becoming more common as well.

But when the couple getting married already have children, either from a previous relationship or before they get married, it stands to reason that they’re included and recognised during the wedding ceremony too.

While the sand ceremony or ritual is wonderfully inclusive and symbolic, it has been DONE (and done and done again!).

So we need some new, relevant and maybe less kitch (?) ways to include children (and sometimes other family members too) in a wedding ceremony and I think these 8 ideas are unique and fun.

 3 Simple Steps to Plan Your Perfect Elopement without Compromise

 3 Simple Steps to Plan Your Perfect Elopement without Compromise

Even though it’s a romantic throwaway line (“we should just elope”) it’s the compromise factor is where many couples come unstuck. It’s when the unending questions, both internal and external, and the FOMO gets real as you play out the real-life consequences of eloping.

At Unbridely, we believe, with some forethought, clever planning and choosing the best wedding vendors for you, that your elopement can absolutely be everything you need it to be and more.

And for your nearest and dearest, you can reveal your news to them in a way that makes them feel respected as well.

DIY Your Quality Wedding Photo Album in 5 Easy Steps

DIY Your Quality Wedding Photo Album in 5 Easy Steps

Every extra year after your wedding day, your memories are going to fade just that little bit more.

And your recollection of how things looked and felt, who attended and what you ate are all likely to become a little less crisp as time passes.

To have an heirloom quality wedding photo album within easy reach is as much for you now as your family in the future. Because deep down we know that our photos kept on a USB or hard drive collecting dust in a drawer will not be looked at 10 years from now.

In this simple 5 step guide, we will share the secrets to crafting a stunning wedding photo album that not only captures your most-loved memories of the day but also reflects your unique love story.

14+ Ways to Plan a Fun and COVID Safe Wedding

14+ Ways to Plan a Fun and COVID Safe Wedding

“We are no longer allowed to dance, I have no maid of honour or flower girl as my sister is in Stage 3 Lockdown in Bendigo - 20 family members are not allowed to come as they are interstate and my best friend of 20 years from Canada cannot come.

BUT we have decided to go ahead because what is most important is our commitment and marriage to each other! We decided where there is a will, there is a way. We are making the best of a bad situation while still enjoying our big day.”

As Lachy and Cindy discovered, while differing levels of COVID-19 restrictions are in effect (depending on where & when your wedding is being held), there’s still a lot you can do to have fun at your wedding while keeping yourself, and your closest family and friends, as safe as possible.

Bridesmaids Dresses in 2022: The 4 Hot Looks We're Loving

Bridesmaids Dresses in 2022: The 4 Hot Looks We're Loving

A modern, Unbridely approach to weddings means couples have the freedom to choose if they even want to have a wedding party in the first place; as in attendants; bridesmaids, groomsmen, maid of honour, etc.

So if having a squad of your closest friends or family members by your side on your wedding day brings warm, squishy, happy feelings for you, then we want to help make sure they look the part.

Here are some of the hot bridesmaid dress looks we are currently obsessing over for the 2022 season.

Your Best Wedding Suit Options - What's the Difference?

Your Best Wedding Suit Options - What's the Difference?

Should you hire, should you buy and what in the hell does ‘bespoke’ mean anyway?

We can help you to work out what kind of wedding suit will be best for you and shortlist where, and when, you should start looking.

Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Backyard Wedding

Ultimate Guide to Planning Your Backyard Wedding

Backyard weddings boast an immediately familiar, comfortable, warm and relaxed atmosphere that is tough to replicate in any other setting.

And, in recent years, these home-grown celebrations have been enjoying a resurgence in popularity and refinement thanks to the quality and availability of small-scale but high quality catering with food trucks and carts, new furniture and marquee/tent/tee-pee hire options and mobile entertainment packages with DJs, MCs, photo-booths and the like.

To help you start to piece together a comprehensive to-do list for your very own homely nuptials, we asked wedding planner and stylist, Nicole Bailey of Your Party Plannery and some newlyweds who had recently planned their backyard wedding, for their top tips and advice.

Also, be sure to download or Pin the DIY wedding drinks guide so you know exactly how much alcohol to buy!

How To Plan A Kid Friendly Wedding

How To Plan A Kid Friendly Wedding

Like it or not, working out what you (and/or your wedding guests) are going to do with the littlies on the big day is a planning necessity. 

In the past, parents would choose to either arrange an off-site babysitter or wrestle/bribe/beg their kids to behave like adults so they can enjoy at least a few hours as a wedding guest. But there are new, inclusive options which mean that children can be looked after and/or entertained in a safe and nurturing environment at the same venue so everyone can have fun.

Win win, yes?

Unbridely spoke with Event Coordinator, Hannah of Adelaide-based Nurturing Nannies, about the things you need to consider when planning a kid-friendly wedding. 

DON'T MISS YOUR FREE PERSONALISED KIDS WEDDING ACTIVITY BOOKLET PDF!

(just click the button at the end of the post)

Everything you need to know about micro weddings

Everything you need to know about micro weddings

When you want to keep your wedding small, simple or short and you don't want to spend a small fortune, what are your options?

In Australia, the Births, Deaths and Marriages offices in the states and territories conduct registry office wedding ceremonies where you can attend with your fiancé, two witnesses 18 years of age or older and up to 55 guests.

But there are some compromises you need to consider, such as:

  • not being able to personalise your ceremony to align with you and your fiancé's values and preferences
  • not being able to meet with your celebrant before the ceremony
  • having all photos indoors
  • not being able to share food or drink onsite directly afterwards
  • not having a picturesque/outdoor photo location
  • being restricted by the registry office's opening hours/meeting times

There's always the option of eloping; running away in secret to get hitched privately. Unfortunately, some couples discover after the fact, that the potential for hurt and misunderstandings that come from eloping were not what they had intended.  

But what if there were some middle ground?

How To Make Your Own Engagement or Wedding Ring

How To Make Your Own Engagement or Wedding Ring

In the seemingly never-ending search for the ultimate in wedding personalisation, engaged couples are hunting high and low for the next 'must-have' accessory, entertainment, reception decor or upcoming food trend.

But when it's all said and done, when the high of the big day is just a happy (but distant) memory, what will you have to reflect on? What can you pass on to your children or grandchildren, and what will you really remember about your wedding day by the time your teeth are kept in a glass of water on your bedside table?

I sat down with Mike from EverettBrookes to chat about their (relatively) new offering for clients to make their own engagement, wedding or 'whatever celebration you want to mark' ring.

Rose gold wedding inspiration

Rose gold wedding inspiration

Rose gold as a core colour for weddings started to become very popular a couple of years ago and there are several excellent reasons why it's not going anywhere in 2017..

Grab your FREE Wedding Planning Guide
Wedding planning that's simpler, 
more fun and more you!
Thanks and keep an eye on your inbox for your ebook!