Love in small bites: How mini, micro-weddings are blossoming amid rising costs

Recently a Reddit user went viral for sharing their unpleasant big traditional wedding experience. The couple who wanted to elope and avoid all costs and drama were forced into having a big wedding by their parents. Ultimately, they broke and lashed out at their parents, leading them to ask Reddit, if they did the right thing by letting them know their feelings. Turns out, the couple weren't the only one looking for a micro-wedding.

Since the pandemic, inflation and soaring costs have forced couples to rethink their wedding plans. Today, tight-knit ceremonies have become a popular choice driven by affordability and a shift in values.

Rise of Small Weddings

While the multi-billion dollar wedding industry continues to boom, the landscape has shifted in recent years, with a rise in small-scale or micro weddings. Micro weddings are those which feature 50 guests or less, while mini weddings feature a dozen guests or less.

According to data shared by The Wedding Report, the average guest count at weddings has been declining since 2006, starting from an average of 184 people.

The average marked to lowest point in 2020, when it fell to 107, primarily due to the COVID-19 restrictions, Shane McMurray, CEO and co-founder of The Wedding Report told the LAist. In 2021 the average rose to 124, majorly because there was an urge to socialise more after the pandemic. However, the average was still below the 2006 levels.

Last year, weddings with 25 to 50 guests accounted for 15% of the market, as per The Wedding Report. Meanwhile, the share of weddings with 25 guests stood at 2%. Although the share of micro/mini-weddings is still in the minority, an industry dedicated to helping couples create these intimate ceremonies is slowly developing. Companies like California-based, ‘Our Little Wedding’ have emerged in the recent past offering couples all-inclusive and partially inclusive small wedding packages.

Economics of Micro/Mini-Weddings

The average cost of a traditional wedding was about $35,000 in 2023, as per The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study. Rising inflation in the past couple of years has been the key driver to high wedding costs as per the report which surveyed 9,318 married couples in the U.S. through 2023.

Thus, it makes sense for couples to opt for smaller ceremonies that cost far less. Our Little Wedding offers all-inclusive packages that start from as little as $5,020 as per their official website. Couples can choose to have their ceremony in stunning locations, or even arrange a plan for eloping.

How to Plan a Micro Wedding?

As the cost of big old traditional weddings in the U.S. has swelled experts say cutting down the guest list is one of the best ways to save on costs. Furthermore, making trade-offs on venues, and food, and beverage costs can help as well.

Allison Cullman, wedding expert and the vice president of brand marketing and strategy at Zola told CNBC that engaged couples should create “clear and realistic” budgets and make a list of priorities to stick to.

Confirming such priorities will help you “determine where to focus your budget and where you can save,” added Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot in the report.