Whether you have had your wedding rescheduled due to Government guidelines changing this year, or are now excited to be planning one under the new restrictions of up to 15 guests, we feel the micro-wedding trend is one to be cherished.
Having a smaller guest-list allows you to plan a truly intimate day, and one which allows your personality to really shine through. With less of your budget being spent on food and, essentially, space – with fewer guests you may be able to save when it comes to your venue of choice, using a smaller room or one which can be adapted to suit fewer guests much like The Barn here at Healing Manor – you can turn your attention, and hard-saved wedding fund, to the finer details which will make your day unforgettable.
A team of supremely talented suppliers joined Charlotte, our managing director, and Kirsty, Healing Manor’s wedding and events coordinator, at The Barn, to create this dream micro-wedding set-up. As you can see from this stunning shoot, The Barn here at Healing Manor, can be adapted to suit even the smallest gathering. Draped in soft, flowing fabric to create a more intimate set-up, the space looks stunning with just two tables of six and a sweetheart table for the bride and groom. It just goes to show that you really can create an impact while staying very comfortably within the current Government restrictions.
Now we’re firmly into autumn, the immensely talented Amy from Jack Loves Jill embraced the season and brought this golden, atmospheric set-up to life in a styled shoot. Working with Sarah from Treasured Bouquets, Siobhan from Brush and Pen and Kimmy’s Cakes, this small yet skilled team have absolutely proved how beautiful small can be.
“With a micro-wedding you can really focus on what is important to you as a couple. Even when restrictions are lifted I don’t think the micro-wedding will be something everyone then ignores,” says Amy, the creative mind behind the micro-wedding shoot concept. “Big weddings will always have their place – and they will have their day again – but it’s essential we give people all the options. Couples may not have even thought the manor is somewhere you could host a micro-wedding. It is a big venue, but it doesn’t have to be.
“We can bring the essence of intimacy to the barn, make the most of the beautiful architecture, the beams and make a really warm and welcoming set-up with lighting, candles and those finer finishing touches that you can spend more on when you don’t have as many guests. Setting the room up, it’s been lovely to see how well smaller weddings work. I just hope this gives people more confidence moving forward.
“Whether people are choosing to downsize or for those couples who have perhaps felt pressured to have a big day, this is their time. Unknowingly I feel as though the situation we find ourselves in will open luxe weddings up to an entirely new demographic. Who knows how long the restrictions will be in place, but this just shows that having a smaller celebration is not only doable but it can be utterly stunning. All we want to do is fill people with hope, for whatever route they decide to go down.”
The gold and amber tones of the shoot have been accented with pops of black, an emerging trend on the style scene. Perhaps a little risqué for some, the pops of black really add a bold statement to the décor. But that’s one of the benefits of a micro-wedding. You can introduce those details that you possible wouldn’t be able to splurge on with a bigger event.
The charger plates and neon lighting for example, the favours from Pin Gin and sea glass, hand-calligraphed place settings from Siobhan at Brush and Pen. All personal touches that are luxurious, things you wouldn’t see at every wedding. It’s not about what Pinterest says your wedding should look like, it’s about you as a couple and making it as personable to you as possible.
The stunning sea glass place settings offer something an element that is really different, environmentally friendly too. Hand-written by Siobhan, each element she inscribes is both functional and fun – a keepsake from your wedding day. Siobhan says: “I’m a newbie on the wedding scene having only started in the industry this year. I’m developing a range of products, all hand-written by me and fully customisable.
“I love upcycling things, for this shoot I’ve used sea glass, pebbles and driftwood for example. You get a keepsake at the end of the day, not just a place setting. I love creating things that you love, the more personal the better, which really supports the whole ethos behind the micro-wedding trend.”
From a styling perspective, the team who created this stunning shoot, all advise couples to not be afraid to try things that you haven’t seen before. Being safe isn’t what it’s about. Let your personality shine though. And this is something you can really do through flowers.
The amazing Sarah from Treasured Bouquets. really added to the shoot with her floral installations and accents. With truly seasonal and home-grown flowers and foliage the feel was cosy but it still delivered the wow factor. With less tables you can look at making floral arrangements bigger and bolder. You could even go as far as installations such as the decorated golden hoop used in our shoot. Still not forgetting the finer details, Sarah looked to foliage and flowers that had stunning scents to really set the scene – think Basil Mint, Jasmine and Rosemary.
The stunning cake from Kimmy’s Cakes furthered the theme with its rich, autumnal colour palette. Amy again used draped fabric to make a focus point out of the cake, and add another element to the room as a whole. When planning an intimate wedding it’s easy to feel as though the room will drown your shortened guest list. This is where working with your suppliers is vital. They know how to work with and adapt the space.
You can have everything you dreamed of and more, and the result will be stunning. You can create more with less, and have more luxurious details than you would maybe miss out on with larger numbers. Our top piece of advice? Be open to ideas and listen to your suppliers. They are immensely creative people, that’s what they do for a living, so trust their advice and instincts. For further tips and advice from our team of suppliers, and some fab wedding chat, find us on Instagram and check out the IGTV posts from our recent Virtual Wedding Open Day.
SHOOT CREDITS
Photography | Elizabeth Rose Photography
Styling and concept | Jack Loves Jill
Florist | Treasured Bouquets
Cake | Kimmy’s Cakes
Stationary and place settings | Brush and Pen
