As of today, small weddings can go ahead in England and Wales, with up to 30 socially distanced people (including you and your suppliers), or no more than 3 households in Scotland (not including your celebrant and interpreter, if necessary.)
This means a lot of wedding guestlists have shrunk, considerably – but fewer guests does not equal less enjoyment! We’ve rounded up our favourite small wedding ideas in the UK and elopement inspiration from our brilliant directory members, to show you how they’re just as meaningful, momentous and glorious an occasion as bigger, more ‘traditional’ weddings:
Picnic-style grazing platters
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Platter & Pop have the perfect small wedding idea: they’ve taken their inimitably styled grazing platters and made them portable, perfect to (safely) drop off at your location for the wedding breakfast picnic of dreams. Chow down on artisanal charcuterie, cheese, chutney, fresh fruit and veg and sweet treats, beautifully presented for you and your guests.
Romantic elopement styling
Styling isn’t all to impress your guests; it’s also to celebrate the two of you! You can go just as big on your styling and decor, even if you’re eloping to the middle of a forest. Take this The Little White Cow elopement styling at Glen Etive that we blogged last year – dark, moody, dramatic, bohemian, and secluded, the perfect getaway for just the two of you.
Blankets for Hyde Park (or Mum’s back garden)
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Brolly Bucket‘s beautiful blankets (try and say that 5 times fast) are a brilliant small wedding idea for the UK, if we do say so ourselves – perfect for picnics out in the open, whether you’re celebrating in Hyde Park or your mum’s back garden. Not only do they preserve you and your outfit from grass stains, but they also add some gorgeous decor, and act as a very cosy addition when the celebrations stretch on long into the evening!
Elopement planning packages
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Perhaps one of the most obvious small wedding ideas in the UK is a Scottish elopement. If your heart is set on one but the planning is stressing you out somewhat – and that’s understandable – then we’ve got some brill Scottish elopement planners who can take that stress away. Wedding planners Cat from Fin Flükra and the ladies at Revelry Events both offer Scotland elopement packages, for a stress-free, blissful day; and directory members Caro, Barbara and Eileen have teamed up to offer a full package with Elope With Us.
Elopement photography
Elopements are more than just the ceremony; they’re the adventure, the escape, the exploration. And how nice would it be to capture that, so that you can be transported right back to those moments forever more? Joanna Brown and Mark Pacura are both offering elopement packages to help you get the most out of your epic elopement.
Preserve your memories with a wedding newspaper
And what about afterwards? When we were recently gathering quotes for our upcoming instagram wedding market (‘what’s that?!’ you say? Keep your eyes peeled for more info for tomorrow!) Karla from Paper Skeleton told us her dream wedding to work on would be creating a beautiful wedding newspaper for a small, intimate wedding or elopement. “The newspaper was designed in order to preserve memories and moments of your day in a unique way that could be kept and shared with guests or posted to friends and family who weren’t in attendance. The newspaper would be a mix of professional wedding photographs accompanied with quotes, vows, details and moments that happened throughout the day, which makes it the perfect way to cherish your story.” Isn’t that a beautiful way to preserve the day, forever?
