What is a micro wedding?

The term “micro wedding” has been around for several years, but with the Covid-19 Pandemic, it has recently been thrust back into the limelight. A micro wedding is a smaller-scale celebration or wedding and has a shorter, more simplistic timeline. The after ceremony celebration is followed by a much more relaxed “reception,” if any reception at all. More and more couples have been forced to make difficult decisions regarding their large scale wedding plans. Some are opting to reschedule for a year or more, and many are outright canceling, opting to elope instead. Many are turning into a hybrid of the two, the micro wedding.

A micro wedding, in the traditional sense, has been described as a small wedding, typically with 50 guests or less. In our current world where the Covid-19 Pandemic and been the center of almost everyone’s life, this guest count has been dictated by recent social distancing and small gathering guidelines our government has set forth. Most current micro weddings are attended by immediate family only in addition to an officiant and a wedding photographer. Most current micro weddings have ten people or less, including the vendors.

There is a semblance of structure with micro weddings but much more relaxed. The ceremony has a start time, and there are still traditional wedding elements that occur throughout the day. The bride and groom or couple may wait to see each other before they go down the aisle, or they may opt to have a first look instead.

How is a micro wedding different from an elopement?

A traditional elopement is almost entirely up to any interpretation of the nuptials but focuses on the unity itself. Couples may hide their plans or shout them from the rooftops; there are no set rules. Some couples opt to include only themselves and an officiant or have a small group of close friends or family as witnesses.

A micro wedding can best be described between a cross between a large scale wedding and an elopement. Many people find the intimacy of a smaller celebration preferable as they can spend more meaningful time with their guests. On the financial aspect, couples can either scale back substantially or, on the flip side, invest in more money per guest. It’s more common in micro weddings to pop an expensive bottle of champagne or wine followed by a 5-course meal, something that might not be financially possible with 250 guests.

How does Twig & Olive photograph a micro wedding?

Micro weddings are more structured in comparison to a traditional elopement. There has to be a timeline or guide as to how the day will play out. That said, the “day” is typically much shorter than a traditional full-scale large wedding and takes place closer to sunset. We at Twig & Olive are masters at creating the perfect timeline! The micro weddings we shoot tend to be between 2-4 hours in length, depending on the narrative that is important to the couple to be captured. A sample timeline is as follows:

3:30 – 5:00 Wedding Details and Getting Ready
5:30 Ceremony
6:00 – 6:15 Family Pictures
6:15 – 7:15 Couple’s Pictures
7:15 Champagne Toast
7:30 Coverage Complete/Sunset

There is no right or wrong way to navigate the current global situation that we are all going through. If a micro wedding sounds like it is something that you would like to explore, please contact us as we would love to work with you!

 

Twig & Olive Photography is the premier Madison, Wisconsin wedding photography studio.

We offer a matchless perspective in crafting an authentic product for our clients.  Curating extraordinary experiences is what we do best, whether it’s here at home in Madison or around the world.