Has anyone experienced any little touches that made a small wedding feel special?

[Blondbombsite]

Like many other people we had to cancel our 2020 wedding and for various reasons are now having something much more low key than we’d originally planned. Overall I’m pretty happy about this as I’m not a big one for being the centre of attention.

I do want it to feel special though. We’ve sacrificed a lot over the past few years and what a celebration that we’ll enjoy as well as all of our guests to have an amazing time.

We’re having 30 guests for a registry office wedding. The reception is being held in a small pub/ hotel where we will have a drinks reception/ canapés in the bar before having the wedding breakfast in a library room, which well then be in all night for a party. We are pretty much free to do what we like so any ideas for lovely touches that will make it special without breaking the bank will be amazing.

We’re having a desert (with chocolate fondue for children) and cheese table set up, which will be there all night. The venue have said that we won’t need any more food but I would like to air on the side of caution so we’ll probably have some sharing platters brought out at around 10 with the wedding cake.

Its in November so we’ve arranged for mulled wine to be a welcome drink alongside Prosecco and beer but we’ll have a tab running to pay for any drinks anyone wants for the whole night. We’ve also hired all 7 rooms in the hotel so the wedding party and close family can all stay and we’ll be having a survivor’s breakfast the next day.

No photos
Relaxed bride and groom

and my friend got a children’s sort of nanny - she set up a tee pee and it was amazing!! They loved and parents kicked back.

great food. Short speeches. And lots of love!

I went to a small wedding where the groom's dad did a pub quiz in the evening and that was really fun.

Does the venue have a garden? So lovely if lovely day

Little touches like this, yes

Oh and really upbeat dancey music in the evening

there absolutely will be people who will want a jig

It does and it’s opposite a ruined castle that people can explore. Since it’s November I’m expecting the weather to be crap though!

We did personalised favours for 28 guests and it was so lovely seeing everyone open something that was meaningful to them.

giant games outside, 6ft jenga tower (blocks made of foam), giant connect 4 - they were hired from a party company. Terrific ice breaker.

No waiting around for photos, nice food. Personally I would serve the cake as desert otherwise it just doesn't get eaten. Mulled wine is a bit left in November its a Christmas thing to me.

Other stuff is frippery that doesn't get remembered imo.

Relaxed bride and groom who have time to talk to the guests is the best thing.

The food is great. I do want some photos but was planning on just getting a photographer for the ceremony/ arrival at reception to take candid shots. Maybe 5 group pics max.

Definitely no long speeches but my maid of honour is desperate to give one and will be great!

What kind of things did you go for? That sounds amazing but the only things I could think of would be either too big or the prices would end up getting out of hand.

For children activity packs or sweets for the wedding breakfast helps keep them occupied and is always nice. Seating parents with children near doors so they can make a swift exit if needed.

We have been to a wedding recently and they provided confetti that was made from dried flowers they have brought each other over the years.

i would have some sharing platters earlier (8.30-9pm)

Some of the sweetest things i have seen are personal. My grandad liked a certain sweet so made sure to have a small sweet stand with some family favourites. Maybe ask for some music recommendations too from the guests?

Activity packs sound great! I’ll speak to the venue about food timings. The wedding is at 2.30 and I imagine we’ll arrive at the reception around 4 so want it to be nicely spaced out.

We didn’t get a professional

keen amateur photographer friend took couple of pics during service and then a few posts when milling around

then family and friends sent us photos

it was perfect! Stayed with guests the entire time, no standing around and so much more personal and intimate

Small wedding will still seem special. I'm not sure any amount of tat or waste of effort is going to make it more special. Just focus on making sure people are well cared for and nice ambience. So music, good food and drink and enough of it so the party goes with a swing.

I’d follow the hotels advice re food

they could make extra money from you! But instead they are giving their professional experience that will be enough

its depressing being at a wedding that is over catered and seeing al the waste and j necessary expense

november wedding? Little dance floor?

We out disposable camera’s on all the tables. We had a great laugh when we had them developed.

we also did small activity packs for the kids… so colouring book, pencils, stickers and some games etc. all the parents were very thankful which was nice.

Flip flop basket, all the women were so grateful as was I 🤣

We just came back from a wedding about the same size. For same reasons.

You have everything covered, sounds perfect.

One thing the bride mentioned was that it was lovely being able to talk to everyone that was there. They both made a point of doing that.

Only other idea I can add is they had requested songs to be played that reminded you of them. Probably not a good idea when DH answered and it was a Motörhead song! But it was played 😂

My dsis had a small wedding with no official photographer. Bit of a shame that the group shot everyone is looking in different directions.

Favours - oh I have had some lovely ones that make me feel all the more guilty when I bin them soon after home.

Seriously - who stores stuff like this and if so, with what purpose? Unless actually useful, like a candle (at least for me!)

A wedding I went to recently had Instax cameras out on the tables - they're like polaroids and print the photos there and then which was great fun. Personalised favours are always nice too or something homemade - I did homemade sloe gin for mine (also a November wedding) with homemade labels which seemed to go down really well!

We had a picture frame (that held multiple photos) with photos of people that were unfortunately no longer with us. A lot of people commented on it, that it was a lovely tribute to our list loved ones ❤️

A wedding we went to had 'party bags' for the kids on the tables for during dinner, colouring pages and crayons, puzzle books, glow sticks etc. nothing noisy and no bubbles or sweets that could ruin the food, but didn't hear a peep out of any of the children there and they all seemed very excited about their bags.

I wouldn't do favours either, they do mostly end up left behind or binned, I've never kept one.

Giant jenga etc are a good idea, also plenty of seating in the evening for people to just sit around and chat, so often you see people at weddings that you haven't seen for ages. Music - either quiet in the background or in a separate area so it isn't too loud for talking over, my pet hate is being stuck round the edges of a dancefloor unable to hold a conversation with someone you haven't seen for years

I would always get a professional photographer even if you're only having a few photos, a friend is a good amateur whose heart sinks whenever she gets a wedding invitation as it is so often followed by "we wondered if you'd mind..." and she hates it, feels on duty instead of relaxed.

I'd also follow the hotel's advice on food, they are the experts, 10 is late to start eating again. I'd also avoid the term "survivor's breakfast", makes it sound like a piss-up not a wedding.

Decent soft drinks. Sparkling water. A non alcoholic cocktail.
a band or live music maybe a guitarist or busker type.

I just went to a wedding where there were personalised favours (books bought with the individual in mind), and the couple had handwritten a note inside.