Katie Martin - The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings: The Ultimate Source for Planning a Small and Meaningful Wedding

The Everything Guide to Micro Weddings

The Ultimate Source for Planning a Small and Meaningful Wedding

Everything youve Dreamed ofon a Smaller Scale!

Katie Martin

Letter to the Reader

Dear Reader,

After having been a wedding planner and floral designer for twenty-three years in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area (along with planning weddings in over thirty countries as a destination wedding planner), there has been nothing like writing this book during the COVID-19 pandemic. My perspective in the midst of planning and executing micro weddings during the pandemic has been a unique one for sure.

My underlying reason for writing this book had everything to do with watching couples compromise over the years due to societal and family pressures along with outdated etiquette rules that simply dont apply to the modern couple.

I love the fact that a micro wedding allows a couple to really focus on what they want for their wedding day. Micro weddings work for any budget and style and are also much easier on the environment than traditional large-scale events. Sustainable, stylish, and meaningful weddings have always been part of my core mission as a wedding designer. A micro wedding is perfect for any couple who truly wants to celebrate their love with the people they love! I am honored that you have chosen my book as your wedding planning guide.

Congratulations and Happy Planning!

Katie Martin

These handy, accessible books give you all you need to tackle a difficult project, gain a new hobby, comprehend a fascinating topic, prepare for an exam, or even brush up on something you learned back in school but have since forgotten.

You can choose to read an Everything book from cover to cover or just pick out the information you want from our four useful boxes: Questions, Facts, Alerts, and Essentials. We give you everything you need to know on the subject, but throw in a lot of fun stuff along the way too.

question

Answers to common questions.

alert

Urgent warnings.

fact

Important snippets of information.

essential

Quick handy tips.

We now have more than 600 Everything books in print, spanning such wide-ranging categories as cooking, health, parenting, personal finance, wedding planning, word puzzles, and so much more. When youre done reading them all, you can finally say you know Everything!

PUBLISHER Karen Cooper

MANAGING EDITOR Lisa Laing

COPY CHIEF Casey Ebert

PRODUCTION EDITOR Jo-Anne Duhamel

ACQUISITIONS EDITOR Rebecca Tarr Thomas

DEVELOPMENT EDITOR Sarah Doughty

EVERYTHING SERIES COVER DESIGNER Erin Alexander

For Miguel, Derek, and Elena.

Los quiero mucho mucho mucho!

This book is dedicated to all my clients and vendors who hired me and worked alongside me during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those weddings gave me endless inspiration for this book and helped forge friendships and loyalty that I will be forever grateful for.

I must start by thanking my incredible husband, Miguel. Te amo, cario! I will always be thankful for my two children, Derek and Elena, as they motivate and encourage me daily. Special thanks to my mom (my personal cheerleader).

I am forever grateful for my clients and vendor colleagues for being the source of my creativity and inspiration.

Thanks to everyone at Simon & Schuster, Inc. who has helped make this book become a reality and a resource for engaged couples and their families. Special thanks to Rachel, Lisa, and Sarah for guiding me throughout the process.

Are you set on having a smaller wedding with a more intimate feel? Looking to save money without sacrificing any of the elements you want at your event? Hoping to showcase your unique style through the reception dcor?

The increasingly popular micro wedding can provide a truly special experience for you and your partner (and your guests!). Whether youre hoping to cut costs, stay safe, reduce your environmental impact, or customize the dcor to your specific interests, a smaller event allows you to focus on the people and things you truly want for an unforgettable day that doesnt sacrifice any of your desires.

Of course, micro weddings still involve a lot of exciting choices, as well as special opportunities for adding personal touches. With The EverythingGuide to Micro Weddings, you will be able to explore each important element of planning a micro wedding and determine the decorations, food and beverage items, reception setting, and more that will help you create a wedding that is unique to you and your partner. If you are imagining a destination micro wedding getaway, this book will show you the best places to go. Wanting something closer to home? There are tips and how-tos for that as well. Youll explore insights and important considerations for every element of your big day, from flowers and lighting to catering and photography. Youll also find an Appendix with checklists to help stay organized through it all.

A wedding should be a day full of love, romance, and fun! A micro wedding is about the two of you getting married the way you want to, without necessarily following all of society and wedding rules. After reading this book, you should be able to get excited about your day while focusing on a shorter guest list, realistic budget, and your unique tastes! Enjoy looking through photos and search engines. Take your time on social media apps to dream about your micro wedding day and share ideas with your family and friends. This book will help you determine, organize, and execute what is right for your day, your wayno sacrifices necessary. Have fun, revel, and celebrate having one of the most meaningful and stylish days of your life: your wedding!

Chapter One Why Have a Micro Wedding?

So you are engaged and ready to plan your wedding. Maybe youve always been interested in keeping things small and intimate, or youve just recently heard about the increasingly popular wedding trend: micro weddings. Regardless of what has drawn you to learn more, this chapter has answers to all your questions and provides inspiration for a day that is unique to you and your partner. In the following pages, youll explore the basics of a micro wedding, from what it is to the five main themes surrounding micro weddings, including personalization and saving money. Its time to start creating your perfect day!

Simply put, a micro wedding is a wedding with fifty or fewer guests. Most micro weddings are held in smaller spaces, outdoor spots, private homes, or destination cities. More important, micro weddings focus on immediate family members and super-close friends as guests. With a smaller guest list, couples zero in on who they absolutely must share the day with, like a dear childhood friend, and who they can send a simple engagement announcement to if they wish, like Great Aunt Carols second cousin Jeffrey.