Micro Wedding Love
The wedding planning process has changed significantly in 2020 & 2021, but this is a good thing.
I’m here to share some good news, and give you the tips that I’ve learned over the past few months.
My name is Rachel Urbaniak and I’ve been a wedding photographer for over 15 years in the Metro Detroit area.
I’ve been working with my couples since March of last year to re-plan their weddings.
Along the way, I’ve learned a number of things.
1. SMALL IS BETTER
For the past number of years, I’ve watched wedding guest counts (and price tags!) get really out of hand when planning. In my experience, this is usually due to family pressure. At some point, a lot of my couples have started to feel like it’s not even their wedding any longer. That they are along for the ride.
THIS YEAR IS YOUR EXCUSE TO HAVE THE WEDDING YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO.
Over the last few months everyone has been taking note of who and what is really important to them. You now have full control over the guest list. You get to invite the most important people in your life to be there, and you actually will be able to spend meaningful time with them.
All of the DIY ideas you have, are now actually possible and can be appreciated by guests!
2. YOU GET TO SPEND TIME WITH EVERYONE THERE AND REALLY TAKE IT IN
Traditionally, it’s actually rare for my couples to actually have a chance to talk to everyone that attends their wedding.
With a smaller wedding, you can now spend time with everyone you’ve invited and relax.
Even better, you and your partner can take moments alone, breathe, and take in the day. Your day.
3. COST
The truth is that the number one wedding budget killer is your guest count. Your guest count effects everything from the cake to the ice.
You can now spend your wedding budget on the things you find most important and easily still have something left for your next adventure together.
To add to that, you can now use the budget the money you saved to spend a little more on the details you’d really like to have.
4. YOU CAN NOW GET MARRIED ANYWHERE
This is one of the most exciting things with micro weddings - you can get married anywhere.
You no longer have to look for hall to accommodate a certain guest count, while also meeting the budget.
Now you get to be creative. Think getting married in forest under a full moon, in the Belle Isle Conservatory or Aquarium, or at your favorite Detroit restaurant (the culinary scene in Detroit is on fire!).
5. BETTER WEDDING PHOTOS (YOU SAW THIS COMING!)
As a wedding photographer, this is the most exciting part of micro weddings for me.
Weddings have become much simpler overall. Which means, less stress for you on the day.
This lack of stress on the wedding day, really comes through in the photos.
We have all the time we need for photos, and we’re in control of the time of day we take them. At a traditional wedding, the photo session just kind of fits wherever it fits - which means non-ideal lighting conditions where you might not look your best.
That means we can roam the city, or do the entire session in a location that is special to you both, and at the perfect time of day.
SO HOW DO YOU PLAN THE BEST MICRO WEDDING?
My suggestions:
Pick your dream location. There are no longer any rules to where you should have your ceremony.
Parks, locations, and venues are all really going out of their way to be super accommodating these days, and that makes your life a lot easier.
Spend some of the money you’re saving on bringing in great vendors. Budgets usually get stretched really thin because of the number of guests at the wedding. This is your excuse to involve all of your first choice vendors for your wedding. That taco truck idea will actually work with fewer guests, which is amazing!
Think out of the box for florals and Cake. You can go all out on a stunning bouquet from your favorite florist, or source a local flower farm for amazing, in season florals (there are few incredible flower farms in Michigan!) We used a local Dahlia farm for my sisters bouquet and it was a stunner.
Who says cake is your only option? if you are serving a smaller crowd you can go with anything! Who else out there just wants her sisters Vegan Fruit and custard tart?
Set up an on location dinner, or move to a restaurant. With smaller guest counts, it’s now possible to set up a small reception wherever you’d like. Again, whatever your dream location is for this, this is probably the only year that it will be possible to do.
TO GET THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS:
Schedule your ceremony when it’s good for photos. 2 hours before sunset will give us the best light for photos.
Hire a photographer (me!) for 2-3 hours. That will cover a little of the getting ready, the ceremony, family photos and photos of the two of you. (There are also packages if you’d like me to come to the reception)
My photography is primarily candid, so it’ll be a more relaxing experience than you might think right now.
Safety in this time is a priority for me. I will respect all current local rules.
I am currently giving away Three Engagement sessions with no obligation to book anything further!
If you’re interested in working together, please send me a note in the contact form below or send me an email @ Rachel.urbaniak@gmail.com, and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
Thank you for reading, and if you have further questions, feel free and comfortable to reach out!
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