Intimate Weddings are the part of the new normal. Before Covid-19, an idea of a small intimate wedding in India still included at least 200 guests. We never thought reducing the list to any less than this was even possible. It felt so unreal when Anushka & Virat got married in the presence of just 50 guests. Now, that number has trickled down to all the wedding ceremonies across the country.
The idea of a ‘big fat Indian wedding’ has taken a backseat, for at least till the first-half of 2021. While some couples are embracing the idea of intimate weddings, others are finding it fit to postpone the wedding to 2021. If you’re one of the latter, check out this list of auspicious wedding dates of 2021. Being a wedding fanatic, of course, we are crazy about the idea of ‘Big Fat Indian Weddings’, but Covid-19 has definitely given us a new perspective. Right now, we can’t help but see some major upsides of intimate weddings. And why we think they would be a great option to consider even after Covid-19.
#1 Money Saver:
Well, that’s a given. Of course, a wedding with 50 guests will cost much less than a wedding with 1000 guests. Due to the upscale costs of the wedding industry, Indian parents toil their whole life to save a few lakhs or crores. Imagine a major chunk of it getting spent in just a matter of 4 days, on a bunch of people, the majority of whom you don’t even know, aren’t your well-wishers and some are only here for free food & drinks (Guilty of that!). Instead, why not spend that money on the ones who matter the most, and are here to shower you with nothing but blessings on your big day.
A great idea would be to splurge on the high-end designer lehenga you’ve always wanted or probably get something expensive for your parents. Save the rest for an epic honeymoon or future use.
Also, if you’re quite stuck on the idea of throwing a big party, then get married right now and book a big celebration during off-months (August to October). All the vendors will be available then and they might even charge less. So it’s like a win-win situation.
#2 Quality-Time:
The whims and fancies of Indian guests are well-known by all. Most of the time of our parents, siblings, and closest friends & family goes into pleasing them. And isn’t that so unfair? The people we want to enjoy the most end up being the most worried. Enters another solid upside of an intimate wedding. Since there will be no pesky relatives present, your close friends & family will get a lot of quality time to spend with you. You all will be able to make some wonderful memories, which wouldn’t have been possible at a big wedding. Weddings are also the time when the groom’s and bride’s family will be together for a long time. A small guest list will make it easier for them to bond and mix well.
Moreover, when you are hanging out with the people you know well, you can be yourself and enjoy the wedding to the hilt without feeling shy or anxious.
Over & above that, when your closest bunch of people are having the best time on your special day, this also means you’ll have the sweetest wedding album. Photographers tend to feel confused about who to photograph when it’s a 1000 people wedding, now the most important people are right there & they are free. So, this means better candid shots and happy moments getting captured. PLUS more time for those epic bookmarked couple portraits and bridal portraits. You can get them all! Having a little bit of peace also makes room for creative shots, perfect to make you the next viral bride!
#3 Getting Married At Your Home:
Intimate weddings don’t require a big venue setting to accommodate all the guests. So you can even host it at your home. What better place to celebrate moving onto the next chapter of your life than the place where you spent your previous one? We have come across many couples who chose their home or backyard to tie the knot, here are 3 of our wedding blogs to inspire you for this idea.
- Megha & Tushar’s Intimate Wedding With 30 People
- Lockdown Home Wedding Of Chaitali & Nitin
- Ritu + Avinash’s Intimate Backyard Wedding
We think getting married at your home is the sweetest thing to have come out of an intimate wedding.
#4 Eco-Friendly Wedding:
Indian weddings are synonymous with wastage. Whether it’s food, mini-plastic bottles, or plastic spoons and plates. Having a small intimate wedding would reduce this environmental damage and would help you do your part for the environment. Earth and its natural resources need us more than ever and there’s no better time to put in our collective effort to save them.
Try to make these easy changes to make your wedding a sustainable & eco-friendly one:
- Use local flowers & foliage for decoration.
- Keep the food menu to a minimum with live food stations. Encourage the guests to take only as much food as they can eat in a sitting.
- Minimize usage of plastic using decor elements like wine bottles, bells, earthen pots, baskets, and fairy lights.
- Give plants away as wedding favors.
- Go for WhatsApp and email invites instead of digitally printed ones.
- Have a day wedding to save all the electricity through generators and lights.
- Replace party popper confetti with flowers.
Here’s some eco-friendly decor inspiration to bookmark!
All Images By @withlovenilma
#5 Wedding Planning is Less Stressful
Planning a wedding with 50 to 100 guests means a lot of things can go wrong. With 50 guests, risk management is much easier and manageable. You can make sure all guests go home with a happy smile and sweet memories. Plus it won’t take a lot of time to plan out the wedding. Generally, couples have to start at least 6 months in advance. But an intimate wedding doesn’t require more than a month to plan out. The time delay could only be because of vendor availability.
These 5 strong reasons are enough to make us fall in love with the idea of intimate weddings. Even though we will always have a soft corner for big fat Indian weddings, small weddings are definitely cherishable in their own sweet way!
We really think they are here to stay, even when Covid-19 is all gone. What do you guys think?
