HOMELas Vegas Weddings-What's a "Small" Wedding?
For some people, "small" refers to the number of guests. That may mean, for some, under 200 people (though I think I'd disagree!!!). For others, 100 people is the cut-off mark. But some people want less than 50 guests, or are just including family and their closest friends. In my case, we had less than 30 people present!
For others, "small" may refer to the bridal party, where only a few attendants (or no attendants) are included.
At any rate, in some way or another your "small" wedding is going to be different from the usual wedding you attend or read about. This may mean that some of the aspects of the ceremony and reception that occur in more typical weddings are not as appropriate. But it also means that you may be able to do some special things that other brides & grooms cannot do.
Since what constitutes a "small" wedding varies, and the formality may vary as well, some of the tips below may be more or less appropriate for the wedding you have in mind.
You're likely to get some strong reactions to your plans. Some of the reactions will be supportive and sympathetic. Relish these. These are from people who had a small wedding themselves, or were guests at one. Or they are people who have been through wedding planning hell and are envious of your wisdom.
But what you might get more of are the negative reactions. Some of these people are charmed by your plans but think you are naive. You'll get the patronizing smile with "We thought we'd have a small wedding too, everyone does. But it never works that way."
You may also get strong reactions from family and friends. Your parents and friends may be supportive, especially if they know you well enough to think that a smaller wedding is a great choice. But they also may have mixed feelings. Small weddings aren't that common, so they don't know what to expect. Friends may feel left out and upset that your plans will not include them. Family may be disappointed that they cannot invite colleagues or more distant relatives. Or they may worry that outsiders will think that your plans reflect their inability to spend money on the wedding.
All couples seem to get SOME flak about their plans, and so you'll read over and over in wedding advice books that you should ignore it all because it is your wedding. This is a good thing to keep in mind. However, it is also true that weddings are traditionally community events. They typically involve family and friends, and are crowed over, celebrated with, and supported by the larger society. So it's only natural that people close to you may feel some ownership in your wedding, and bring their own expectations to bear. That doesn't mean that you can't have a small wedding, it just means that you may need to try to understand why they might object.
One final thing: You will be surprised how many times people will say "But you won't get all those great gifts!" Try not to guffaw too loudly at this. I have pointed out "with the money we're saving, we can buy them all ourselves...and then some....".
Smaller weddings have been successfully carried off in Las Vegas for Years.