Let's talk about micro weddings
Micro weddings have been growing in popularity for the past few years now, but with the mass cancelation of large weddings due to this year’s pandemic, they’re now becoming one of the most popular services we offer. So, what exactly is a micro wedding, and why are they so popular? Why are growing numbers of people choosing to have a small luxury wedding in France instead of a bigger wedding closer to home? We’re going to answer some common questions in this article, but we’re always here to help answer any additional questions you may have.
WHAT IS A MICRO WEDDING?
A micro wedding is exactly what its name implies: it’s a small wedding. Micro weddings can have anything from 4 guests up to around 60 guests in general. Our micro weddings often take place over a long weekend or a week. Many of the venues we work with are able to accommodate the entire group of guests on-site which can create a wonderful atmosphere for your wedding weekend.
WHY ARE THEY SO POPULAR?
“The micro wedding trend gives couples carte blanche to cut their guest list even more to include only their very closest friends and family.”
— BEST EVENTS CO.
We’ve seen small weddings in France grow in popularity a lot over the last three or so years. Whereas before the majority of the weddings each season would have over 100 guests, this has shifted to an average guest count of just over 60. Their popularity can be attributed to a few different factors, but these are the main ones:
With a smaller guest list, you can treat each of your guests to a much more luxurious experience than you would be able to with larger numbers
Having all (or the majority at least) of your guests staying on-site means you can create more of a luxury vacation feel as opposed to a single party
They allow our clients to spend time with their nearest and dearest, weddings are often one of the few times families and friends are all in one place so spending quality time together is always appreciated by everyone
You can arrange other activities or excursions around your wedding day, from exclusive vineyard tours in Bordeaux to private cruises down the Seine in Paris you can really embrace the local area as a group
WHAT ABOUT DESTINATION MICRO WEDDINGS?
People will often find that their guest list is smaller for a destination wedding than it would be if they hosted their big day locally. The micro wedding trend gives couples carte blanche to cut their guest list even more to include only their very closest friends and family, which tends to create the most beautiful loving atmosphere for weddings. France is a great place to choose for a micro wedding, it’s really easy to get to from most countries, and the transport infrastructure within the country itself is excellent.
ARE MICRO WEDDINGS COVID-COMPLIANT?
This is a really difficult one to answer, because regulations are changing all the time. What we can say, is that you will definitely be more likely to celebrate as planned with a small group of people as opposed to a larger guest list. To give you an idea of how regulations changed in France when we were in lockdown earlier this year, gatherings of 5 or more people were allowed pretty early on. This was then increased to 30 for a while, and then gradually increased as lockdown eased. It’s really difficult to say if this would happen the same way again (hopefully we won’t be going back into lockdown anyway!) but you would certainly be more likely to be able to celebrate as planned with a group of 30 or fewer.
WHAT OPTIONS ARE THERE WHEN IT COMES TO PLANNING MY MICRO WEDDING IN FRANCE?
There are so many options! Depending on how long you’re planning on hosting your group for, we would either suggest venues closer to or further from airports. For weekend, three, and four-day celebrations there are lots of beautiful luxury weddings venues in Bordeaux, or wedding château near Paris. Both of these cities have excellent international airports that offer flights to/from a wide variety of destinations. We also often suggest that couples tell guests to fly into London Heathrow and connect from there using the direct flights that operate from Heathrow to both London and Paris.
If you’re looking for a longer stay, there are many incredible wedding venues in the Dordogne, Loire, and Provence. These run the gamut of large country homes to historic châteaux - and many other options in between. We generally arrange for our couples and their guests to have private transfers from the airport to the venue, or arrange hire cars as preferred. These country venues often have a number of facilities on-site such a tennis courts and swimming pools, but we can also arrange private Cognac tasting visits, sporting days including waterskiing, sailing, and more.
For those looking for something a little different, we can also plan events on yachts sailing from either the west coast or south coast of France. These are particularly perfect for very small groups who are looking for a really special event that’s unlike anything their friends or family have hosted before.
HOW TO CHOOSE BETWEEN A BIG WEDDING NEAR TO HOME OR A DESTINATION MICRO WEDDING?
As with any wedding-related decision, there are lots of factors to take into consideration when you’re thinking about whether to opt for a small wedding or if you should invite a more traditional full guest list. The biggest factor we recommend our couples think of is what they want the feel of their wedding to be. Are you looking for a big party atmosphere, or are you hoping to spend quality time and celebrate your love with your favourite people? Do you both have big families, or would it be relatively easy to cut your guest list down to a select few?
The second factor, is of course budget. Our clients generally have significant budgets for their weddings, but you need to be thinking about where you want to spend that budget. Would you like to be able to offer your guests an all expenses paid vacation? Or would you rather spend that money on food and drinks for a larger number of guests? Some of our couples do combine both, asking guests to contribute to transport and accommodation costs, it’s really a decision that is down to each couple and their personal preferences.
Finally, it’s always a good idea to think about whether or not there is anyone very close to you who may not be able to make it to a destination wedding. If there is someone (or a number of people) who are very important to your wedding party who wouldn’t be able to travel, there are a few options that would still enable you to have your dream destination wedding in France however. Most of our couple have to have a ‘paper day’ which is their official wedding at a city hall in their home country. Some of our couples ask those who can’t travel to attend that ceremony instead. We can also arrange for ceremonies to be streamed live from certain venues (it depends on the venue’s location and the connectivity of the ceremony location - if this is important for you just let us know and we can keep it in mind during your venue search). We also recommend having a videographer at micro weddings, this is because you’ll then have beautiful recordings of the day to share with your loved ones who couldn’t make it.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There are lots of things to think about when it comes to micro weddings, but they’re popular for a reason. If you would like to talk to us about your plans and to figure out whether or not your wedding party could be suitable for a luxury small wedding in France, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll happily discuss options with you.
Photo credit: Tristan Perrier.