The answer to what is an intimate wedding depends on the size. This article will talk about the number of guests expected if a wedding is called intimate.
We will also go through the factors that make a wedding intimate rather than small. At the end of this reading, you’ll hopefully decide much better if this type of wedding is suitable for you.
But what if you have a big family? We recommend checking how to have a small wedding with a big family to help you set a low guest count for your celebration without offending anyone.
What Does An Intimate Wedding Mean?
An intimate wedding refers to a wedding with a narrow guest list. It slightly has more guests than a small wedding, but another factor that can make a wedding intimate is the people attending.
For example, a small wedding can still have acquaintances, while intimate weddings will only have the couple’s closest friends and family members. But because of this limitation, both the bride and groom must want an intimate wedding to avoid having someone feel overlooked.
It would help to decide which guests you’ll include and make sure that both you and your partner are satisfied with the list. Consider having an equal number of guests between you to avoid any misunderstandings.
How many is an intimate wedding?
A wedding is called an intimate wedding because its guest count will not go over 75 people. Some weddings even have 20 or fewer guests, and even customs like having bridesmaids and groomsmen at the altar are also adjusted.
The bride and groom may choose only to have the maid of honor and best man with them, then skip having a wedding party at the ceremony. To avoid making your friends and family feel excluded, you can have a more significant reception or celebration after the intimate wedding ceremony.
For some ideas, brides can learn how to include friends in weddings that aren’t bridesmaids.
Intimate wedding vs small wedding vs tiny wedding
An intimate wedding has less than 75 guests, a small wedding has less than 50 guests, and a tiny wedding has less than 20 guests. But while these numbers can all be considered what a small wedding is, you can still classify the weddings for easier understanding.
The determining factor in calling one an intimate wedding will depend on who will attend the ceremony, whether they are close to the couple or if acquaintances and extended family members are included. A wedding with 15 guests and a wedding with 40 guests can both be considered small or intimate.
Big vs small wedding
A big wedding is an event that has more than 100 guests. Some couples even have a massive number of guests that they’ll have over 150 people attending the celebration.
Of course, this is inevitable if you have many people in mind that you want to be with you on your special day. However, there are also couples with a large group of friends and families, and they have the budget to hold a large wedding comfortably.
Just remember that the bigger your wedding is, the more careful planning is needed to pull it off. So you want to plan early on, secure a venue to hold the massive crowd, and of course, have the costs estimated for a large number of guests.
How Long Is An Intimate Wedding?
An intimate wedding ceremony can last under an hour, some even for only 30 minutes compared to the 45 minutes and longer duration of a regular-sized wedding ceremony. After all, the processional may also be shorter because of fewer guests, and parts of the ceremony might be omitted.
Some intimate weddings are also non-traditional, where the couple decides on how it will flow and what to include. Therefore, the ceremony will be quicker to finish than a traditional wedding with more than 75 guests.
Remember that traditional weddings such as religious ones must follow the customs and practices of that specific religion. So even if it’s an intimate wedding with fewer guests, the ceremony can still last as long as a traditional religious wedding with a large number of guests.
How Do You Do A Simple Intimate Wedding?
- Plan a guest list with your partner to ensure that both of you have the people you want in the wedding with you; be open to compromising with your partner to ensure that no one is overlooked
- Set a budget and stick to it; talk with your wedding coordinator regarding the vendors for your wedding
- Find the right reception for the intimate wedding because you don’t want too much or too small of space; finding a wedding reception designed for small weddings will also allow you to mention it as a reason for having a short guest list
- Clarify that you won’t have plus-ones in the wedding invitation
- Shorten the number of bridesmaids or groomsmen or skip the wedding party altogether
Conclusion
And that’s it! We just learned what is an intimate wedding, which is a wedding with under 75 guests.
Any small wedding can also be called intimate if the guests are only the closest people to the bride and groom. That being said, there is no exact number as even tiny weddings with under 20 guests can also be called intimate.
Let us know if you’re looking to have this type of wedding in the comments below.