Planning a Beautiful, Small Wedding in Boise, Idaho

Not everybody is keen to have a giant wedding that lasts multiple days and costs as much as a down payment on a house.

There’s a growing number of people seeking to have a small, elegant celebration that’s all about their vision… not about what other people expect.

The advantages of a small wedding are hard to overstate.

A wedding with a smaller guest list is easier to plan.

It opens the door to having a more creative theme for your wedding. When only those closest to you are present, you don’t have to worry about pleasing a large group of people.

The memories made during a small wedding are different — more personal. You really feel like you’re sharing the day with the people in attendance instead of just exchanging hellos with a huge crowd.

But perhaps the biggest difference is in the cost.

A small wedding that’s about people, connections, and memories might cost just a few thousand dollars. Compare that to the average cost of a wedding these days — $36,000 according to Zola (a wedding planning and registry site) — and you can see the appeal.

If planning a beautiful wedding on a modest budget sounds good, keep reading to find ideas that will help you capture the exact spirit and vibe of your special day without having to take out a loan to do it.

Great Creative with Your Wedding Venue

The venue and catering are typically the two biggest expenses for weddings.

When it comes to saving on venue costs, you have three options to dramatically curb the expense… without impacting the elegance of your event.

Get Married on a Weekday

Most weddings happen on weekends. The demand for venues during those times is high, and that drives up costs.

Consider doing an evening wedding during the week instead. Spend just a little time calling around to venues and you’ll quickly see there’s a big difference between weekend and weekday prices.

Tap a Family Member or Friend

Think about the people closest to you — the people you most want to have at your ceremony.

Do any of them have a beautiful home with a spacious backyard? Perhaps a setting that has special meaning to you? If yes, reach out to them to see if they’d be willing to be the scene of your special day.

Choose an Affordable Venue That’s Just the Right Size

Most of the places that bill themselves as wedding venues are geared to large groups. Even if you have a small guest list, those venues are going to cost thousands of dollars.

But you can find a smaller venue that’s more affordable. If you do a search for “small wedding venues” in your area, you might turn up some unexpected gems that fit your budget and your style.

(If your small wedding is happening near Boise, Idaho, we might be the perfect place. Blazek Event Center offers a warm, elegant space that’s full of character and just right for a wedding that has 35 or fewer people on the guest list, including the wedding party — book your special day with us.)

 

Be Intentional with Your Catering

Catering is the second of the two “big” wedding expenses.

The good news is, it’s your day and you can decide exactly what you want to have on the menu. And there are a lot of ways to tame hefty catering bills.

For example, you don’t have to offer a sit-down meal. You can have a buffet. Or you might do a light menu of appetizers — this works especially well if your wedding isn’t scheduled during a typical mealtime. You may decide to host a dessert bar instead of a full meal. It really is up to you.

When picking your venue, choose a location that allows outside catering (like we do at Blazek Event Center). That way you can shop around for exactly what you want and for a catering service that fits your budget.  

Speaking of shopping around, don’t limit yourself to wedding caterers — a lot of food trucks and restaurants also offer catering. Their menu choices might be a better fit for your tastes. And they might be more affordable, too.

You can also break with tradition when it comes to your wedding cake. Nothing says you’re required to have a highly decorated, tiered wedding cake. If you want to serve cupcakes, strawberry shortcake, cake pops, or a build-your-own-sundae ice cream bar, you can!

Don’t Double Book Amenities!

Before you book your caterer, find out what’s included at your venue in terms of table service, chairs, and other amenities. Knowing what you’ve already paid for can keep you from doubling up on those rental fees with your caterer.

Make Your Wedding Uniquely Yours

Once you’ve found the right venue and the perfect caterer for your small wedding, the next step is to figure out what else you want to make your day special. A typical wedding has:

• An officiant

• Flowers

• Decorations

• A photographer

• Music

There might be a dance floor… a limousine to take you to your hotel or the airport afterwards… a videographer… a slideshow… a microphone for toasts.

Make a list of what how you want your wedding to look and how you want it to go. Some good questions to ask yourself:

• What are your wedding colors?

• What kinds of decorations do you want on tables, chairs, and anywhere else?

• Do you want any fun extras like little bottles of bubbles or disposable cameras?

• Do you want live music or a DJ?

• Where do you want to get ready before the wedding?

• Do you have audio-visual needs?

• What kinds of flowers to you want?

Once you have an idea of what’s ideal, start prioritizing.

Break things into “must haves”, “really wants”, and “nice to haves.”

Focus on finding “must have” options that fit your budget first, then go after the “really wants”, and finally choose any “nice to haves” that you have budget left over for.

Once you know what your priorities are, consider enlisting the help of family and friends where you can.

For example, you may have a friend who is good with a camera who would be willing to do your wedding photos as a gift.

Or you may have someone who has experience being a DJ or arranging flowers. Ask if they’d be willing to contribute those skills to your special day.

Be gracious if anyone says they’d rather just be present and get you a traditional gift. But it doesn’t hurt to ask — these kinds of gifts from friends and family can further reduce your wedding expenses and make the event even more special.

Creative Ideas to Set Your Wedding Apart

This is your special day, so there aren’t really any rules that you have to follow. And when you’re planning a smaller wedding, it’s easier to feel comfortable breaking with tradition.

How you plan your special day is entirely up to you, but here are a few ideas to give you a little inspiration on making your day memorable.

Individual Photos: At a big wedding, the photographer will take pictures of the wedding party, the bride and groom and their families, and candid shots. At a small wedding, you and your new spouse have the luxury of posing with each attendee.

Story Time: With a smaller group, you can open up the wedding toast to anyone in attendance. Imagine your closest friends and family sharing their favorite memories of you as a couple.

Off-Beat Themes: Rather than simply decorating based on a color scheme, you could focus some of your budget on a theme that has meaning to you and your betrothed — maybe based on a favorite movie or a trip you took together.

Photo Timeline: You could gather pictures of you and your fiancé and create a photo timeline of your relationship as part of your decorations.

Dance Lessons: With a small group, you could bring in a dance instructor to teach everyone to waltz or swing dance or whatever kind of dance you love.

However you go about it, having a smaller wedding gives you more ways to make lasting memories… and to save more money to put toward your honeymoon!