If you are in the midst of planning your wedding day, there’s probably one word you could use to describe your experience: Stress.
You won’t be surprised to know that most couples agree on it. Wedding planning is one of the most stressful times of their lives. Indeed, there are so many decisions to take and so little guidance available. What is right for one couple may not be suitable for you. If you’re working with a professional planner to help you, you’ve undoubtedly received lists of points to clarify… and you might have found that you didn’t know what the right answer was.
One of the most critical questions you need to sort out at the beginning of your planning is whether you want a big or a small wedding party. Figuring out how many guests you want or need will help you to determine the budget, the venue, the catering requirements, and so on.
Don’t let anything distract you from the primary purpose of the ceremony
First of all, don’t let anybody influence you. Your wedding is a day that is dedicated to love, between you and your partner and for your guests too. If you’re worried about falling into the traps of Pinterest and other social media platforms that can affect your choices, remind yourself of the one thing that matters on your big day: love. It’s a day that has to make you truly and sincerely happy. In short, find a place of love underneath the planning stress and ask yourself a simple question. Do you prefer big or small groups? Whatever you decide, there is no wrong answer.
Can you have a great day with a minimal party?
Many couples are concerned that an intimate party might make it a less enjoyable experience. In truth, getting married is only about you and your partner. While some want to gather all the details they can find about the largest possible venue in the UK, others prefer to look for information about eloping abroad to enjoy their togetherness. Marriage is an adventure, regardless of what you decide for your big day. Eloping offers the advantage of enjoying every second of the day with your partner, with all the excitement of running away together.
What is right for you?
There is a range of options between gathering the crowds like at a Royal Weddings and keeping a low-key ceremony without any guests. If you want to have your family and a couple of friends around, you might love the idea of a small wedding that is guaranteed frictionless. Celebrating in a small group lets you keep things intimate and manageable, both in terms of budget and social aspects. Besides, if planning makes you anxious, you’d love the idea of inviting only a handful of guests each.
Admittedly, if you’re a true socialite who loves the buzz in the middle of a large group, you shouldn’t hesitate to plan a glamorous wedding party. On average, British couples prefer large parties, with 80 to over 100 guests, including several bridesmaids and groomsmen. To keep things organised, it’s a good idea to hire a professional wedding planner from the start.
Ultimately, you need to be realistic. You can get married without guests or with over hundreds of them and be equally happy in both situations. Find a place of love to look into yourself and make the right choice.