6 Ways to Include Loved Ones at Your Downsized Wedding

With the state of the world right now I know that couples are again being faced with the hard decision between continuing with their larger weddings or scaling down to a more intimate size. If you’re thinking about scaling down the guestlist for your wedding, firstly I want to say that we as wedding vendors see you and we know how hard it is for you to make that decision and we are here for you. As you’re scaling down know that there are so many great ways to include the people you love on your wedding day even if they can’t make it in person other than the traditional zoom call. Here are some of my personal favorite ways to include your loved ones at your downsized wedding.

Love letters on your wedding day

Ask for Love Letters

1. Have your guests who can’t make it in person write letters to you and your future spouse to read the morning of or the morning after your wedding. This has become one of my personal favorites as it adds such a personal touch to your wedding day and makes for some quality time with your soon-to-be spouse.

Make a Video Montage

2. Ask your family and friends to send you or someone in your wedding party a video with some well wishes for your marriage. Not only is this a great way to get people involved, but if you have a family or group of friends with a sense of humor like ours this gets very entertaining very fast. This makes for a great laugh on your wedding day in addition to bringing some of your favorite humans who couldn’t make it in person there in spirit.

Instagram Stories

3. Ask someone in your wedding party or family to be in charge of your instagram account for the day! Have them share and update IG stories to a close friends group as your day progresses, not only will you have some great film from your wedding day, but you’ll also be able to share immediately with the ones you love who couldn’t make it.

Plan a Couple of Dinners

4. Next up, who says a whole wedding has to happen on one day? Celebrate your wedding day with a handful of small outdoor gatherings so you can still see all of the people you love. You can rock your wedding gear or a variety of fancy gear on a couple of occasions and you can catch up and dine with all the people that matter in a more intimate setting.

Hire a Videographer

5. Yes, I know this one is kind of like a “duh” one, but you would be surprised how many people don’t have a videographer on their wedding day! Videographers are SO talented and really have the ability to take you back to your wedding day in a way that photos can’t always do.

Some of my favorite Chicagoland/Illinois videographers include:

Maloch Media

Lydia Stuemke Films

Bea Rose Films

Host a Viewing Party

6. Another party for AFTER your wedding? Heck yes! This was actually super common back in the day when you had to order physical prints after your wedding day. Friends and family would come over and view the proofing gallery together then decide on which photos everyone wanted to order. Crazy right?!

Well, we are bringing the post-wedding viewing party back! Invite your friends and family over to your home after your wedding is over for a little viewing party! Pop some popcorn, order some pizza and watch your wedding slide show and wedding video with all your favorite humans!

If you’re thinking about downsizing your wedding or are just wanting to plan an elopement for you and your soon-to-be spouse, I HIGHLY recommend incorporating one or a few of these ideas on your wedding day. It’s a great way to include any loved ones who won’t be able to make it to your downsized wedding! And if you’re looking for some other wedding day Inso check out my other wedding day blogs here.

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