I’m getting married in February! And, aside from keeping the costs minimal, I’m trying to have a minimalist wedding. What does that mean? Well, minimalism is keeping and doing only what you need and what you absolutely care about.
So, technically, a minimalist wedding would be getting married in a courthouse with two witnesses, a couple of rings and a kiss. If that’s your wedding, great! You’ve saved time, money, stress and commotion. But, for me to get married, I want to have my family around me. I want to have a ceremony and a reception. These things will be giving me plenty of joy.
What I don’t need however, is a big, extravagant celebration that is going to leave me regretful when we need to buy a new car or if a medical emergency pops up. Money is a big issue, and it’s great to know that just by sticking to minimalism, I can automatically reduce my costs.
Keeping My Wedding Minimal
No Gifts
We’ve already sent out our invitations stating that we do not want gifts. We’ve listed a couple charities and said that we would also appreciate chocolate and money. Consumables. My goal is to move into an RV and I can’t do that if the whole family wants to buy us dishes, vacuums, microwaves and towel sets. I’m getting anxiety just thinking about it.
Small Venue
We knew that we wanted a small wedding. Close family and a couple friends would be more than enough to celebrate our day. We didn’t know that 50 people would be our max. Our venue is so small that they restricted us to 50 people. Which is great because that’s just what we need. I was filling out a guest list and I found myself including friends that I haven’t spoken to or seen in person in 5 years. The limit really helped us nip it in the bud on the people that truly matter to our lives.
Buffet
We refuse to spend a fortune on catering ($80 a head SERIOUSLY?!?). Why spend money when I have a family wanting to help out? So, we’re having a basic dessert table and a buffet of soup, tacos and salads. We’re also having a setup for coffee, tea and hot chocolate because it is going to be February. This lets everyone have the freedom of getting what they want and minimizes planning on my end.
Decorations
My fiancé and I are not the ones to care about decorations or if something looks nice. We only care about the item’s functioning use. So, with help of my mom, we are going to have minimal decorations. Basic table liners, bows on the backs of chairs and my mom rocks at staging food.
Bride’s Beauty
I am not the one who cares about beauty. I never wore makeup, I never put any product except for shampoo and conditioner in my hair, I never owned a straightener or curling iron and I don’t know what contouring is. The only thing I do is paint my nails (white, always white) and wear rings and earrings. I never found this necessary. I don’t even know why other ladies do these things. But, bride’s are supposed to do all this right? It’s a day of glitz and glam. Well, not for me. I will not be wearing makeup, heels or getting my hair professionally done. I’m keeping my natural look with a simple french braid and painted white nails. It fits the theme of my wedding which is the love garden (since it’s Valentine’s Day and we’re getting married in a greenhouse).
So, these are some things that I’m doing to keep my wedding minimal. I see a lot of weddings that are beautiful and extravagant. But, I can’t believe that they did all this work, spent all this money, for one day of celebrating. I believe we can have a magical day without going over-the-top.
Did you have a minimal wedding? Any tips?