@mivioleta, @ambervickeryphotography
The format of a small and cozy wedding, where only the closest and dearest people are present, has become increasingly popular in recent years. We understand the pros and cons of a chamber wedding and tell you how to organize it correctly and conduct it well.
What is a “chamber wedding”?
A chamber wedding is a cozy family celebration for 10-20 guests. The format is reminiscent of a dinner party, where everyone knows each other, sits at the same table and spends the evening in a warm and sincere atmosphere. Despite their modest scale, such mini-weddings require no less serious preparation than magnificent celebrations.
@wedding_lesya, @timoshenkoanna
Throwing a bouquet and a rubber band
The traditional version of throwing a bouquet by the bride is familiar to everyone. The bride faces her unmarried friends and throws flowers. This episode can be made brighter if the newlywed is surrounded by men with red roses in their hands. If the bride has one unmarried friend, then the newlywed can simply give her a bouquet with warm wishes.
The bouquet can be wrapped with ribbons around the bouquet according to the number of girlfriends, and one can be tied. Each friend picks up one ribbon. After a beautiful dance, everyone pulls the ribbons. One receives the bouquet. The bride should throw the bouquet slowly so that the photographer has time to capture the memorable moment.
The tradition of throwing a bride's garter into a crowd of unmarried men came from the West. The symbolic message is the same - the owner gains hope for a quick marriage. Traditionally, the groom removes the garter from the bride's leg by lifting her into his arms and placing her on a chair. He delicately gropes for the garter, removes it and throws it into the crowd of unmarried men to the applause of the guests. After this, the bride throws the bouquet. The lucky owner of the pendant invites the girl who caught the bouquet to dance.
Who is it suitable for?
This wedding format is suitable for you if:
— you and your fiancé are not fans of noisy parties and quickly get tired of large crowds of people;
- you want to share this day only with your closest people;
— it is important for you that every guest at the holiday feels your care and attention;
— you want to have an informal wedding and move away from the classic program;
— the quality of every detail of the holiday is important to you: by reducing the cost of a banquet, you can pay more attention to the quality of decor, entertainment and menu.
Organization: Peony Photo: Ksenia Antonova
Photoshoot
A small wedding is also an opportunity to arrange an interesting photo shoot with the whole group. When choosing a photographer for your holiday, immediately inform about the format of your wedding and clarify whether the photographer is ready to offer you interesting ideas for a general photo shoot. Reportage photographers take good pictures when working with a group of 70-100 people, so we advise you to look for a family photographer. in our Catalog : look through their portfolio to choose the one most suitable for your vision.
We wrote above about the general dress code and a separate photo zone. It is also important to properly plan the time for a photo shoot, because in the fall at 6 o’clock there is already little natural light on the street and it is better to plan a photo shoot for 13.00-14.00. In summer, on the contrary, at lunchtime bright sunlight will make both the photographer and the newlyweds sweat, while evening time with soft lighting is considered ideal for beautiful shots. You shouldn’t deny yourself a photo shoot at sunset, especially if you chose the river bank or a rooftop establishment as the venue for your celebration.
Pros of a chamber wedding:
The main advantage of a chamber wedding is the atmosphere of comfort and intimacy, which is often impossible at a magnificent celebration. Next to you on this day will be your favorite people who are sincerely happy for you, with whom you can relax and be yourself.
A wedding for 20 and 100 guests with the same budget means celebrations of completely different levels: in the first case, you will have the opportunity to invest in high-quality floristry, exclusive decor, individual table settings, and professional contractors.
Photo: @anastasiyabelik, @masensus; bride: @eliza_music_school
A chamber wedding implies freedom to choose concepts, styles and venues, and simplifies logistics if you dream of a non-standard celebration, for example, a ceremony in the forest. And, of course, if your plans are to have a wedding abroad, a small guest list will be the best solution both financially and organizationally.
Guest list
A wedding is called small if your guest list is barely 20 people. Obviously, these are the people closest to you and you want to share your joy with them. And it is also obvious that some of your not very close relatives, university friends and just friends will be offended if they do not receive an invitation to the wedding. Be prepared for the fact that your parents will begin to persuade you to expand the scope of the celebration, because “a feast for the whole world” 20 years ago was considered an indicator of the cordiality and well-being of the family. It’s great that today newlyweds think first of all about their own comfort, and not about outside opinions!
For a small wedding with a short list of guests, we suggest you make wedding invitations with your own hands: such a handmade one, beautifully signed in your handwriting, will be a pleasant surprise for your guests and will be preserved as a memory.
Be sure to let your guests know about the format of your wedding. Specify how important the presence of each invited relative and friend is to you. After all, if 10 out of 100 people cannot attend a wedding, it will hardly be noticeable. And if 5 of your 15 guests are absent, this will definitely affect your mood.
Wedding planner tip: The fewer people, the shorter the reception. At a small wedding, the feast lasts up to 4 hours. Calculation of food and alcohol: 1 kg per adult, 0.5 liters of strong and 1 liter of light alcohol per person.
Disadvantages of an intimate wedding:
First of all, there are difficulties with the guest list: coming to a compromise with the groom and avoiding offense from distant relatives can be difficult. But here it is important to remember that you are organizing a holiday primarily for yourself, and not to succumb to manipulation.
@kstitova_calligraphy
Another disadvantage of a chamber wedding is its deceptive simplicity. Brides often refuse the services of an organizer and devote little time to preparation. But it is almost impossible to create a festive atmosphere, think through a unique concept and provide for all force majeure events alone. To prevent the wedding from turning into just another family dinner and to acquire its own charm, you should take into account its specifics and learn to delegate some tasks to professionals.
Suitable competitions, mobile and table
A wedding scenario without a toastmaster in a narrow circle can be “seasoned” with the most daring and unusual competitions , which guests intoxicated with alcohol will accept with a bang.
Kisses dear
Couples consisting of girls and boys (at least 6 couples) are called to the center of the hall. Then the representatives of the stronger sex are invited to kiss their partners, voicing places for kissing.
For example, “I will kiss Marina on the cheek.” You cannot repeat yourself, which complicates the task for subsequent applicants.
The losers are those who did not find a place for a kiss.
Heartfelt gift
Couples again participate in the competition. Men write on a piece of paper what they plan to give to their companion. And women, not knowing what they are going to give, tell how they will use the gift. This is quite a fun competition, because in the process girls can dress up for the holiday in a new frying pan or hang new earrings on the wall.
Inflatable tango
Several people go to the center of the hall and randomly break into pairs. At the signal (when the music starts), the people in a pair must join in a passionate dance, holding the inflated balloons between their bellies. Those who burst the balloon the fastest while performing an original dance will win.
Walls have ears too
This competition can be held to raise money. The hosts prepare facts about the bride and groom in advance, and the guests need to guess whether the named facts are true or false. The one who makes a mistake pays a “tax.”
My beloved
You can take any number of people into the competition. Everyone is asked to name the most beautiful part of the body of the person standing next to them. When everyone in the circle voices their option for the neighbor on the left, the presenter announces that now the “place that catches your fancy” needs to be kissed.
Young mother
For the competition you need to prepare plastic bottles and nipples that are put on the bottles.
Next, women must give their partners something to drink from improvised “pacifiers.”
Sprite, cola or fanta can be used as complementary foods.
The winners will be those who drink the contents from the bottle more carefully and quickly.
Guessing game
Several men are seated on chairs. The bride, blindfolded, is brought to the competition participants. She must find her betrothed by touching only the guys' noses.
Knot for good luck
Several couples are selected from those who wish. The united boys and girls are placed shoulder to shoulder and tied with their hands touching. Next, the contestants, using only their free hands, must lace up the sneaker and tie a bow on it. Those who quickly and “cleanly” cope with the task will win.
You can easily create cool wedding scenarios without a toastmaster, the main thing is to make an effort and not be limited by the standard canons of holding a celebration.
The more creative and funnier the organization of the celebration, the more pleasant it will be for guests and newlyweds to remember this exciting and joyful day.
Which place to choose
Unlike a classic wedding, you are not limited to banquet halls: the venue for your celebration can be a small cafe or studio. Look for restaurants with VIP rooms or country hotels with small houses: too spacious locations, such as lofts and common areas of restaurants, will not create the necessary intimate atmosphere. An intimate celebration can also be organized in a more unusual location: for example, hold a party in your favorite bar or have an eco-wedding in the forest.
Tomislav Marcijus
Restaurant for a small wedding
If the newlyweds are far from stereotypes, and their parents were not able to take the compilation of the guest list under their vigilant control and enter there a whole family tree up to the seventh generation, it’s time to think about the venue where this intimate event will take place.
It’s not so easy to choose a restaurant for a small wedding in the center of Moscow: there are many establishments, but not every small room is suitable for a wedding event. Wedding planners can suggest suitable restaurants to newlyweds based on their own experience. Thus, the Boyarov Weddings agency has successful experience in organizing atmospheric meetings for small companies. For example, we suggest looking at photographs from the Frosty Rose project. It was a wedding in a family atmosphere, and the winter landscapes visible through the panoramic windows added color to it. The cold magic of nature contrasted well with the stylish floral decor inside the room.
It is also appropriate to recommend a suitable venue for a small wedding in a restaurant such as “Terrine”, “18.12”, “Luch”.
The “Terrine” restaurant allows you to accommodate up to 35 people in a banquet style in a small hall, as well as hold a symbolic ceremony there. The advantage of the site is a special holiday menu from the chef and the opportunity to taste these dishes in advance for free.
Restaurant “18.12” offers a cozy fireplace room for intimate celebrations, accommodating up to 50 people in banquet style. There is a stage here that can easily be decorated as a ceremony area or used for its intended purpose, for a show program. In summer, ceremonies are held in the park area adjacent to the restaurant. There is also a special VIP room designed for small feasts, where no more than 10 people are present.
The Luch restaurant is famous not only for its signature cocktails and the longest bar counter in Moscow, but also for its Balcony banquet hall, suitable for events for up to 30 people. Large panoramic windows and brick walls in a loft style will become a worthy backdrop for a wedding in the format of a youth party.
How to dress the bride and groom
A chamber wedding involves more informal images of the main characters of the holiday: instead of a fluffy dress, the bride can choose a light dress made of flowing fabric, a relaxed look or even a trouser suit, and the groom can abandon a tuxedo in favor of a smart-casual style. But here it is important to find a middle ground between an overly formal and overly simple outfit - the bride should not “get lost” against the background of her bridesmaids.
@jencmorton, @_tinamaria
How to create a menu
A chamber wedding allows you to pay attention to the quality rather than the quantity of dishes, choose good wine, and take into account the eating habits of the guests. A good solution for a wedding in the company of friends would be a buffet instead of a traditional banquet: the holiday will be more active, because the guests will not sit at tables all evening. This is a case where it may be more profitable and more logical to order catering rather than a restaurant.
@miss_angel_ann, @kstitova_calligraphy
General information
Such a wedding is possible in the following cases:
- when most of the guests are relatives or elderly people,
- when the event is celebrated in a small apartment,
- when there are few guests and they all know each other very well,
- when a reputable society is gathered, in which participation in entertainment competitions of a dubious nature is not accepted.
Some of the disadvantages of celebrating a small wedding include:
- creating a wedding menu yourself, as well as the need to prepare dishes,
- lack of space for dancing,
- in the hot season there may be an uncomfortable atmosphere in the apartment,
- limited number of invitees,
— a wedding resembles an ordinary festive feast.
How to organize a ceremony
A small wedding is not a reason to refuse a beautiful ceremony. On the contrary, some newlyweds will be much more comfortable saying intimate vows in front of a small audience, so that the atmosphere will be more intimate and touching. Refuse to be too strict and formal: let your close friend conduct the ceremony, and let your pet carry out the rings. Yes, preparing such an event will take a little more time, but it will turn out to be truly unique.
@timoshenkoanna
Negative sides
- If you are not invited, friends, colleagues and relatives may be offended. Unfortunately, it is not possible to explain to everyone that choosing a chamber format is not at all a bad attitude towards them, but you simply want to spend this day in your own way, and not the way your friends and family want.
- Don't get many gifts.
Of course, if you invite a few people to your celebration, then the gifts will only be from them. Sometimes parents help their children organize their wedding day with money, and this is the main gift to the newlyweds. - Most likely, there will not be a beautiful and individually decorated banquet. In this case, there is no need to rent an entire room; you just need to book a small cozy room in a restaurant or a VIP room in a nightclub, because this will be enough for you and your guests.
Which decor to choose
At a small family dinner, it is better to prepare a long table for all guests and pay attention to stylish serving and printing. The decor of a chamber wedding is designed to create a warm and soulful atmosphere, so use a large number of candles, tactilely pleasant fabrics and natural materials in the design.
@luzhaika_decor
Selecting a banquet hall
Organizing a chamber wedding means choosing an unforgettable place for the wedding banquet. The hall must be of a suitable size so that it can accommodate a single table for the entire company, and also leave some free space. A chamber celebration – comfortable for all participants. This means having good, solid furniture. There should be one table, as stated above. This creates a homely, intimate, trusting environment. Guests see and hear each other well and can communicate freely.
It is important that the banquet hall for a wedding is unusual. Not bare restaurant walls decorated with balloons and paper streamers, but a thoughtful interior with a concept, history, and mood. Firstly, it creates an atmosphere, and secondly, the photos from such an event turn out amazing.
Fun for friends
Outdoor activities or board games are suitable for a wedding party. A boat ride or a visit to an amusement park is another great idea for a group of friends! Master classes are also especially popular: for example, dance or art.
Organization: Peony Photo: Ksenia Antonova
Fun for the family
Master classes will also include an intimate family dinner - in this case, it is better to choose floristry or culinary workshops. But more often, the scenario for a mini-wedding with family includes toasts, watching a movie or a slide show with your love story, live music and intimate conversations.
@anastasiyabelik
Table setting and menu
It is this aspect that frightens newlyweds the most, since to set the table you need to have the required amount of dishes, in addition to the first, the family must have at least one professional cook in order to prepare and decorate everything correctly. In this case, you can cheat a little, if you don’t have everything you need, you can order the dishes to be prepared in a restaurant. He will also provide you with all the necessary utensils.
Of course, in this case, you cannot do without extra costs; you will need to pay the restaurant for the broken dishes. But against the backdrop of undeniable advantages, such as a beautiful table and deliciously prepared food, these are little things. The problem with dirty dishes will also be solved by the restaurant employees, which in itself is a significant plus. Therefore, when drawing up a scenario, you need to take this option into account. If you want to save as much as possible, you can ask for help from relatives who are on the invitation list if they have the necessary skills to work in the kitchen.
Entertainment for a mixed group
If there will be people of different ages among the guests at the wedding, choose more traditional entertainment: at any wedding, a performance by a cover band, a book of wishes and a photo zone for guests are always relevant. A good solution would be a short quiz about newlyweds, because only those people who know you well will be at the celebration.
@taylorandporter
Budget
Of course, many lovers believe that if few people are present at the holiday, this will help save the budget. In fact, this opinion is quite a controversial point, because the format of a small intimate wedding is only one of the options. But decoration, floristry, photographer, car rental, outfits for newlyweds remain on the list of necessities. And if the couple decides to pay attention to all of the above and brings the wedding day to perfection, then in the end the money savings will not be so significant.
