What is it like when your guest list goes from

120 wedding guests to 30?

Well, we do find ourselves in interesting times, don’t we? If you’re planning a wedding in 2021, I’m sure you are totally over all the stress and uncertainty at a time that should just be full of excitement and anticipation. Wedding planning right now is not for the feint of hear. I know some of you are facing the decision to postpone AGAIN and I know some of you are starting to feel like giving up altogether.

I get it. We all feel like: “Let’s go to the Winchester, have a nice cold pint, and wait for this all to blow over”.

One difficult decision some wedding couples may find themselves with is whether to postpone again or go ahead with fewer guests than planned. Whilst I can’t help you make that decision, I can tell you a little bit about what that might look like.

In the summer of 2020 there was a tiny moment when things relaxed a little, when we could taste a tiny bit of normal and escape house arrest for a little while. This happened to be the time when Natalie and Dan were due to tie the knot with 120 loved ones in attendance. Their perfect day was planned from the hair and make up artists coming to pamper the girls in the morning to the band they’d dance the night away to in the evening.

Like true romantics, Dan and Natalie just wanted to be married, so they took the plunge to go ahead with the wedding, with safety measures in place and a greatly reduced guest list. And you know what? The result was a beautiful, intimate day.

With a smaller guest list, Natalie and Dan could really relax and spend the day enjoying the company of their absolute nearest and dearest. From a photographer’s point of view, fewer guests meant less formal photography and more chance to get to know this wonderful couple and their guests and really be like a friend they’d invited to the day. Just one with a really good camera.

Stubton Hall is a grand and impressive building but the team worked hard to make it perfect for this more intimate affair, creating a really relaxed and cosy atmosphere. Aimee from Velvet Rose Events helped the couple really make the place their own with thoughtful and creative styling.

The sun shone, so everyone could enjoy drinks and canapes outside (fewer guests also meant more canapes for everyone – bonus!) Without loads of guests and an evening do to prepare for, Dan and Natalie could really enjoy a relaxed meal with everyone without any pressure.

And what could be more romantic than an impromptu dance in the moonlight?!

There’s no doubt that there were guests that were sorely missed on the day. Towards the end of the evening, everyone was called into the bar for one final surprise. A video message from all the missing friends and family, sending the happy couple all their love. And yes, we ALL cried.

So, maybe a smaller wedding isn’t for you and I can TOTALLY understand why the idea of a big party might seem more appealing than ever right now. But, before that’s possible, there may be another time when smaller events can happen and as Natalie and Dan showed me, this can be truly magical.