This 10-Step Micro-Wedding Checklist is Expert Approved

Dreaming of a small wedding? There's magic in saying "I do" surrounded only by a tiny group of your nearest and dearest, and the micro-wedding trend is becoming more popular as couples prioritize quality over quantity. But small doesn't mean you can skip out on planning, and a micro-wedding checklist will make sure you have every one of those special wedding day details carefully planned out.

From setting a budget to finalizing the guest count, you'll still need to spend time and energy on every piece of the wedding planning process, but fewer guests means you can truly dig in on meaningful details. "The beauty of a micro-wedding is it allows you the flexibility to design a unique, personalized experience for you and your guests," says Jodie Michele, owner of micro-wedding venue The Villa in Virginia Beach, Virginia. "The intimate nature of the event allows for logistical creativity outside of the traditional wedding 'template.'"

Want to make sure your micro-wedding is full of heartwarming moments and delightful details? Here's the micro-wedding planning checklist that will take you step-by-step through the process.

In this article:

• What is a Micro-Wedding Checklist?
• Why Should You Use a Micro-Wedding Checklist?
• The Best Micro-Wedding Planning Checklist

What is a Micro-Wedding Checklist?

A micro-wedding checklist helps you tick off every item that goes into planning and executing a smooth event. It includes everything from the initial dreaming and vision boarding to the transportation, the flow of events, and special details like place cards and flowers.

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"Planning a micro-wedding follows the same steps as planning any other wedding—you're still going through the same process and working with many of the same vendors. The main difference is simply the smaller guest count," says Valerie Edwards, owner at Valerie Joy Events based in Bozeman, Montana. "That smaller size can actually work in your favor, allowing you to stretch your budget further, especially when it comes to catering and florals!"

A checklist helps you establish a wedding planning timeline that keeps you on track and guides you through the logistics of setting a budget, choosing vendors, and sticking to the necessary lead times for everything from the dress to florals.

Why Should You Use a Micro-Wedding Checklist?

When you're planning an intimate wedding, a micro-wedding checklist is necessary to ensure that every detail falls perfectly into place. Don't assume that just because the guest count is lower, you'll be able to cruise through the planning process—the size of the guest list doesn't erase the need for everything from catering to music.

"Couples often underestimate the need for structure and flow, assuming a smaller guest count means less coordination. But even an intimate celebration benefits from a detailed timeline and thoughtful planning—especially when food, music or multiple locations are involved," says Lisa Ivler, New Jersey event planner at Lisa Ivler Events, who also suggests planning out a careful timeline.

Michele explains that a checklist is incredibly critical with micro-weddings because these smaller celebrations make it easy to forget some of the details. "Transportation is the most common oversight. If you only have a handful of guests coming in from out of town, it's easy to overlook transportation to and from the venue," Michele says.

The Best Micro-Wedding Planning Checklist

To keep your micro-wedding planning process running smoothly, follow these ten steps that take you from the initial dreaming and planning stages through the small details that make all the difference on your big day. Here's how to start planning a micro-wedding.

Design: Falak Khoja

1. Develop a Clear Vision

Before you even begin thinking about budget, venues and guest counts, start imagining what you want your wedding day to look and feel like. Nearly any type of wedding can be transformed into an intimate celebration, so dream big. What kind of backdrop do you imagine? Do you have a dress in mind? What are your favorite wedding flowers? Ivler recommends, "Start with a clear vision of what you and your partner want the day to feel like. Is it intimate, elegant, casual, adventurous?"

2. Set a Budget

Next, take a step back and get realistic about what is possible within your budget. This will help guide you through everything, from finding your venue and vendors to determining your exact guest count. Don't begin looking at specifics until you have your budget in mind.

"The cost of a micro-wedding can vary significantly, but the average is $10,000–$15,000," Michele says. "By focusing on what is important to you and being mindful of how you spend, you can create an intimate and meaningful celebration on any budget."

"Many couples choose to work with a planner to help them stay on track with both logistics and budget," Ivler adds.

3. Choose a Date

The date is perhaps the second most important piece of planning, right behind the budget. This will inform everything from venue availability to the theme of the wedding, including the flowers and catering. In some cases, you might pick the venue first, then choose a date from their availability, but often, couples will end up with the venue that is available on their desired date.

4. Pick a Venue

When you're planning a micro-wedding, you have more flexibility in the type of venue you choose. A small wedding venue doesn't need to be a traditional event space. You could consider renting out a bed-and-breakfast, booking a small restaurant or even hosting your celebration in a bookstore. This is where you can get creative.

5. Book Your Vendors

Your venue may have preferred vendors, or you could have the flexibility to select your own. Either way, a small wedding allows you to get creative with the vendors you choose and splurge on the areas that really matter to you. Take advantage of that smaller size! Edwards explains, "Catering and the bar are two areas where a micro-wedding really shines. With a smaller group, you can treat your guests to a beautiful plated dinner or even a multi-course meal—something that's much harder to pull off with a guest list of 100 or more."

6. Finalize Your Guest List

A micro-wedding likely has only your closest friends and family in attendance. Spend time thinking about who you want by your side and who you can't imagine the celebration going on without. "The guest list for a micro-wedding generally starts with immediate family and close friends. With the smaller wedding, many of the guests will know each other, so limiting 'plus-ones' is often an option," Michele says.

7. Create a Game Plan for Logistics

From transportation to music to coordinating the officiant, you have to think about all of the specifics that go into a wedding day, even if your celebration is smaller. You still need to plan out the wedding day timeline carefully and think about how you'll move people from one space to the next.

"I always recommend adding items like selecting attire, and having a weather contingency plan, especially if part of the celebration is outdoors. These practical steps help keep everything smooth and stress-free," Ivler says.

8. Build a Wedding Website and Registry

Even if you have a smaller wedding, people in your extended circle will still want to celebrate you! Don't neglect building a wedding website and registry just because your guest list is so small that you can easily add them to a group text. Include a registry for those who may want to send a gift from afar, and build all the wedding details into a website that's password-protected (even your best friends may not want to text you the day before the wedding asking for a reminder about the rehearsal dinner start time!).

9. Send Save-the-Dates and Invitations

The beauty of a smaller wedding is, again, in the details. You could splurge on stunning paper for the save-the-dates and invitations that might seem out of reach if you had 200 people on the guest list. Of course, you can also go the opposite route and go with an online invitation if that feels more in line with your vision. Either way, send these out on a normal wedding timeline since it's even more critical to get your wedding day on loved ones' calendars when you have a more intimate guest list.

10. Work on the Details

The advantage of a small wedding is that you have the bandwidth (and the budget) to pour into every detail. There are upgrades that you might not be able to execute on a 300-person scale, but you can absolutely pull off with just 30 people. "As a planner, I love helping couples use the flexibility of a micro-wedding to infuse creativity into every detail, making the day feel entirely their own," Ivler says.

She recommends leaning into personalization and including heartfelt moments throughout the day. "With a smaller group, you have the opportunity to create meaningful moments and custom touches. This could include things like handwritten notes, curated playlists, welcome gifts or favorite meals served family-style," Ivler says.