The Micro Wedding of Dreams | Stressfree Venue Transformers

We’ve all been hearing about micro weddings recently, as we try to come to grips with our “new normal” and consider how we may celebrate weddings due to take place whilst restrictions are still in force.

Hitched and 5 Star Wedding Directory, two top influencers within the Wedding Industry, both cite Micro weddings as being amongst one of the top trends predicted for 2021.

In this blog post, Stressfree | The Venue Transformers use examples from our own events to explore some of the ways in which you can make your micro wedding truly spectacular.

1.Be Creative!

Smaller gatherings really lend themselves to being creative with your prop hire and catering equipment. Consider how you can serve drinks and food in a more exciting way, perhaps with a whisky or Prosecco bar, cake or dessert table. Think about poseur tables, portable bar units, barrels, pretty table linen and other furniture.

Rustic barrel poseur table used as a cake display at Farley Estate, Berkshire. Photo credit Sanshine Photography

Dressed poseur table at a photoshoot by Paula Rooney at Farleigh House & Gardens, Hampshire. Photo credit Carey Sheffield. Flowers by Paula Rooney

Rustic table with oversized Retro filament drops and foliage overhead, dressed by our clients for use as a whisky bar for their wedding at Farbridge Barns, West Sussex.

Barrel bar with an overhead installation of pretty lace lanterns in ivory, for a dessert station at Upwaltham Barns, West Sussex.

Rustic barrel bar for a Farbridge Barns wedding. Photo credit Kat Forsyth.

2. Be Bespoke!

Bespoke backdrops are the ultimate way to put your own stamp on proceedings. Whether for a ceremony or reception, these are ideal as a backdrop to your wedding photos, for fun as a selfie/photo backdrop, or they are the perfect solution for partitioning a larger venue into a smaller space.

Consider the use of different fabrics and textures, tie the colour scheme in with your flowers and cake, and let your imagination run riot!

This Neopolitan coloured bespoke installation set the scene for this beautiful wedding at Botley’s Mansion in Surrey, serving for both the ceremony and as a top table backdrop.

Our box-hedge free-standing screen, dressed here with pretty pastel pink flowers and bespoke gold lettering, provided a contemporary “Kate Spade” style backdrop to the cake table for this wedding at Silvermere Golf Club in Surrey.

To partition one of the barns at Upwaltham into a smaller area, our ivory wall drapes with swagged overlay created just the right level of elegance and served also as a backdrop to the dining table. Paired with our ivory ruffle cloth, glass table candelabra and votive candles, the finished effect was both classic and luxurious.

A festoon cascade for this photoshoot at Bonhams Barn, Alton brings light into the space and dresses the end wall of this Barn beautifully.

3. Be Yourselves!

Take the opportunity to style one specific area for your own, personal, mini photo shoot. Does your venue have a gazebo or other garden structure? Perhaps there is an individual room you would love to utilise, but don’t have a need for with your guest numbers?

Our faux foliage archway provides the perfect setting for this mini-shoot at Silvermere Golf Club in Surrey. Photo credit Amanda Duncan.

This modern, minimal, interiors-inspired bespoke backdrop was created to the client’s own design for a wedding at urban venue Trinity Buoy Wharf, London. It served not only as a backdrop for the ceremony and reception, but also doubled as the most exquisite setting for the wedding photos. Photo credit Jessica Williams.

The lakeside gazebo at this Golf Club is a prime location for couples photos. Dressed with fairy lights and our beautiful baroque crystal chandeliers, this provided the perfect spot for some gorgeous individual photos whilst guests were enjoying their drinks reception.

TOP TIP: Think about what your venue has to offer already! Since this photo was taken we have installed permanent lighting at this venue and the gazebo requires little if any additional dressing to provide the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos.

4. Be Intimate!

You may have a larger venue than is required for your numbers, or simply wish to make your space more intimate.

Consider using overhead installations such as filament drops, fairy lights or chandeliers to lower the ceiling space. Use trees or large props such as candelabra to reduce the width of the room. Or drapes, screens and other barriers will enable you to create the exact size space you require.

With possibly only one or two tables to dress, go to town with your table decorations and use all of the space for some super luxe centrepieces.

This stunning light tunnel at Farbridge Barn Chichester transforms a large event space into a sparkly, intimate dining experience. Our baroque chandeliers and cut birch trees further reduce the length of the room and, by dressing the table with storm lantern clusters and foliage, the eye is drawn in and the ceiling lowered.

This stunning private dinner party at Ramster Hall, Chiddingfold uses large candelabra to narrow the room, pinspot lighting to highlight the gorgeous flowers and draw the eye inwards, whilst the uplighters and faux fire provide warmth and ambience, Floral centrepieces by Nordic Twigs.

Overhead filament drops, festoons and foliage garlands, hung low over the tables, reduce the roof height and create a cosy dining experience for this client tasting event. Photo credit Shooting Hip. Flowers by Nordic Twigs. Furniture by Crystal Hire. Stationery by Grey and Copper.

Wisteria is used to create a dense overhead canopy for this dinner party for 6. The use of density continues throughout the candlelit centrepieces for a truly homely ambience.

For this photo shoot, by simply dressing the venue’s own chandelier with faux foliage, the space immediately becomes more welcoming.

This beautiful woodland inspired wedding at Chewton Glen in the New Forest Hampshire uses cut birch trees and drapes to partition the Lake Suite for a smaller wedding. A reveal curtain is later opened for evening dancing. The tables are overfilled with decorations creating a gorgeous, opulent, whimsical look and feel. Photo credit Abi Chadwick. Flowers by Arcade Flowers.

This stunning outside wedding celebration uses a combination of overhead filament drops, candles on the tables and festoons to mark out the party area.

If you have a large space you want to make more intimate, our separate guide will certainly help you: