Obviously at this point I don’t need to tell anyone reading this that the wedding industry has been greatly effected by COVID-19.
I also don’t need to tell you that we were promoting elopements and tiny weddings long before they were trending. The term “micro wedding” is something I’m hearing more and more these days. So what does that mean? A micro wedding refers to a smaller less traditional wedding that usually involved less than 20ish guests. Did these types of weddings exist long before Covid? Yes. It’s only now that they’ve taken on this term and we’re seeing more couples embrace them and national outlets start to cover them.
So for those couples that have had to postpone their larger events or those who were planning something small all along this might be the perfect option! If you’re someone who can’t imagine getting married without your parents or siblings or closest friends, but don’t want a huge wedding, then a micro wedding is for you!
So we want to inspire you with a few microweddings from the last couple months that prove that scaling down doesn’t mean sacrificing the perfect wedding day. Just the opposite in fact. You will get to spend more time on the best day ever with the best people ever!
Check out how these 6 couples rolled with the punches and pulled off amazing days. The info and stories included are from the photographers and planners!
Sam + Nicole
Yes, their wedding was affected by Coronavirus but good gosh these two truly hit the nail on the head with a simple ceremony to include their parents and then venture off for alone time in those gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains.
From the beginning of our conversations, I knew Sam & Nicole would easily be one of my favorite and unforgettable couples. Not only because of how their day unfolded but because they chose King Family Vineyard for their ceremony and then journey into Shenandoah National Park for some epic mountain photos.The tricky part though… Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway were both closed! Yep, those iconic and normally accessible Blue Ridge Mountain views were untouchable. But with a little help from Google Maps, I found the prettiest of spots comparable for the situation and even had myself in awe over the outcome. Surrounded by little family and lots of nature, the love they share was evident through tears of joys and lots of laughter.
Couples Photo Location: Shenandoah National Park
Sharrone + Dale
Midori + Alex
Midori and Alex had a big wedding planned for 2022, but when Midori’s grandmother’s health began to fail, they knew they needed to push up their date. “Plan B” of an intimate wedding of 40 guests quickly turned into “Plan C” as their state’s COVID-19 mandates weren’t changing to allow over 5 people at a wedding. In only a month, these two planned a lovely elopement that fit their vision and were able to have her grandmother (and many friends and family via Zoom) witness their marriage.
Photography: Julie Haider Photography
Venue: Los Poblanos Historic Inn + Organic Farm
Flowers: Florecita
Heather + Hugo
Nicolle + Jacob
Ashlee + Hunter
Hunter & Ashlee planned to get married June 6th, 2020 and that’s exactly the way they kept it. Location, guest list and such might have changed but one thing remained the same, their promise to each other. As a Virginia elopement photographer, I’ve seen so many couples choose love over fear these last few months and I just want to give them all a round of applause.
Instead of getting married at their wedding venue with a multitude of guests, they invited their closest friends and family to Hunter’s family lake house. They started their elopement by getting ready in the simplest of ways before their first look down by Smith Mountain Lake. After Ashlee & Hunter said their vows on the lower dock, they shared their first kiss as onlookers cheered from across the cove!
For Hunter & Ashlee’s elopement, the saying “when it rains, it pours” doesn’t just apply to metaphorically though, it applies literally! What started as a gorgeous calm day for their elopement at Smith Mountain Lake quickly grew into racing storms and ended with one of the most indescribable sunsets I’ve ever witnessed. For Hunter & Ashlee’s summer elopement at Smith Mountain Lake and the Blue Ridge Parkway, their pictures are worth a thousand words and a legacy to live for generations to come!
Couples Photo Location: Blue Ridge Parkway
