So you don’t want a huge wedding, but you still want to invite loved ones. Cue the micro wedding! Micro weddings are typically 35 or less guests.
You want to do something fun and memorable, but you’re not quite sure what to do. Don’t worry — I hear you, and I am here to help! I have made some timeline examples to help you plan your micro wedding. I hope this will get those creative juices flowing, and you truly see that you can do whatever the hell you want!
I’m going to go through what a micro wedding can look like with 4, 8, and 12 hours. I think that you will be surprised at how easy it is to fill your day! Shoot, you may decide you want to add on more time!
12 Hour Full Day Elopement Timeline
Let’s start with that big one — a whole 12 hour day. I know what you’re thinking… There’s NO WAY we could come up with enough to do for 12 hours! Well, let me show you one of many timeline examples for a 12 hour elopement day:
- 11:00-12:00: You have brunch with your families and wedding party. You’ll need to fuel up for your big day! I arrive and take a few photos of you all brunching.
- 12:00-2:00: You get ready. If you’ve hired a HMUA, they come in and help you get ready. During this time I’ll take photos of both of you getting ready. I can also take some detail shots at this time like of your rings and invitations, for instance.
- 2:00-2:30: Then we do a first look at your cabin. Now that you’re ready and done up and it’s time for your partner to see you for the first time in your wedding attire! (You can totally skip this and do the first look at the ceremony and this can be a first look with a loved one!)
- 2:30-3:30: We head to your ceremony location up in the mountains, stopping at a few places along the way since the scenery is so amazing.
- 3:30-4:00: We get to your ceremony location where your guests are waiting.
- 4:00-4:30: You have your ceremony and say your vows to each other. Then we have your officiant and witnesses sign your marriage license.
- 4:30-5:30: Afterwards, we take photos with your guests and wedding party.
- 5:30-6:30: Then I steal you away to take some epic photos and your loved ones head to where your reception is going to take place. You can do a cocktail hour for them while we take photos
- 6:30-7:30: We head to the reception.
- 7:30-9:30: Reception! You have dinner, toasts and speeches, first dance, cutting of the cake
- 9:30: Everyone enjoys some drinks around a fire and relaxes.
- 10:00-11:00: I steal you away for a nighttime session under the star. Coverage ends at 11:00.
8 Hour Half Day Timeline
12 hours sounds like a lot and you want time to rest a little more during the day. That is okay! 8 hours might be a better fit for you then. Here is an example for an 8 hour micro wedding day.
- 2:00-4:00: You get ready for the day at the venue. I take photos of you getting ready and grab some detail shots.
- 4:00-5:00: Do separate wedding party photos (Partner 1 with their people and Partner 2 with theirs)
- 5:00-5:30: Ceremony. Guests are already seated. First look happens at ceremony.
- 5:30-6:30: Photos with wedding party and family.
- 6:30-7:30: Sunset photos with just the two of you. Cocktail hour for your guests.
- 7:30-10:00: Reception! Dinner, toasts, cake, dancing. Coverage ends at 10:00
You had the whole morning to relax and you get to party all evening with your loved ones. But maybe you want to do an earlier wedding day. Here’s an example of a morning wedding and a luncheon!
- 7:00-7:30: You two have coffee and/or breakfast together wherever you are staying. I show up to take some photos of your first moments together on your wedding day.
- 7:30-9:00: You get ready for the day. I take photos of you getting ready and grab some detail shots.
- 9:00-9:30: Head to venue.
- 9:30-10:00: Ceremony!
- 10:00-11:00: Photos with wedding party and family.
- 11:00-1:00: Luncheon celebration. Eat lunch, speeches, and cake.
- 2:00-3:00: We go take photos of just the two of you. Coverage ends at 3:00
Now you have the whole rest of your day to relax! Take a nap if you want since you had such an early start. And enjoy the rest of the day! I’d recommend having a nice dinner to celebrate that evening, just the two of you.
4 Hour Mini Sunset Elopement Timeline
4 hours is perfect for just a ceremony and shorter reception. This is a great option if you just want a small and simple celebration with no frills! Here is another one of my timeline examples for a micro wedding.
- 4:00-4:30: I show up right before the ceremony. Ceremony starts at 4:00.
- 4:30-5:30: Photos with family and wedding party
- 5:30-6:30: Afterwards, we go off and take some photos of just the two of you.
- 6:30-8:00: Celebration dinner wherever you choose. Coverage ends at 8:00. You can still keep partying after!
Whether you are looking to celebrate all day long or something more relaxed but with amazing views, there’s something for everyone. I will help you come up with a custom timeline for your day, based on what you want to do and what your budget allows.
Need more help on planning your micro wedding? Head over to some of my other blog posts for more helpful tips!
