Having a small guest list doesn’t mean you have to think small when it comes to entertaining your guests.

Whether you’re dreaming of a reception that has your guests dancing to the sounds of a live wedding band or you prefer something more subdued like a jazz trio during a cocktail reception, there is no reason an intimate wedding should make you scale back on your wedding entertainment plans.

In fact, with all that money you’ll save on having fewer guests, it will be easier to pull out all the stops when it comes to entertaining your guests. Here are just a few ideas to get your juices flowing:

1. Mix and mingle artists like close-up magicians are a, well, magical way to dazzle, break the ice, and move the conversation into free-flow mode. Perfect for drinks receptions and wedding breakfasts, where they’ll perform to small and not-so-small groups.

2. Post-ceremony refreshments? Yes please! A pop-up cocktail bar is a quirky way to stay lubricated. Your bartender can design bespoke cocktails for – and named after – the happy couple, and stock all your favourite tipples.

 3. Solo singers come in all forms, from classical to jazz, swing, and even singer-guitarists, and make a breath-taking accompaniment to your ceremony, drinks reception and breakfast. For a fuller sound, opt for a duo or trio vocal harmony group.

4.  Roaming acoustic bands like The Stringfellows can be chilled or lively, from fun folk to smooth jazz – the choice is yours! They’ll wander among your guests and some will take requests, perfectly tailoring their set to your crowd.

5. Stylish and sophisticated, classical musicians like harpists or string quartets can turn their hand from masterpieces to modern chart tracks and movie hits in an instant. They’re perfect mood-setters for your ceremony and ambient atmosphere at your drinks reception and wedding breakfast.

Visit Alive Network to start your wedding entertainment search for your intimate wedding.

Photo One: Andrew Billington Photography Photo Two: Alive Network; Photo Three: Alive Network; Photo Four: Andrew Billington Photography

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Looking for some swoon-worthy DIY wedding inspo? Katie and Ethan’s California wedding is brimming with gorgeous handmade details, from the paper bridesmaid bouquets to the succulent bouts.

This couple tied the knot in front of the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, surrounded by their closest family and friends. The bride and groom broke tradition and wrote the vows themselves. The touching vows left many of the guests in (happy) tears. After the ceremony the wedding party took a trolley to the reception venue, San Ysidro Ranch. The reception dinner was held under the trees, which were decorated with thousands of twinkle lights. The reception featured a gorgeous table setting featuring DIY centerpieces by the bride, and best of all, a surprise appearance by an a capella group, arranged by Katie’s dad. 

Thanks to Kaitie Brainerd Photography for capturing every special moment so beautifully.

Katie, 33 & Ethan, 37

Location: Santa Barbara, CA

Wedding Date: September 22, 2017

Number of Guests: 28

Wedding Cost: $15,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Santa Barbara Courthouse, Sunken Gardens

Wedding Reception Location: Cocktail Hour: Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort, Main Reception: San Ysidro Ranch

Why did you have an intimate wedding? 

We loved the idea of being able to have a long day that felt like we could talk to everyone for long periods of time without missing a beat!  We also just bought our dream home earlier in the year and didn’t want to go crazy on massive amounts of wedding costs.  We knew that we could make it a really special day with our budget and small group.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding? 

The only challenge was to tell guests who expected to be invited that we were having a really intimate wedding with immediate family only!  Other than that, it was so fun planning!

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

Nope, immediate family, his cousin who married us and his best friend that was there on the trip that we met!

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We simply said, this is what we are doing.  We let them down easy but with a house purchase and a big year, they understood.

What were the highlights of the ceremony? 

We had his best friend play guitar at the ceremony but our favorite part were the vows.  We broke tradition and wrote our own and we received so many compliments and sweet words from the guests on how much they loved them.  Had quite a few in tears!

What were the highlights of the reception? 

The intimacy, the whole ambience, the decor, the unique style of the resort that everyone just loved.  They all got a chance to walk the grounds and it was just so special.  A lot of it was DIY – I made the bridesmaids and flower girls flowers myself out of paper.  I always wanted one large oversized flower for us!  I got my flower made by a local shop.  I also made all of the centerpieces and groomsmen boutonniere’s out of fake succulents.  My husband and I made the wedding favors for the adults together.  Home made olive oil, sealed up the bottles with a kit we bought off Amazon and the labels from an Etsy vendor.  I made the kids favors as well – they had a check list, a disposable camera and gummy worms…also known as their “Love Bugs.”  They had a blast taking a bunch of photos!

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding? 

It FELT like a long day which was amazing!  I didn’t want it to fly by!  We got to chat with everyone and they all felt so included!  Plus, we felt like we had an incredible wedding without spending so much money!

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding? 

DO IT.  So, so many people told us that they had wished they had done it themselves for financial reasons.  It was absolutely wonderful and I wouldn’t change anything about it for the world!

Vendors:

Photographer: Kaitie Brainerd Photography

Tuxedo and Mens Attire: Indochino

Transportation: Santa Barbara Trolley

Invitation Designer: The Seridoodle Paper Co.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Revelry

Ceremony Venue: Santa Barbara Courthouse; Sunken Gardens

Reception Venue: Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort; San Ysidro Ranch

Dress Designer: Blush by Hayley Paige

Little details make a big difference when it comes to party planning. From sassy pins to Beyonce drinkware, these fabulous items will elevate your bachelorette party from ordinary to extraordinary! 

This champagne sign from lisagolightly will be the highlight of your drink bar… besides the actual drinks, of course!

Show your love of Beyonce with these gold glass decals from BespokeBrideShop. Your drinks will be all over Insta’.

Sip in style with this Prosecco teacup from yvonneellen.

Remind everyone why you’re celebrating with this gorgeous bachelorette veil from Bachette.

Let your sass shine through with these fantastic pins from LetsWearDresses.

These sugar cookies from HollyFoxDesign are awesome!

This stunning blush and rose gold book from supersweetparty can be filled with Polaroids and advice for the bride. Everyone will love contributing, and you will treasure it forever!

Your girls will love this eye-catching accessory from IdlewildCo.

At less than $2 each, you can’t go wrong with these unbearably cute Rosé gummies from emmaflhair.

Help everyone recover from a night of celebrating with these hangover kits from SouthernAnchorShop.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links.

Lavender is the perfect shade for every season. It pairs beautifully with everything from icy winter blues to warm summer yellows. From stunning wedding dresses to breathtaking engagement rings, these eight details make it easy to include lavender in your wedding color palette.

The breezy skirt, the lace detailing, the beautiful buttons… This wedding gown from CathyTelle could not get any more magnificent!

Made with soft lace and 20 meters of airy tulle, this pastel lavender dress from ReevBridal is truly luxurious.

Fact: bridesmaids always look good in lavender. Your girls will love this one shoulder pale lavender dress, and wear it time and time again after the wedding.

Let the groom in on the fun too! He’ll look dashing in this lavender tie from staghandmade.

This luxe dusty lavender ribbon from LinenLark will inspire you to add lavender touches to EVERYTHING, from wedding favors to your ceremony backdrop.

This bespoke lavender velvet ring box from VoeuDuCoeur is almost as gorgeous as the ring it will be holding!

Featuring two diamonds, a lavender sapphire and a rose gold band, we can’t believe that this engagement ring from EnveroJewelry is under $500!

This dazzling engagement ring from EnveroJewelry will attract loads of compliments.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links.

When your parents have a private estate on Manitoulin Island with a view of the lake, the decision to get married there is a no-brainer! Zeke and Kelly’s wedding was a beautiful, laid-back affair, complete with a wildflower bouquet, a barefoot bride and a ceremony on Zeke’s parents’ porch.

Kudos to Lushana Bale Photography for capturing this idyllic cottage wedding.

Kelly & Zeke

Location: Manitoulin Island, Ontario

Wedding Date: August 26,  2017

Number of Guests: 48

Wedding Cost: $12,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Moonset Farms, Manitoulin Island, Canada (In-laws home on Lake Manitou)

Wedding Reception Location: Moonset Farms, Manitoulin Island, Canada (In-laws home on Lake Manitou)

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We wanted to get married at my in-laws and they live about 6 hours away from where most of our guests would be coming from. It was basically a semi-destination wedding because guests arrived on the Friday night, we had the rehearsal dinner, breakfast and then the wedding on the Saturday and a bon voyage breakfast on the Sunday. Both my husband and I come from large families so we knew we only wanted those who were very close to us at the wedding.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

Location was the hardest. Finding the caterer and portable toilets was our biggest challenge. Luckily we had a two year engagement so I had a lot of time to fine-tune the details and figure it all out.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

There is a resort next-door to my in-laws place where our guests stayed. We had to basically find out how many people could sleep in the various cabins and come up with our guest list based on number of cabins and numbers of beds per cabin. It was easy to separate our families and friends into cabins based on who they knew.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

As soon as we decided we wanted a small wedding at my in-laws, everyone who asked about the wedding was informed it was going to be small and intimate. We had an engagement party two months after we got engaged and it was a chance for those who were not coming to the wedding to celebrate with us. Luckily we didn’t get any awkward questions such as: “Why didn’t I get an invite?”

What were the highlights of the ceremony? 

We were so lucky to have amazing weather. Our dogs were walking around the whole time, and one even jumped into the lake as we were saying our vows on the dock in front of the water. It was very casual and relaxed.

What were the highlights of the reception? 

The food! We had a pig roast provided by a local farmer. It was so good and it was so nice sitting with all our loved ones, eating, listening to the toasts, and laughing together. After dinner, everyone walked back to their cabins and changed into their sweat pants and hoodies. I loved watching our guests be comfortable, relaxed and having a good time. 

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding? 

Being able to talk and hang out with everyone. Unlike my engagement party, where I felt like I was being pulled in every direction, at our wedding we had so many chances to talk and laugh with our guests. 

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding? 

Do it. It is less expensive and worth it. You don’t need a big flashy wedding to celebrate your love. 

Vendors:

Photography: Lushana Bale 

Wedding Dress: Essence of Australia

Lace shoes: Gloves by Jana 

Hair and Makeup: DIY by the bride

Groom’s Shirt: RW&CO

Groom’s Pants: Levi’s

Suspenders and tie: Handmade by Emy 

Caesar bar: More Than Just Baskets  

Flowers: Petals Flower Co. 

Signs: Winners & Homesense

Jewelry: LeChateau

Custom made bean bag toss: BUGS Boutique  

Guest Accommodations: Timberlane Lodges  

Film Processing: Photovision