How to have a Micro Wedding With Maximum Joy and Love 

We all know 2020 was not the easiest of years. But, despite it all, some of my gorgeous couples managed to celebrate their love and get married! 2020 saw the rise of the “micro wedding”, for obvious reasons. While the idea might fill some with horror, I’m showing you this stunning wedding with Sophie & Grant today to show small can be perfect too. Here’s how to have a micro wedding with maximum joy and love Sophie-n-Grant-style!

Meet Our Intrepid Couple

Sophie & Grant are the most positive, upbeat and sweet couple you could ever hope to meet. They are your classic “high school sweethearts”. Can we get a big ‘Awwwww’? They met at school and have been inseparable since. I can’t get over how adorable that is! We met the year before their wedding at the gorgeous little Honeypot Cafe in my village – Sophie’s parents live in the same village unbelievably, as no-one’s ever heard of it!

I loved hearing a little bit about their relationship, what they did, how they met, some of their adventures and even more during their speeches because it’s the loveliest of stories. It seems Grant had tried very hard to get Sophie’s attention from the first moment they met. He’d joined all sorts of after-school clubs and started lots of new hobbies all in a bit to woo her. Cute, much? They finally started dating and, ten years later, Grant proposed to Sophie on holiday in the Cotswolds.

I’m convinced it’s that great attitude of theirs that made this wedding happen! Sophie and Grant wanted their wedding to be intimate, romantic and very, very joyful, which is precisely what they got.

Micro Wedding With Maximum Love

Sophie and Grant first got in touch with me in 2019. They had initially planned a much larger wedding. But, when restrictions came into force, this couple went with it. They were determined to get married, in whatever form that might be. And so 120 guests became 30, and they made adjustments so they could still have the day they dreamed of, in a slightly different form.

They’d planned their ceremony to take place at St Nicholas Church in Crawley and, once the go-ahead came from the church, it was all systems go! And their reception venue, Jeremy’s Restaurant in Borde Hill, was ready for action too. 

Sophie spent the morning getting ready at her family’s home. Unfortunately, it was decided that I wouldn’t cover this, but that was a small sacrifice to make. I started at the church and was ready and waiting for Sophie when she arrived with her Dad. With the number of guests and the church’s size, there was enough space for people to sit in their little bubbles. This meant they didn’t have to wear their masks during the ceremony. And the female vicar did a fantastic job of the service. 

I especially loved the added touch of the organist playing ‘All You Need Is Love’ as they left the church, Sophie and Grant’s favourite song. I also loved the gent sitting in the churchyard playing a recording of the church bells. I assume that was down to restrictions too, but who knows? After group photos and a physically distanced confetti line, our couple and their families headed to Jeremy’s to celebrate.

An Intimate Celebration

Jeremy’s is a beautiful place. It’s got a kind of old style French chateau feel to it with the most stunning gardens. The guests enjoyed an outdoor drinks reception and, while they were mingling, I whisked Sophie and Grant off for some couple photos. 

From the very beginning, one of the key requests this couple made for their photos was to have some taken at Balcombe Viaduct. The couple had walked there often, and Sophie really loved the architecture and beauty of the spot. Of course I said yes and did a reccy the week before the wedding on my own. It made for the most dramatic backdrop and with that gorgeous soft late summer light, it was so much fun to capture.

The arrangements for Sophie and Grant’s reception were so well planned. They laid on an afternoon tea, speeches were made, and the glorious naked cake was cut. Then, once all the official bits were done, most of the guests said their goodbyes and the immediate family only, gathered for an intimate evening dinner. I thought this was such a lovely touch to what could have been a weird situation in very strange times. It was so well managed and accentuated that feeling of love and joy about the whole day, despite a crazy pandemic going on. It all worked perfectly, and it was one of the loveliest weddings I photographed in a long time.

Small Yet Perfectly Formed

What can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed capturing this intimate, lovely wedding. There was a tangible joy that Sophie and Grant were still able to have the kind of wedding they wanted, albeit a little smaller than planned. Everything they wanted they got. All the most important people were there, and it was a perfect celebration for this totally gorgeous, loved-up couple.

It might have been a micro wedding, but it was perfectly formed. It still had all the feels and all the joy, regardless of its size. Are you thinking about having a micro wedding? Then get in touch and let’s have a chat. You know where to find me – contact me here!