The scaled-down weddings of last year are likely to continue as a trend this year, say industry experts, but that isn’t necessarily bad news.
Lori Stephenson, owner of Chicago-based LOLA Event Productions, says less can be more. Stephenson says a guest list of 150 is now an average size as compared to 200-250 a few years ago.
There is also a noticeable increase in guests turning down wedding invites. The decline rate has gone from an expected 10-20 per cent to 25 per cent or more, Stephenson said.
But smaller wedding sizes open the opportunity to look at creative venues like heritage homes, restaurants and loft spaces, not just traditional hotel ballrooms and halls.
Alternative venues that showcase the bride and groom’s interests and passions can offer a unique setting. Stephenson suggests art lovers should consider a gallery; and wine enthusiasts should investigate a restaurant that specializes in wine and tasting plates.
Stephenson says with fewer people attending, you can also maximize little touches like hotel amenity gifts or inviting out-of-town guests to a pre-nuptial cocktail party the evening before the wedding. Another nice touch is making the weekend about more than just the wedding with a complimentary site-seeing outing like an architectural cruise or a museum visit the morning of the wedding.
Source: Here
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