Ever since a certain virus flipped the world on its head in 2020, smaller, more intimate weddings have become more and more popular. Whether it’s in the form of a solo elopement, or today’s topic of micro weddings, these intimate celebrations have become some of my favorite to document here in Colorado! More than that though, my husband and I actually chose to have a micro wedding ourselves, so I have some extreme firsthand experience here!! If you’ve ever considered having a micro wedding yourself, or you want to learn more about them to see what they’re all about, this article is for you!

What is a Micro Wedding?

So what exactly IS a micro wedding? You can probably guess from the name, but really it is a wedding day that generally speaking has under 40 guests. The smaller wedding size may be the main criteria in order to make a wedding a micro wedding, but there is MUCH more appeal to these celebrations than just their smaller guest size, which we'll get into here!!

Why You Should Have a Micro Wedding in Colorado

As I mentioned above, my husband and I had a micro wedding in Telluride, Colorado and absolutely LOVED it! It was everything we dreamt it would be, and honestly wouldn’t have been possible to do exactly how we wanted with a more traditional size wedding. With micro weddings, there’s a lot of freedom to create the day that you want. From the way your ceremony and reception flow, to where your wedding takes place, things are just easier to plan when there’s less people involved!

As an example, Telluride is around a 6 hour drive from Denver. For anyone planning a destination wedding here in Colorado, flying to the state is already a big ask, and then adding a 6 hour drive on top of that is understandably pretty overwhelming when you have hundreds of guests attending. With a micro wedding though, only you and 40ish of your loved ones will have to make the trek! Combine that with the freedom of your timeline creation, ceremony layout, reception schedule, etc. and you can see why this option is SO appealing to so many couples!!

How to Plan Your Micro Wedding in Colorado

Define Your Guest List

One of the first steps you’ll want to take in planning your Colorado micro wedding is defining your guest list. Much like with more traditional weddings, the guest list is going to guide a LOT of the decision making throughout the planning process! As previously mentioned, a micro wedding is technically any wedding with under 40 guests, but there aren’t really hard set rules here. If you have 41 guests nobody’s going to say you didn’t have a micro wedding!

A smaller guest count is still necessary though if you do want to have a micro wedding, so you’ll have to be somewhat selective with your guest list. Once you have a list of the people you want present for your wedding day you’ll then be able to decide when and where to have it!

Decide When to Have Your Wedding in Colorado

There’s a case for having your wedding during any season here in Colorado, which is both a blessing and a curse! On the one hand you’re sure to have a great time and experience some of the serene beauty this lovely state has to offer, but on the flip side it’s just really hard to choose between them!! That’s not to say that every season is perfect for everyone. Each season has its own pros and cons, and you likely have your own preference when it comes to things like temperature, the setting of your wedding, and ease of travel. If you want a complete breakdown of the seasons here in Colorado, and which to choose for the date of your micro wedding, check out this article!

Choose a Location in Colorado

One of the best things about having a micro wedding in Colorado is the sheer amount of options you have when it comes to the ‘where’ for your day! What are you and your partner envisioning for your wedding? Are you at a venue? A house? Something more natural? What’s the vibe that you two both want for your day? Are you in the bustling city of Denver, atop the snowcapped mountains, standing on the shores of a crystal clear lake? Whatever you’re after, there’s assuredly plenty of options for every style imaginable here in Colorado. Some of my favorites include Hotel Teatro for anyone looking for a city vibe, Woodland Mosaic at the Denver Botanic Gardens for those looking for something a little more natural, or any one of these 10 other favorites I have on the blog!

One key thing to keep in mind when it comes to your chosen location, especially for those planning a destination wedding here in Colorado, is the distance of your location from Denver. You and your guests are all likely going to be flying in to Denver’s airport, which is important to know for logistics planning. Especially if you want older guests like your grandparents present, consider choosing a location closer to Denver to keep things easier for them!

Book Your Micro Wedding Vendors

If you’ve read some of my elopement planning articles, then you know that these celebrations give you a ton of freedom when it comes to what vendors you actually need for your day. Micro weddings are similar in this sense, though there are some additional vendors that are more necessary here than they are with an elopement, especially when it comes to catering. With a micro wedding you’re much more likely to have a more traditional reception, so catering is a MUST! Whether that’s through booking a private chef, full service catering, or booking a restaurant for the reception is up to you, but it’s definitely something you’ll want taken care of for you and your guests to enjoy!

In addition to catering, some other vendors you’re going to want to book for your micro wedding include:

Photographer
Venue(s)
Hair and Makeup Artist(s)
Florist

Some additional vendors that could enhance the experience of your day include:

Planner
Coordinator
Videographer
Entertainment
Rentals
Transportation

For anyone looking for a full breakdown of what each vendor brings to the day, and when to book them in the planning process, check out this article of mine!

Decide How You’ll Include Your Loved Ones

Something that makes micro weddings special is how much more time you have to actually be present with your guests! With larger weddings you really only have time to say hello and thank you to someone before it feels like you need to move on to the next guest. Micro weddings allow you to actually be present with your guests and really enjoy their company! This gives you the freedom of including them into the different parts of the day that YOU want. Do you want a private ceremony where they join you later for the reception? Do you just want to do a private first look and have them there for your ceremony and vows? Be intentional with how you include your loved ones into your wedding day to ensure that you both enjoy it to the fullest!!

Create the Timeline of Your Wedding

Last, but not least, I want to talk about the timeline of your Colorado micro wedding! Much like more traditional weddings, and elopements as well, your micro wedding timeline is incredibly important to the overall flow, feel, and function of your day. It’s the roadmap that you’ll follow throughout the day that guides you through all the important moments, making sure that you include everything you wanted to within your day. The great thing about micro weddings is that there’s a lot more freedom when it comes to creating your timeline. Whether that’s from starting the day earlier, the need for less portrait photos, or a the more relaxed feel in general, it’s something that’s thankfully much less stressful than larger sized weddings. Bookmark this article for when you’re creating the timeline of your day to make sure you take everything into account!!

Those are my tips on how to plan a micro wedding here in Colorado! To see a closer look at what these celebrations can look like check out Elizabeth a nd Alex’s day that I just recently wrote about. For more wedding planning tips be sure to check out some of my other articles on the blog, and if you’re ready to book me as your micro wedding photographer you can send me an inquiry through my contact page today!!