Micro-weddings are rising in popularity for a number of reasons: the restrictions in place due to COVID-19, a passion for minimalism, and the desire for a more intimate moment. To bring some clarity to the whole idea, we spoke to our first ever micro-wedding bride – Teagen – and she shared her experience with planning, hosting and enjoying a very special micro-wedding.

July 7 2019 was a brisk and cool morning, but the atmosphere of Teagen’s bridal suite was anything but. With only one bridesmaid and the skills to do their own hair and makeup, the room was still and peaceful, very different to the usual hustle and bustle of getting wedding-ready.

“Getting ready didn’t take that long,” she says, laughing. “I could have slept more if I hadn’t been so excited.” Most brides can relate to waking with excitement, but not many choose to have only eight guests present for their wedding day.
“Our family and friends are too spread out to be able to easily congregate,” Teagen explains. “Some are in Brisbane, others are in Samoa, or even England and other places. We couldn’t have everyone so we chose to have only a select few. To get it to less than 100 people, it had to be eight people. Any step wider than that and it became a massive group.”

As Teagen walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm with her father, the smile on her face transcended excitement and showed true contentment and peace. The groom’s reaction was one many brides dream of – awe and tears. The eight family members in attendance beamed with emotion as two families were united with a simple “I do.”

With so few people in attendance, it would be safe to assume that the day felt somehow ‘less’ than your usual wedding day, but Teagen says this wasn’t the case.
“It actually made the day really beautiful, calm and peaceful and enjoyable. It allowed us to really fully experience and savour each moment,” she says. The intimacy and family-focus was obvious, from unexpected toasts to stories and jokes featuring the bride and groom’s childhood shenanigans. Laughter burst from the room, warming the space in spite of the winter winds outside.

“We got that feeling of having everyone celebrate with us at our celebration [party] anyway,” Teagen explains, remembering the differences between each moment. “There were people who didn’t come for our celebration that would have been really awful to miss having at the wedding, so I was really glad we didn’t have that stress and emotion along with the ceremony.”

As stressful and busy as planning a wedding can be, planning two is like a walk in the park, Teagen says, saying it was much easier
“Having the micro-wedding removed so many of the usual stresses, pressures and concerns you get with getting married,” she explains. “Even in the planning process, once we made the choice [to have a micro-wedding], we found it to be less stressful and way less work.”

Teagen added that having two separate celebratory moments prolonged the excitement and celebration. “It wasn’t just one day and then it was over; there was more build-up, more excitement, more celebration, more fun, more time with friends and family,” she says.

“It meant that those moments were ongoing in that whole season, rather than ‘Okay you’re married, bye’, you were keeping in touch with everyone, amping them up, and getting ready for the celebration. There was that feeling of ‘Hey! We got married, this is really cool and we’re gonna share and celebrate with everyone’ that went on for three months so that was really cool.”

When all was said and done, Teagen says she doesn’t regret the choice to have a micro-wedding and celebrate with friends and family later at all.
“I think it was the best possible way to do it. I think that a micro-wedding and a delayed celebration has so many benefits, not only for you as the couple getting married but also for your family who are with you in this process and for your friends who want to celebrate with you. It’s just a win-win in so many ways.”

Seeing the smiling faces of Teagen and her new husband’s family and friends as they watched the ceremony and vows via video made it clear: no matter how you watch the ceremony, it’s a heartfelt moment felt by everyone.

Until next time, keep making your special moments unforgettable x