With restrictions in place due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gatherings and celebrations like weddings have taken a hit.

What was traditionally a large-scale social event shared with family and friends has become a more close-knit affair – the micro wedding.

A micro wedding is an intimate thing, usually with no more than 50 guests, whereas a typical wedding would have a guest list at least three times larger.

Krista Clarke, Operating Manager at Party Events and Co Ltd, believes this trend is here to stay.

While Clarke has temporarily taken a step back from event planning, she said she’s done several micro weddings, which have grown in popularity over the course of the pandemic.

She said the main draw of the micro wedding is the true intimacy of the scaled-down occasion.

“Right now, because you’re only allowed to have 10 people at gatherings, a micro wedding is perfect. It’s just the bride and the groom, parents from both sides, the priest and maybe a photographer, and a close friend or two.

You’re celebrating this milestone with your absolute closest friends and family.”

Clarke said another part of the allure of the micro wedding is that couples have been able to do a lot more in this smaller setting.

While they may not be saving on their budget, she said couples have made the best of the opportunity and done something “really special”.

“This opens the doors to a lot more customised things. Couples get to scale up their décor, they can have cute photo opportunities, and they can give beautiful, heartfelt, memorable tokens that really commemorate how special the union is.

They have the option to splurge. If they decide on having a bar, they can expand the drinks menu to have a wider range of mixed drinks available.”

“The possibilities are endless because couples can now do a lot more, something really unique, with less people at the wedding,” the event planner added.

As for the longevity of this trend, Clarke believes it will be a top choice for couples looking to get married even after restrictions are lifted and larger gatherings are allowed.

“Post-pandemic, I think micro-weddings will continue. Of course, there will be those who want to go back to usual wine and jam, but it’s going to take a while for people to be comfortable with and get accustomed to crowds again.

I really think it’s going to remain popular because t’s allowed people to get creative and tailor weddings to their needs.”

Clarke said weddings on this scale have allowed couples to do a lot more interactive and memorable things they wouldn’t necessarily have had the opportunity to do if they had a larger wedding gathering.