{"id":11406,"date":"2024-05-31T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/"},"modified":"2024-05-31T03:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T07:00:00","slug":"micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Micro weddings and elopements on LI: Why more couples are ditching the &#8216;big, splashy&#8217; wedding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div style=\"max-height:100%\">\n<p>At the end of Thanksgiving dinner last year, Claus Wagner, 61, made an announcement. He and his longtime partner, Margaret Nicosia, 60, were getting married.<\/p>\n<p>When the cheers died down, the Yaphank couple unzipped their fleece jackets to reveal some unusual attire. She had on a lacy white wedding top over her jeans. His T-shirt was designed to look like a tuxedo.<\/p>\n<p>Then, Nicosia dropped the bomb.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd we\u2019re getting married now,\u201d she shouted.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s when the crowd realized they were the surprise participants in a phenomenon that has become increasingly popular on Long Island these days \u2014 an elopement. A minister appeared for a quick ceremony, vows were exchanged and afterward the group gathered for dessert, some still dazed by the development.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy best man didn\u2019t even know he was the best man until we stuck the boutonniere on him,\u201d Wagner said.<\/p>\n<p>Traditional weddings, with all of their pomp and circumstance, are still common around the country. But elopements, once considered to be \u201csecret\u201d weddings, are now recognized simply as an intimate and personalized service, said Janessa White, co-founder and chief executive of Simply Eloped, the largest provider of such packages in the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey definitely are on the rise,\u201d she said. \u201cThe state of the economy, plus changes in values, are leading to couples making more cost-conscious, experience-worthy wedding decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Her company defines an elopement as a ceremony with 20 guests or less that can be held anywhere, she said. A micro wedding, another trend in nuptials, normally has 30 to 80 guests and requires infrastructure such as parking and bathrooms. <\/p>\n<p>The Knot, a marketplace for wedding vendors, estimates the average price of a wedding in the United States is $35,000, while the Wedding Spot, an online site that allows people to search for wedding venues, puts that figure at $50,000 on Long Island.<\/p>\n<p>Wagner and Nicosia\u2019s shindig? \u201cLess than $500,\u201d Nicosia said.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_83 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/#Something_short_and_sweet\" >\u2019Something short and sweet\u2019<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/#The_pandemic_effect\" >The pandemic effect<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/#Showing_their_independence\" >Showing their independence<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/#A_surprise_ceremony\" >A surprise ceremony<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding-2\/#%E2%80%98It_was_for_us\" >&#8216;It was for us\u2019<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Something_short_and_sweet\"><\/span>\u2019Something short and sweet\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"img Image_img__VNXHO landscape lazy\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" alt=\"Ryder Kilfoil and Carol Romano married at Coe Hall at...\" loading=\"lazy\"   decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?w=770&#038;ssl=1\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Ryder Kilfoil and Carol Romano married at Coe Hall at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park on April 21, 2022, in Oyster Bay. <!-- --> Credit: Marie April Gismondi<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSome people don\u2019t want the big, splashy Long Island wedding,\u201d said Joe Iadanza, 52, an ordained minister with Church of Ancient Ways, a nonprofit, interfaith religious organization with an offshoot division that specializes in elopements called Elope Long Island.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, he said, \u201cThey want something short and sweet.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It was short and sweet for Long Islanders Ryder Kilfoil, 31, and Carol Romano, 32, who had a brief \u201cGothic\u201d service two years ago at the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in Oyster Bay. There were no family and friends at the ceremony. There was no banquet hall. It was just them, the minister and a photographer, who served as the witness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf the wedding had cost a half-million dollars or $500, it wouldn\u2019t have mattered to me,\u201d said Romano. \u201cI felt so good that day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Wedding photographer Marybeth Rajotte, based in Coram, said she also has seen a jump in elopements in recent years. <\/p>\n<p>Whereas in 2020, she was shooting a half dozen a year, that figure now is around 35 annually, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople who elope prefer something more personal,\u201d she said. \u201cThey want something that feels right for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Certainly, attitudes about nuptials are changing.<\/p>\n<p>Although there has been an uptick in recent years, marriage rates in the United States have generally plummeted over the past few decades, primarily because of financial reservations about starting a family, according to surveys by the Pew Research Center.<\/p>\n<p>And for those couples who do want to marry, a national survey two years ago by the Wedding Report, a research company that gathers industry statistics, found that 62% were open to a scaled-back, elopement-style wedding.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_pandemic_effect\"><\/span>The pandemic effect<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Probably the most significant reason elopements have increased is the pandemic, according to Iadanza, who said he officiated at about 35 elopements annually before 2020 and now averages about 100 such events per year.<\/p>\n<p>Marie April Gismondi, who founded the Church of Ancient Ways 27 years ago, remembered getting panicked calls during the early days of the pandemic from people who had secured a marriage license, but were afraid they couldn\u2019t arrange a ceremony before its 60-day expiration date. One of the main reasons they wanted to tie the knot was so they could be covered by their partner\u2019s health insurance, according to Gismondi. They wanted to know: Was an elopement possible?<\/p>\n<p>Leave it to me, Gismondi told them.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey would put the license in the mailbox and stand on the lawn. I would pull up and take it out of the mailbox. After that, I\u2019d shout out of the car window, \u2018Do you, so and so, take\u2026\u2019 Then I\u2019d do the same thing for the other person. I\u2019d yell, \u2018Congratulations, you\u2019re married,\u2019 \u201d she said. \u201cThen, I would drive away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Lauren Gunn created \u201cPop-Up Vows\u201d during that period precisely because she recognized the need for a quick wedding with little physical contact, she said. She got ordained, registered with the town clerk and began hosting couples at drive-through services at her home in Long Beach.<\/p>\n<p>Some people asked to be married on the beach, which was easy for her to accommodate since it was walking distance from her home. Demand for the ceremonies has continued despite the decline of COVID-19, Gunn said, and she now holds about 100 ceremonies a year in venues such as restaurants, parks and the walkway on the Brooklyn Bridge.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLiterally, the world can be your altar,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Services provided by her firm and Elope Long Island range from $100 to several thousand dollars, depending on fees charged by the locations and whether food or photography is requested, said Gunn.<\/p>\n<p>Just because such events are more casual doesn\u2019t mean the participants take them less seriously.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was quick, but still very personal,\u201d Nicosia said of their ceremony. \u201cAll the people who are important in our lives were there and that\u2019s what mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Newsday spoke to three couples who chose an elopement and explained their reasons why.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Showing_their_independence\"><\/span>Showing their independence<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Ryder Kilfoil and Carol Romano\u2019s wedding environment was not exactly ideal.<\/p>\n<p>The sky was overcast. A chilly wind whipped across the grounds and under the gray arches of the century-old Tudor-style mansion where the nuptials took place. The bride and groom braced themselves against the cold and exchanged shivering vows.<\/p>\n<p>But for Romano, it was heaven.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt like a Gothic queen,\u201d she said. \u201cIt may not be every little girl\u2019s dream, but it was mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The scene took place two years ago at Coe Hall at Planting Fields.<\/p>\n<p>It was chosen because Romano, a lunch monitor at an elementary school, and Kilfoil, a bricklayer for the New York City Housing Authority, loved visiting the grounds when they were dating, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have a Gothic flair, so it was a no-brainer to do it there,\u201d Romano said.<\/p>\n<p>In keeping with her preferences for a dark ambience, Romano wore a black ball gown. Kilfoil donned an all-black suit and tie. The event totaled about $800, Romano said. That included dinner with a few relatives and more than a dozen friends at the Seaford Italian restaurant where Kilfoil had proposed to her seven years before. Dessert was a cake embellished with black roses.<\/p>\n<p>The Bethpage couple, who have two children, decided on an elopement as an affirmation of their independence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s always been the two of us leaning on each other,\u201d Romano said, \u201cso it was important that we did it alone with no external influences.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Afterward, it was back home to their kids and their daily routine.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe were already a family unit, so this wasn\u2019t a big change,\u201d Romano said. \u201cBut that day was a little sparkle.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_surprise_ceremony\"><\/span>A surprise ceremony<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"img Image_img__VNXHO landscape lazy\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" alt=\"Margaret Nicosia and Claus Wagner had a &quot;surprise&quot; wedding ceremony...\" loading=\"lazy\"   decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1740412549_668_Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?w=770&#038;ssl=1\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Margaret Nicosia and Claus Wagner had a &#8220;surprise&#8221; wedding ceremony last year.<!-- --> Credit: Margaret Wagner<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Margaret Nicosia and Claus Wagner\u2019s elopement last year turned out even better than they expected. Both had been hitched before and never thought they would marry again. But as the years passed, they said they changed their minds and decided to give it another try, Nicosia said.<\/p>\n<p>The Yaphank couple\u2019s initial plan was to gather friends and relatives at an upstate family cabin for a \u201cregular\u201d ceremony. But COVID-19 was still lurking and it was a long way to travel.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe didn\u2019t want everyone having to drive all the way up there,\u201d said Wagner, the owner\/operator of a tractor trailer.<\/p>\n<p>A Thanksgiving dinner hosted by Wagner\u2019s side of the family was coming up and \u2014 since everyone they had planned to invite would be there anyway \u2014 they decided it would be the perfect time to tie the knot, Nicosia said. Then came the inspiration.<\/p>\n<p>Why not make it a surprise?<\/p>\n<p>Covert arrangements were made with Nicosia\u2019s family. Wagner\u2019s side had no clue what was about to happen. Then came the announcement, the unzipping of the jackets, the reveal and the wedding.<\/p>\n<p>Also, some confusion.<\/p>\n<p>Nicosia\u2019s future mother-in-law wasn\u2019t wearing her hearing aids and had trouble figuring out what was happening.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was like a comedy show,\u201d said Nicosia, a marketing director for a personal-injury law firm.<\/p>\n<p>Nicosia said she brought out a veil she had secreted away and put it on. The family moved furniture out of the way. Hidden flowers and candles were brought out and positioned around the living room. They turned off the football game. In all, there were 15 guests including the dog, Shadow.<\/p>\n<p>Gismondi, the Church of Ancient Ways pastor, showed up to perform the ceremony. And then, it was over.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEveryone was happy,\u201d Nicosia said. \u201cNobody got drunk and everybody is still talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98It_was_for_us\"><\/span>&#8216;It was for us\u2019<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<figure class=\"img Image_img__VNXHO landscape lazy\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" alt=\"Dwayne Chin and Maria Ruiz-Chin got married in Long Beach...\" loading=\"lazy\"   decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" style=\"color:transparent\"  src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1740412550_432_Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?w=770&#038;ssl=1\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Dwayne Chin and Maria Ruiz-Chin got married in Long Beach for around $2,200.<!-- --> Credit: Jennie Clarke Photography<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When Dwayne Chin, 41, and Maria Ruiz-Chin, 35, decided they wanted to get married two years ago, they both knew what they wanted. And what they didn\u2019t want.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLarge weddings, for me, are just headaches,\u201d said Chin, owner of Wine &amp; Design Rockville Centre, a franchise that hosts art classes during which wine is served. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to go through all that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That received an amen from Ruiz-Chin, a licensed technician at a Forest Hills animal hospital who said she was particularly stressed at the time, since she was taking finals for college and also working overtime.<\/p>\n<p>The Lynbrook couple decided the answer was an elopement. Both knew the perfect venue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSome people want to do it in a church,\u201d said Chin. \u201cBut we love the sun and the heat, so for us it was the beach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The morning of the ceremony in Long Beach was overcast, not a great sign. But Chin surprised his fianc\u00e9e by creating an archway bedecked with flowers. Afterward, he smoothed out the sand to make it look like an aisle.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was in a state of tears because I wasn\u2019t expecting all that,\u201d said Ruiz-Chin.<\/p>\n<p>The 14 invited guests arrived. There were no chairs. Just before the service began at 12:30 p.m., the clouds rolled away and the sun came out.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt was the perfect moment,\u201d Ruiz-Chin said.<\/p>\n<p>They especially liked the intimacy of the occasion, which cost around $2,200 including dinner at a restaurant afterward, Chin said. With the money they saved, they went on a \u201cbabymoon\u201d to Jamaica and \u2014 after their daughter, Amari, was born in June 2023 \u2014 a honeymoon in the Maldives.<\/p>\n<p>Some of their relatives and friends were unhappy they weren\u2019t invited, Ruiz-Chin said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut everyone who needed to be there was there,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was for us and that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsday.com\/long-island\/li-life\/micro-wedding-elopement-long-island-ovc7r310\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of Thanksgiving dinner last year, Claus Wagner, 61, made an announcement. He and his longtime partner, Margaret Nicosia, 60, were getting married. When the cheers died down, the Yaphank couple unzipped their fleece jackets to reveal some unusual attire. She had on a lacy white wedding top over her jeans. His T-shirt [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":191570323,"featured_media":11407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1910],"tags":[2243,1937,4845,2285,4844,2081,4843,5208,1907,1948],"class_list":["post-11406","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-micro-wedding","tag-big","tag-couples","tag-ditching","tag-elopements","tag-lilife","tag-micro","tag-personal-finance","tag-splashy","tag-wedding","tag-weddings"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/1740412555_Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1280%2C721&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pciheA-2XY","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10216,"url":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-li-why-more-couples-are-ditching-the-big-splashy-wedding\/","url_meta":{"origin":11406,"position":0},"title":"Micro weddings and elopements on LI: Why more couples are ditching the &#x27;big, splashy&#x27; wedding","author":"ESPACE STUDIO","date":"May 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"At the end of Thanksgiving dinner last year, Claus Wagner, 61, made an announcement. He and his longtime partner, Margaret Nicosia, 60, were getting married.When the cheers died down, the Yaphank couple unzipped their fleece jackets to reveal some unusual attire. She had on a lacy white wedding top over\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Micro Wedding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Micro Wedding","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/category\/micro-wedding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Micro weddings and elopements on LI: Why more couples are ditching the &#x27;big, splashy&#x27; wedding","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Micro-weddings-and-elopements-on-LI-Why-more-couples-are.jpeg?fit=1200%2C676&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4704,"url":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/how-the-pandemic-gave-rise-to-micro-weddings-and-elopements\/","url_meta":{"origin":11406,"position":1},"title":"How the pandemic gave rise to micro weddings and elopements","author":"ESPACE STUDIO","date":"March 3, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"They were once secretive \u2013 at times scandalous \u2013 affairs, but the pandemic has given couples an excuse to ditch the big wedding in favour of elopements. So, what should you know if you're planning to elope? And how do you plan for a micro wedding? Guest:Bek Burrows, Tasmanian-based wedding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Micro Wedding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Micro Wedding","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/category\/micro-wedding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Two young women kiss on a beach, wearing dresses, wedding rings and carrying flowers.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-the-pandemic-gave-rise-to-micro-weddings-and-elopements.jpg?fit=700%2C394&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-the-pandemic-gave-rise-to-micro-weddings-and-elopements.jpg?fit=700%2C394&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-the-pandemic-gave-rise-to-micro-weddings-and-elopements.jpg?fit=700%2C394&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/How-the-pandemic-gave-rise-to-micro-weddings-and-elopements.jpg?fit=700%2C394&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10357,"url":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/florida-cities-rank-in-top-20-for-eloping-on-this-list-heres-where\/","url_meta":{"origin":11406,"position":2},"title":"Florida cities rank in top 20 for eloping on this list. Here&#8217;s where","author":"ESPACE STUDIO","date":"June 21, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Eloping is nothing new, but eloping and \u201cmicro-weddings\u201d have become a popular trend for 2024 brides.Really small weddings started becoming more popular during the COVID-19 pandemic, when some couples decided not to wait for social distancing to end to have their big day. What was a necessary decision for people\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Micro Wedding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Micro Wedding","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/category\/micro-wedding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Florida cities rank in top 20 for eloping on this list. 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But Dallas-based entrepreneur Jennifer Allen believes you don\u2019t have to spend a fortune to make your special day one to remember. Her company, Just Elope, helps couples plan elopements and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Micro Wedding&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Micro Wedding","link":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/category\/micro-wedding\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Micro Weddings: How to Create a Dream Wedding On a Budget","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1703369481_Micro-Weddings-How-to-Create-a-Dream-Wedding-On-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1703369481_Micro-Weddings-How-to-Create-a-Dream-Wedding-On-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1703369481_Micro-Weddings-How-to-Create-a-Dream-Wedding-On-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1703369481_Micro-Weddings-How-to-Create-a-Dream-Wedding-On-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/espacestudio.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/1703369481_Micro-Weddings-How-to-Create-a-Dream-Wedding-On-a.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9258,"url":"https:\/\/espacestudio.ca\/en\/micro-weddings-how-to-create-a-dream-wedding-on-a-budget\/","url_meta":{"origin":11406,"position":4},"title":"Micro Weddings: How to Create a Dream Wedding On a Budget","author":"ESPACE STUDIO","date":"November 4, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"This year, the average wedding cost is $29,000. And in some cities, that number can reach as high as $35,000. But Dallas-based entrepreneur Jennifer Allen believes you don\u2019t have to spend a fortune to make your special day one to remember. 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