For Olenka and Mykola, having an intimate wedding didn’t just mean having a small guest list, it meant organizing a private family-oriented affair that included their guests in every aspect of their special day – from planning and decorating the venue, to celebrating together. Surrounded by their parents and their best friends who were dressed in coordinating outfits (floral dresses for the women, and checkered shirts and bow ties for the men), the couple exchanged their vows on a hill looking out towards the Carpathian Mountains. They followed up their nuptials with a casual reception full of singing, dancing, and marshmallow eating.

Special thanks to Nickolay Debelinsky for sharing Olenka and Mykola’s wonderful wedding day with us!

Olenka, 25 & Mykola, 25

Location: Zakarpattya Region, Ukraine

Wedding Date: September 5, 2015. We actually spent two days with our guests; the first day we were preparing for the wedding and had a family dinner, and the next day we celebrated.

Number of Guests: 10

Wedding Cost: $4,000

Wedding Ceremony Location: Behind our chalet there’s a pathway to the Pikuj (part of the Carpathian Mountains). We walked up one of the hills to a fabulous panorama view and that was our ceremony location.

Wedding Reception Location: Chalet Kukavica

Why did you have an intimate wedding? 

It was very important for us to spend our special day in a comfortable, and friendly atmosphere; to us that meant being surrounded by the close family and friends that love and support us. That’s why we decided to have an intimate wedding.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding? 

For us, an intimate wedding didn’t just mean a small guest list. It also meant a private family-oriented day, and we decided that only we could organize it. We planned the whole thing without professional planners and that’s why we faced a lot of challenges. We didn’t know a lot about weddings and we spent a lot of time surfing the Internet looking for advice and searching for the best vendors. We also had a problem with time management and ended up doing a lot of things last minute. For me, the most difficult part was finding the perfect venue. And once we did find the perfect venue, we had to organize it all long distance because it was on the other side of the country. Our family and friends helped us and thanks to them we pulled it all off.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

No, not at all. We knew we wanted to invite only our parents and our best friends, so it was easy.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

We were afraid that some of our friends wouldn’t understand our decision to not invite their partners, but they took it well.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

At the ceremony all the ladies wore dresses with floral prints, and the men dressed in checkered shirts and bow ties. We had a ceremony on a hill behind the house. We didn’t have a ceremony arch, but we decided that the amazing nature surrounding us was far more beautiful than any wedding arch. Our best friend officiated the ceremony, it was raining, and as a ceremony song we choose Radiohead’s “Bullet Proof”. It was a truly magical moment.

What were the highlights of the reception?

We celebrated on the terrace with a view of the mountains. For decoration we used old photos, candles, pine cones, coniferous branches, and wood slices. The bouquet, floral decorations, and headpieces were all created from wild and dried flowers. As a gift for our guests we chose clay spoons that looked like branches. We did not have a special program; we just danced, played the guitar, sang, played billiards, ate marshmallows near the fireplace, and took pictures with an instant camera. My dad prepared a special song for me and Mykola’s parents told stories of his childhood. It rained almost all day so we prepared blankets for each guest in case of a cold evening. At the end of the night we turned on the projector and looked at old photos and watched a few episodes of “Friends”.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?   

The best thing was that all our guests were a part of our day and we prepared for our wedding together. They helped us with the cooking, the decorating, and the organization. For me, as a bride, it was very important to have my mom’s help. She sewed my wedding dress, the napkins and the garlands, made our wedding cake, and helped me with my hair. I think this day made us all closer.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do not forget that this is your day. If you feel that an intimate wedding is the best choice for you, do it. And don’t worry about other people’s opinions.

Can’t get enough? Watch a video of this gorgeous wedding!

Vendors:

Venue: Chalet “Kukavica”

Photographer: Nickolay Debelinsky

Flowers: Tandem

Invitations: Julia Socheieva

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Erin and T.J. were originally planning a small summer wedding after their baby was born. When the bride’s grandmother passed away unexpectedly in August of 2015, however, they decided to move up the date and get married on what would have been her 92nd birthday. With only 4 weeks to plan their nuptials, the couple was lucky enough to book all their preferred vendors, and on September 14th, surrounded by their closest family members they tied the knot.

A huge thank you to Catherine Hall for sending along the gorgeous photos of Erin and T.J.’s big day so we could share them all with you!

Erin, 27 & Thomas Justin, 31 

Location: San Francisco, CA

Wedding Date: September 14, 2015

Number of Guests: 14

Wedding Cost: Roughly $15,000 – $18,000 including hotel, photography, etc.

Wedding Ceremony Location: San Francisco City Hall

Wedding Reception Location: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

We had discussed our wedding plans before I was pregnant and even then we knew we wanted something small and intimate, surrounded by close family. Originally we were thinking of waiting until after the baby was born and thinking about a summer timeline. However, my grandmother passed away suddenly in August of 2015. Being very close to her, I knew I wanted to include her in some way into our special day (not to mention she loved my husband – I think she had a pretty big crush on him, not going to lie). Her 92nd birthday would have been September 14th so we decided to completely change our plans and throw together a last minute, intimate family ceremony on her birthday. So on what would have been my grandmother’s 92nd birthday I said “I do” to the love of my life.

We found out only a few weeks later, we were having a baby girl and chose to name her Avery Muriel after my grandmother.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

We didn’t face too many challenges based on the fact that our wedding was intimate. The challenges we did face were due to the fact that everything was last minute – getting invites out, planning decor, adding in a quick cake tasting, finding a photographer etc! We were really fortunate we had support from our family and everything came together. Somehow all the vendors we wanted to use were available (I think my grandma had some hand in that from above) which was a miracle considering we gave ourselves four weeks to throw this together.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

At first we were torn about whether or not to invite close friends, but ultimately we decided to narrow it down to close family who lived in the area. Later, we had a big baby shower which kind of felt like a second wedding celebration because all our closest friends came to celebrate with us.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

Thankfully, no. We reached out to everyone ahead of time to make sure the date worked (it was a Monday so people did have to take time from work).

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

The venue. San Francisco City Hall is so beautiful and it feels so magical getting married there. Though there were people everywhere we were able to sneak off to a few intimate spots and it felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. Not to mention our photos turned out great; it felt and looked like we were in a palace.

What were the highlights of the reception?

Probably when my stepdad played Somewhere Over the Rainbow on guitar for us. The song holds a very special place in both our hearts and it meant a lot.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

The lack of stress. This was our day to embrace and celebrate our love for each other, and it was nice to be able to focus solely on each other and not have to deal with the potential mishaps that a large wedding can have.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Do what’s best for you. A lot of people will give you opinions and try and persuade you or assist in your guest list, but if you stay true to what you love and what represents you as a couple, you will be so pleased. Also, don’t forget to take elements of your dream wedding and incorporate them in. Just because a wedding is small doesn’t mean you can’t have all the touches you have always wanted.

Vendors:

Reception Venue: Jackson Fillmore Trattoria

Photography: Catherine Hall Photography

Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel

Your engagement ring isn’t just another piece of jewelry; it’s a promise and a symbol of love from a person you adore. Why wouldn’t you want to protect it against all that life can throw at it?

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We’ve made a list of some of the most stunning cathedral veils from Etsy.

This gorgeous tulle cathedral veil by VeiledBeauty is a great way to start off this list. We love the simplistic beauty of this piece.

Elegant and timeless, this lace trimmed veil by EdenLuxeBridal looks to be straight out of a Jane Austen novel.

Another gorgeous lace trimmed veil by VeiledBeauty made our list. We love the gorgeous Chantilly lace, and the fact that you can order this veil in different colors!

Classic and elegant, we adore this lovely veil by VeiledBeauty, this time made from Alencon lace. We absolutely love the timeless look of a cap style design.

This gorgeous cathedral veil by EdenLuxeBridal features stunning blush-colored lace trimmings.

Mixing the cap style with the timeless cathedral veil, this lace design by MelindaRoseDesign is an absolute work of art.

To add a little something special to your look, this one-of-a-kind cathedral veil by AnnaMarguerite features small butterflies along the back.

Another gorgeous lace style, this veil by MarisolAparicio really is breathtaking.

This subtle blush colored veil by VeiledBeauty really encapsulates a princess bride look, and we absolutely love it!

If you adore Swiss Dots as much as we do, we suggest this elegant Point d’ Esprit cathedral length bridal veil (Swiss dot veil) from MelindaRoseDesign.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

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Iowa native Chad and California girl Terry met and fell in love in Brooklyn. Naturally, wanting to show off the neighborhood that brought them together and where they now live, the couple set out to find the perfect restaurant venue to accommodate their 45 guests on their wedding day. Martha Restaurant in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene was the perfect spot.

After a simple civil ceremony at the City Clerk office with just their very closest family and friends present, the couple and all of their guests congregated at the restaurant for dinner and cocktails, and an evening of merriment and memories to last a lifetime.

A huge thank you to Sheena at UNIQUE LAPIN Photography for sending over all the photos of the radiant bride and groom so we could share them with you today!

Terry, 30 & Chad, 30 

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Wedding Date: July 24, 2015

Number of Guests: 45 guests

Wedding Cost: $15,000 total (for NYC celebration)

Wedding Ceremony Location: City Clerk office, NYC

Wedding Reception Location: Martha restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

When discussing our plans, we knew immediately that we did not want a big, traditional wedding in a church. We wanted to keep things very simple and intimate, and for our guests to really enjoy themselves and be able to spend quality time together. The first step was to pare down the invite list as much as possible. Once we did that, we were able to look at restaurant venues to accommodate the 45 guests.

What are some of the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

From the beginning, we knew using a restaurant would be the way to go as they’d be able to supply furniture, food, ambiance, and the venue space. It was just a matter of choosing the right restaurant, which was a difficult task. Since we met in Brooklyn, we wanted to find a restaurant in Brooklyn and have everyone enjoy the neighborhood where we fell in love and now currently live. Additionally, we wanted to find a restaurant that matched our aesthetic and vibe and where the staff were people we’d actually want to hang out with. Martha was perfect because it met all of the criteria we had on paper, but the staff also went above and beyond in ensuring our guests had a great time and were taken care of.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list?

It was actually much easier to put together a list of 45 guests than it would have to make a 100+ guest list. With 45 guests, you really prioritize the people you absolutely must have with you on your wedding day, and all the acquaintances you normally would feel bad not inviting are obviously going to be left off.

Did you have any ‘issues’ with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them? 

Since we have family and friends in New York (where we currently live), Iowa (where Chad is from) and, California (where Terry is from), and Taiwan (where Terry’s family lives), we decided to have intimate celebrations in multiple cities. This really enabled us to keep our guest lists fairly small in each location. We had the lovely wedding celebration in New York (courthouse and dinner), a Chinese banquet dinner in California, and then our immediate family met in Taiwan so we could spend time together. It was really a wonderful way to do it as we were able to visit older family members who were unable to travel and make sure they felt included in the celebration.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

As for the courthouse ceremony, we took our guest list and cut it down even further to just our very closest friends & family. That was a very special moment for us, getting married at the courthouse and being surrounded by loved ones.

What were the highlights of the reception?

When all the guests had arrived at Martha and were seated, we wanted to welcome everyone with a quick toast. However, in the middle of our speech, Lil John & The East Side Boyz song “Get Low” came on. The entire restaurant went quiet and we all heard the lyric “til the sweat drop down our balls” loud and clear. Everyone burst into uproarious laugher and we all sang along for a bit. Needless to say, it halted our welcome toast, but it was very memorable and we wouldn’t have changed a single thing.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

While the details – flowers, dresses, suits, invitations, etc. – are all representative of who you are as a couple, don’t forget that the real reason for the wedding is to be able to have friends and family together in one space to celebrate your love. We’re so glad we kept our wedding plans and details to a minimum so we were able to stay relaxed and maximize time with all of our favorite people.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Really take a moment to sit with your partner and discuss what is important. It’s impossible to have everything in a wedding – after all, it’s just a few hours. Avoid driving yourself crazy adding too many details. After the wedding is over, you’ll look back and remember the moments that were created organically with your guests and loved ones. Those moments can’t be planned, so allow yourself opportunities for those moments to flourish and don’t overplan.

Vendors:

Photography: UNIQUE LAPIN Photography

Wedding Venue: Martha Restaurant in Fort Greene, Brooklyn

Planner: Just the bride & groom!

Floral Design: Floral Creations by Lina

Wedding Dress: For the courthouse ceremony in the morning, white dress by Sandro. For the evening dinner festivities, white dress by 3.1 Phillip Lim

Bride’s Shoes: Alexander Wang

Hair & Make Up: Jessica Fooskas

Groom Attire (suit & shoes): Indochino

Catering: Food and dessert (seasonal pie) was prepared by Martha

Invitations And Day-of Stationery: Created a Squarespace website with all the wedding information

Party Favors: Martha restaurant prepared delicious treats for everyone to take home