Excerpt from Intimate Weddings:
Planning a Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style By Christina Friedrichsen
www.intimate-weddings.com

1. You get to celebrate one of the biggest days of your life surrounded by people who love you. Of the nearly 100 couples I interviewed for my book, almost everyone said this was definitely one of the best things about having a small wedding.

2. You can feel more relaxed on your wedding day. Because you’ll be surrounded by friends and family, you’ll feel more at home with your guests.

3. You can save money. You can save thousands of dollars by having an intimate wedding, which means your nuptials won’t have to put you in debt.

4. You can splurge. Some couples choose a small guest list not necessarily because their budgets are small, but because they can pull out all the stops and have a truly lavish wedding.

5. You have more options when choosing a venue. Since you won’t need a large space to accommodate your guests, many doors will be open to you.

6. Have more freedom to customize your wedding to your own tastes. A small wedding gives you the opportunity to get your creative juices flowing and make your wedding a unique reflection of the two of you.

7. You get to spend time with your guests. How many weddings have made you fell like a stranger fulfilling a social obligation? Small weddings aren’t like that. When the guest list is small, the bride and groom can spend time with each of their guests, making them feel welcome.

8. You can make your guests feel at home. Because you will be able to spend at least some time with your guests, they will feel more at home at your wedding. Also, when the guest list is small, guests will have a better opportunity to mingle with most of the others. Chances are that many of your guests will know one another.

9. You can get your guests involved. A small wedding will give you the opportunity to get your loved ones involved in your special day.

10. You can have a wedding that people will remember. Because your wedding won’t be typical - the kind your guests have been to over and over again – your wedding will be more likely to be remembered.

Christina Friedrichsen is the author of Intimate Weddings: Planning a Small Wedding that Fits Your Budget and Style, the only book available on the topic of small weddings. Her website is www.intimate-weddings.com. Read Christina's Intimate Blog.