Planning a Small, Unforgettable Wedding

In March, I got married. The wedding was simple and it was perfect.

With this being a second marriage for both of us, my groom and I decided we wanted a small ceremony held at the Hamilton County Courthouse, with only our immediate families present.

Why did we plan such a small wedding? To save money AND our sanity.

Here are a few tips and tricks I learned along the way:

Go to the courthouse!

It was a short and lovely little wedding ceremony where we said our “I do’s.” It was just enough for it to be special, but short enough for my kids to sit still. Also, the Hamilton County Courthouse was perfect for photos. We had a few shots taken downtown and they were breathtaking!

While we are on the photo subject, hire a photographer.

Despite being at the courthouse, we wanted to remember the day by having our photos taken. They turned out beautifully and we are thankful we have the memories from our small but special day. We got a discount for having it at the courthouse, so look for photographers that offer that option.

Don’t do flowers.

They are expensive and completely unnecessary. My mom ended up bringing a fake bouquet for photos only and it worked perfectly for us!

Buy used!

My husband found his suit jacket, collared shirt, and shoes at a local thrift store. He looked handsome and no one knew it was used.

Have the reception at a local restaurant.

We chose Cracker Barrell to celebrate our big day and they were so kind to us. Though they didn’t take reservations, they put together a table of 18 for my whole family at a moment’s notice and were thrilled we came there to celebrate. They gave my husband and me free meals, which was so nice of them!

Get a premade cake at a local department store.

We chose Meijer to make our cake and it was perfect! Big enough to feed 18 people and totally cute. It said “The best day ever” on it, which was perfect for the occasion.

Overall it was a perfect, small, wedding and I wouldn’t have done it any other way.