Intimate Weddings and Elopements Vancouver

Last year’s wedding season looked a little different than the ones from years past. When the pandemic hit, we had a handful of couples that decided to move forward with their wedding and follow whatever restrictions were in place at the time. While it might not be plan A to move forward with a smaller wedding than you anticipated, it can still be a lovely and memorable day.

Having a small guest count really just means that you’re spending the day with the family and friends you are closest with. You don’t need to make room for someones plus one that you’ve never even met before! It also means you have more flexibility to be a little more casual about the event. You can fully enjoy it without the stress of hosting a huge party where you barely get to say “Hi” and “Bye” to your guests.

Here are some examples of different intimate weddings and elopements we have planned, pre pandemic and during the pandemic.

This intimate 16 person wedding took place a couple of years ago. We didn’t use chairs for the ceremony but instead had all the guests stand and surround the couple in a semi-circle, literally surrounding the couple with love. We made the outdoor location beautiful with a gorgeous arch, florals, and a boho furniture lounge. The couple was still able to have the first dance and cut the cake. Guests hung around after the ceremony for some champagne and a charcuterie buffet, before heading over to a restaurant for more food and drinks. It was a stress-free, relaxing day that the couple was able to enjoy completely. Photos below by Abigail Eveline Photography.

One of our couples from this past summer decided to move forward with their wedding and abide by the restrictions at that time. Luckily at this point in the summer, we were able to have up to 50 people at the event, including the vendors. There were several safety measures that were considered for this event. Social distancing was a big one. The ceremony was set up with chairs distanced so that guests were not seated directly beside each other. The set up for the reception had the same consideration. We worked with a larger tented area than we normally would for a wedding this size, so that guests could be seated with their bubbles, but distanced from the other guests at the wedding. Guests were also provided with masks and sanitizer as their favours. Since the couple wasn’t able to invite their whole guest count, they hired a videographer to broadcast their ceremony live for anyone to tune in to. Photos below by Rachel Barkman Photography. Live Stream provided by Shyah K. Films.

We also had couples decide to postpone their wedding celebration, but still move forward with getting legally married this year. The photos below are from one of our couples that decided to do just that. We were able to assist them with sourcing an outdoor venue to host the ceremony as well as re-arrange some of the planning we did from the bigger wedding to this more intimate one. The ceremony was beautiful. The couple followed it up with a photoshoot with their photographer Paige Lorraine Photography.

2021 is underway now, and even though there is hope ahead of this pandemic coming to an end, it looks like that is still going to take some time. This likely means that we are looking at another year of not being able to gather and celebrate the way we normally would. We understand that not every couple can or wants to wait another year to host a big event. If this is the case for you, we strongly recommend considering an intimate wedding or elopement.

How can we help? We offer two different types of services for intimate weddings and elopements. The first is an a-la-cart package where we charge a fee for our services, and then customize your event based on your wishes for your wedding. The second is an all-inclusive elopement package for 12 guests or less, as long as the restrictions allow for over 10 guests at the time of the elopement. The package will include everything needed to host the elopement – location, officiant, photographer, florals, music, and coordination. You simply invite your guests, take care of your attire, and show up on the day!

Thanks for taking the time to read my rambling! If this post inspires you to have an intimate wedding or elopement this year, please get in touch!