However, for bride and grooms who don’t have a bucket load of cash to drop on their significant day there’s good news, Micro Weddings are becoming a thing! And with the average cost of weddings blowing out to more than $30K it’s no wonder the Micro Wedding trend is becoming a more realistic option.

First let’s be clear on what a Micro Wedding actually is…

Officially a Micro Wedding is a group of 20 or less people gathering in a more relaxed and less traditional wedding setting. Different to eloping which is arranged in secrecy and usually just involves the couple, witnesses and celebrant, Micro Weddings are a nice in between. They’re all about scaling things back but not completely forgoing the opportunity to share those all-important vows in front of your loved ones.

Curious to know more we chatted with Anne Marie Cameron, owner of the stunning blackwood. and The Woods Guesthouses. Together with her husband Ewen the couple have lived in the Hunter Valley for more than 30 years and have noticed a definite change in the wedding landscape and offered up some possible reasons why.

1. The Cost

“We’ve noticed in recent years an increasing amount of enquiry from brides and grooms wanting to take a less is more approach to their wedding day.

“However, whilst it seems obvious if you have a smaller guest list the overall costs will be less, but micro doesn’t necessarily always mean budget. What we’ve noticed is that when there are less people the couples often like to spend a little more on things like the food and drinks, taking quality over quantity approach.

"A lot of couples are also preferring to put their money towards other things whether that be a house or honeymoon."

2. Keeping The Control

“We’ve also noticed that a lot of couples are choosing to pay for the weddings themselves, rather than the traditional approach of letting the families pay. Reason being is that it gives them control over what happens on their day and avoids unnecessary interference by the families.”

3. The No Fuss Approach

“The Micro Wedding has become a great alternative to that big extravaganza that some bride and grooms just don’t want. Weddings can be very time consuming to organise and can also cause a lot of unnecessary stress, by taking a micro approach it allows you to avoid all of that and enjoy not only the day but the lead up to it as well."

4. More Flexibility

"Keeping the numbers down gives couples so much more choice when it comes to selecting the ceremony and reception location. Whether you're saying 'I do' in a beautiful little garden or on the side of a cliff to holding your reception at your favourite restaurant or bar. Bigger definitely isn’t always better, in this case anyway."

5. Be Warned Though

"Micro Weddings may sound like the most incredible thing ever, however, they may not be the preferred option for all family members, so be prepared to put a few noses out of joint. Friendships and extended family may be put to the test should they not make the cut, but when you’re footing the bill who are they to argue with."