How To Plan The Best Micro Wedding In Arizona
The wedding planning process has changed significantly in 2020, and now into 2021. I’m here to share some good news, and give you the tips that I’ve learned over the past year. I’m Schyler Anderson and I’ve been a wedding photographer for 5 years in the local Phoenix area. I’ve been working with my clients since March 2020 to re-plan their weddings. Along the way, I’ve learned a number of things:
1. SMALL IS BETTER
For the past 5 years, I’ve watched wedding guest counts (and price tags!) get really out of hand when planning. In my experience, this is usually due to family pressure. At some point, a lot of my couples have started to feel like it’s not even their wedding any longer. That they’re along for the ride.
THIS YEAR IS YOUR EXCUSE TO HAVE THE WEDDING YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO.
You now have full control over the guest list. You get to invite only the most important people in your life to be there, and you actually have time to be with them.
2. YOU GET TO SPEND TIME WITH EVERYONE THERE
It’s rare for my clients to actually be able to talk to everyone that attends their wedding. With a smaller wedding, you can now spend time with everyone you’ve invited.
3. COST
Couples this year are saving so much money on weddings. Prices for huge weddings really have gotten out of control, and now you can spend the money you save in other places.
4. YOU CAN NOW GET MARRIED ANYWHERE
This is one of the most exciting things with micro weddings - you can get married anywhere. You no longer have to look for halls to accommodate a certain guest count, while also meeting the budget. Now you get to be creative. Some of my couples are getting married in the mountains, on cliff-sides, even at the Grand Canyon, and at restaurants that would not have been possible with a larger guest count.
5. BETTER WEDDING PHOTOS
As a wedding photographer, this is the most exciting part of micro weddings for me. Weddings have become much more simple overall. Which means, less stress for you on the day. No problems to troubleshoot, you just get to enjoy the day. This lack of stress on the wedding day really comes through in the photos. We have all the time we need for photos, and we’re in control of the time of day we take them. At a traditional wedding, the photo session just kind of fits wherever it fits - which means non-ideal lighting conditions where you might not look your best. With micro weddings, we can schedule photo sessions at the best time of day. To add to that, you can now use the budget you saved to spend a little more on the details you’d really like to have.
SO HOW DO YOU PLAN THE BEST MICRO WEDDING?
My suggestions:
Pick your dream location. There are no longer any rules to where you should have your ceremony. National Parks, outdoor locations, and businesses are all really going out of their way to be super accommodating these days, and that makes your life a lot easier.
Spend some of the money you’re saving on bringing in great vendors. Budgets usually get stretched really thin because of the number of guests at the wedding. This is your excuse to involve all of the vendors you would want to have for your dream wedding.
Set up a dinner on-location, or move to a restaurant. With smaller guest counts, it’s now possible to set up a small reception wherever you’d like. Again, whatever your dream location is for this, it might be the only year that it will be possible.
TO GET THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS:
Schedule your ceremony when lighting is ideal for photos. 2 hours before sunset will give us the best light for photos of the ceremony and the portraits that follow.
Hire a photographer (me!). My photography is primarily candid, so it’ll be a more relaxing experience than you might think right now.
Safety in this time is a priority for me. I will respect all current local rules.
If you’re interested in working together, please send me a note in the contact form below, and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.
Thanks for reading and if you have any other questions, feel free to reach out!
