THE RISE OF THE MICRO WEDDING IN 2025!
Keep reading for my honest thoughts & feelings on the industry, through the lens of a professional wedding photographer. 
Anna, what on earth is a Micro Wedding?
A Micro Wedding is exactly that, small in scale, small on numbers, shorter in duration & often doesn’t follow all the traditions you typically see at full day wedding. Micro Weddings have a more intimate feel. They tend to end a bit earlier and are perfect if you're not bothered about having big party of evening do. But equally, my photography is designed to fit around your plans and can start & finish when you choose. For more information on my Micro Wedding Packages, click here!
Let’s face it, weddings have got bloody big & bloody expensive – there’s no getting away from that. If you look back in time to 1950’s - 60’s, the wedding industry was only just beginning. UK Weddings were more modest affairs and they typically comprised of a simple ceremony at a church or registry office, followed by a low key meal or drinks reception that ended a couple of hours later. 10 hour photography packages certainly didn't exist! A photographer would be stationed at the ceremony for a couple of hours to capture that part of the day along with some family portraits outside the church/reg office.
I totally understand that some couples and different cultures enjoy following traditions & format of a big wedding and it's important to them. But for other couples there has become so much pressure & expectation, for them to follow a set of traditions & copy what friends or relatives have done previously. This expectation means couples can easily lose sight of what’s most important to them. Not to mention the overwhelm, the never ending planning ….oh and the financial strain just for ONE DAY! So is there another, more sustainable & mindful approach for 2025? Below I'm showcasing a gorgeous 'Micro Wedding' with just six guests. Set at the beautiful Langar Hall & West Bridgford Registry Office. Charlotte & Josh celebrated their day, their way with their closest family members, great food & drinks, along with plenty of quality time spent together. I had such a lovely time capturing their love for each other. So if you're thinking of having a small wedding, I hope this showcases how joyful and special it can be. I will continue to share my thoughts & place in the industry as a local Nottingham wedding photographer who loves what she does. However, in recent years I feel more conflicted due to the unattainable standards and expectations the industry keeps setting for newly engaged couples......I personally call it the 'Instagram Effect'. 
FURTHER RAMBLINGS.....
As we are still enduring the 'cost-of-living crisis' (it’s unavoidable & never ending), I’ve been anticipating a noticeable shift in the wedding industry as we move into 2025. I’ve been thinking things might go back in time to how weddings use to be, before we got rather carried away. Small ceremonies, small guest lists, to save money for more important things in life. I know it might seem like I’m bashing big weddings (I'm not, I promise), especially when I’m an industry professional and cashing in on this industry. But it is something I personally struggle with, as I don’t think it’s right that people should feel so much societal pressure and put themselves in debt, especially in the current climate. Equally, if people do have the money to spend on a huge wedding, then it’s totally their decision on what and how they splash their cash and I’m not judging that. You do you and I’m always here for a big party & celebrations. However, having a large or medium sized wedding is a luxury and not something everyone can afford and sometimes it's not how a couple truly want to celebrate their day together. I personally think we need to normalise smaller weddings & smaller budgets - there should be no shame attached to this. As wedding suppliers, it's important look at what’s happening in the world and excuse the pun 'the bigger picture'. As small business owners we have to adapt what we offer to our clients based on their wants & needs, so our businesses can survive (hopefully thrive) and we can weather the storm and continue to serve our lovely clients. It’s no easy feat and I've personally decided the best option was to not keep jacking up my prices inline with the inflation rates. But instead, I continue to charge my worth but I've given thought about how I can cater to more couples and continue offer beautiful & professional photography for couples with varying budgets and priorities. I’ve therefore created a selection of smaller, reduced packages (which I’m really excited about) aimed at small & local weddings in Nottingham. I’ve always loved shooting intimate weddings and find they really suit my documentary style of photography well. So I'm manifesting a space for myself in my local community as 'A LOVELY LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER, FOR LOVELY LOCAL PEOPLE!' 
TOP REASONS TO OPT FOR A MICRO WEDDING IN 2025 AND BEYOND!
Watch the purse strings…. We’ve already touched on it, but of course ‘cost’ is huge factor; the average wedding spend last year in the UK was around £22K+…for real! That’s what some people save for a deposit on an entire house…..not for one day! As I mentioned earlier, we are still in a cost-of-living crisis and that’s not going to change anytime soon. You can’t avoid noticing the increased cost of your weekly food shops, a coffee in a café or a pint down your local. Households have responded to the higher cost of living by spending less on non-essentials, shopping around more, and using less energy. What I find interesting, is the budget friendly wedding option is often not only kinder to your wallet, but also a kinder option for the planet too. Keeping things small in scale will ultimately reduce the amount of waste you produce. For more information on this, check out my HOW TO PLAN A SUSTAINABLE AND BUDGET FRIENDLY WEDDING BLOG. Older couples or Second time round wedding... I’ve photographed quite a few slightly older couples who have both been married before. Every second time round wedding I’ve photographed has been small & intimate because they both had a ‘big wedding’ before and openly said to me they didn’t really enjoy it! They both wanted things to be more focussed on the marriage, rather than the wedding the second time. I’m totally here for that and that is something I have learnt from listening to my clients and their needs. What really matters is making a commitment to one another in front of the most important people in your life. No fuss, no frills, no enormous guest list, no unnecessary expense - just love, meaning, intimacy, commitment and joy! Quality Over Quantity: A Day for Your Nearest & Dearest.... Let’s be really honest now, we’ve all had an invite to a wedding at some point over the years and thought, “I can’t afford this right now/don't have the time/energy to go!” Especially if you've had multiple wedding invites in a year. According to Experian, the average cost to attend wedding as a guest in the UK in 2024 was £451.00, which is 19% of the average monthly salary. Hen Dos, Stag Do's, Travel costs, Accommodation Costs, wedding outfits, Childcare, Dog Care, Time off work, can all be a big drain on everyone's resources. So not inviting everyone to your wedding, might actually be a kinder more thoughtful option for some of your friends or loved ones who are perhaps feeling the strain. In fact, I reckon some friends will applaud your empathy and consideration towards their time and bank balance. 
FEEL AT EASE WITHOUT HAVING TO PEOPLE PLEASE!
'Do it the way you want' Let’s face it, not everyone wants a big white wedding and I completely get that. Walking down an aisle of 100+ guests staring at you, might be your idea of absolute hell. It was for me and that's why we chose not to put ourselves through it and had 15 guests and two dogs! So why not have the day 'YOU' want and make all about celebrating your love for one another in a way that feels fitting to your love story. 
DID SOMEONE SAY TASTY TREATS!?
Having a small and intimate day also allows time for some couple portraits without feeling like the centre of attention and leaving 100 guests stood around waiting. Having a calm environment to create & capture some beautiful free flowing moments of the two of you together dressed in your finery can be a lot of fun & a part of the day that couples enjoy more than they expected.
Thanks so much for reading my ramblings. To stay tuned on future posts & events then please sign up to my newsletter via the link below.....
SUPPLIER LOVE <3
Dress & Veil - Frances Day Bridal Florals - Fiona at Daisy Works Jewellery - Last Night I dreamt Hair - Sarah at Rock N Roller Hair Make up - Allie Gunn
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