How Much Does a Micro Wedding Cost?

You’ve probably heard that micro weddings are a good way to save money on your wedding, because they’re so much cheaper than traditional weddings. While that shouldn’t be the only reason you decide on a micro wedding, the facts are true: the smaller your wedding the smaller your final total will be. How much does a micro wedding cost? While every micro wedding is unique, there are some common things to think about budgeting for and we’ll cover those and more below.

How much does a micro wedding cost?

A micro wedding is, ultimately, just a smaller wedding regardless of the non-traditional aspects you’re planning on. It’s not quite an elopement and not quite a traditional wedding day, but there are many similar costs between these two types of celebrations. As for how much you’re saving? Shane Co. has done the research reporting, “Love may be priceless, but with the national average cost of a micro wedding coming in at $10,777.56 (way below the $30,000 national average for a full-size ceremony.)” Those savings allow you to save money for a trip or a house, splurge on your priority items for the wedding day, or invest in a unique experience for your wedding or honeymoon.

Where is your budget for a micro wedding going? Here are some categories you might need to budget for, and on average what to expect to spend:

Photography

On a micro wedding day, couples typically spend most of their budget on photography, and I’m not just saying that as a photographer. In Colorado and Moab, professional photographers with experience charge between $3,000-8,000 for half and full day coverage. With photographs being the only thing you can keep after the day, aside from your memories, couples prioritize this expense for their micro weddings. Photographers may give digital files, physical wedding albums, assistance with planning, and more for this fee. Be sure you know what your photographer includes in their packages.

Micro Wedding Venues

Micro weddings don’t always need a formal venue, but the more people you have the more likely you will need a formal space booked. Small venues tend to vary widely in Colorado, from a minimal permit fee like the national parks or Maroon Bells that is under $300, to a vacation rental or formal venue that could be thousands of dollars. Costs also vary between expensive mountain towns and more down-to-earth western slope towns like here in Grand Junction (we tend to be more cost effective than, say, Vail or Aspen!) Explore location options to get an idea of how much to budget for this depending on your plans.

Catering/Food

With a micro wedding, food for the celebration is one of the things that can most diverge from traditional wedding costs. You could choose a grazing table, dinner reservations at a local restaurant, pot luck style meal at a vacation rental, private chef to serve a unique dining experience, or traditional catering (with much fewer plates to pay for than a 200 person wedding!) Consider what options exist in the area you’re getting married and think about how much you’ll be paying per person within those options in order to make a decision. Remember that a micro wedding is about being intentional and having a unique and better experience, so don’t shy away from a unique dining experience! Most food options would run you between $15-25 per plate depending on what you choose.

Officiant

Colorado is unique and does not require officiants or witnesses to legally get married here, however micro weddings often choose to hire an officiant anyway in order to have someone orchestrating a ceremony and giving their non-traditional day some pomp and circumstance. Officiants can help you with tips for writing vows, keep the ceremonial vibes alive for a more meaningful moment as you make this next step in your relationship official, and can even file the paperwork for you to take the stress off you. Officiants will typically cost between $700-1200 depending on your location and time commitment.

Hair/Makeup

Many couples will still decide to hire hair and makeup artists for their micro wedding, the same as a traditional wedding. You may save costs if you’re not paying for a full wedding party, but much of this budget item will be similar to a traditional day. Hair and makeup in Colorado will typically cost between $250-700 depending on trials, travel, location, only doing hair or makeup or both, and any extras you need (like extensions etc.)

Micro Wedding Attire

Another benefit of a micro wedding versus a traditional wedding is the flexibility in attire. Many couples hosting micro weddings opt for less traditional attire, from just “nice jeans” and a flannel, to a full ball gown. The choice is yours, and therefore you’re in control of this budget item! You could spend $150 on a nice but regular outfit or $1200 on an ornate wedding dress or tux.

Florals

This is another traditional wedding budget item that is typically similar for micro weddings. You have more ability to save money by reusing flowers from parts of the day and less expectation for there to be flowers around at all. Most couples will opt for just flowers for the two of them, with maybe some flowers for parents or one or two wedding party members. Bouquets will typically cost between $200-500 depending on how extravagant or unique you go, and boutonnieres will usually cost around $25-40 again depending on the flowers you use. A great local Grand Junction floral option for micro weddings is Garvey’s Gardens, where you can DIY your own wedding florals with bulk buckets for sale to save you some money!

DJ

If you’re hosting a micro wedding at a formal venue with a larger group of people, there’s a higher chance you’ll end up hiring a DJ to keep the event running on schedule, make announcements, keep the dance floor alive, and avoid any awkward silence when a playlist doesn’t work as it’s supposed to. Smaller more non-traditional micro weddings may opt out of this expense. DJs can cost between $1200-4000 depending on travel, area you’re in, how many locations you have them at, and hours of coverage.

Lodging & Travel

Many micro weddings will be held away from the couples’ home town, so lodging is another cost to budget for. Consider if you’re staying in the area for just a couple nights or if you’ll be spending a longer vacation in the area (many couples opt to combine their honeymoon with the wedding location here in Colorado or Moab!) Lodging in this area can be $200-300 a night or more for more luxury stays. If you’ll be traveling for your micro wedding you should also budget for travel, whether that’s train or airplane tickets, gas and hotel rooms, and meals on the journey.

Experiences

When planning a micro wedding, many couples will use the freedom and flexibility of a more intimate day to plan experiences to enjoy on the day-of. I’ve seen couples do an afternoon of wine tastings, a multi-course meal by a private chef, off-roading ATV or Jeep tours to somewhere remote and beautiful, do a group hike, and more. Consider how you would most love to spend a day with your close friends and family, and see what is available in the area you’re getting married! Experiences can cost between hundreds to thousands depending, so really do your research before setting a budget for this.

I hope this helps give you some beginning steps for budgeting for your micro wedding and a deeper insight about how much a micro wedding costs! Did I forget any major costs? Got any advice for experiences couples should look into or great places to stay/eat? Leave us a comment below!

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