What are the steps to creating the perfect luxury micro-wedding? Maybe you’re thinking about a beautiful intimate ceremony just a few states away, or perhaps your dream is to have only your nearest and dearest out of the country for your nuptials.
Not everyone thinks that a 300 person ballroom wedding decked out in roses is the perfect way to celebrate. Many couples long for something smaller but just as meaningful and they don’t want to skimp on the luxury aspect.
A luxury micro-wedding offers the best of both worlds: an intimate, personalized experience without sacrificing opulence. Whether you’re dreaming of a lavish affair for 30 guests or an ultra-exclusive celebration for just 10, here’s how to craft the perfect high-end micro-wedding.
Step 1: Choose an Exclusive Venue
Luxury micro-weddings thrive in breathtaking locations. Consider:
- Amalfi Coast Villa, Italy ($20,000+ rental) – Secluded elegance with ocean views.
- Château de Villette, France ($25,000+ rental) – A Parisian fairytale estate.
- Amangiri, Utah ($15,000+ rental) – Ultra-modern desert luxury.
- Private Island in the Maldives ($50,000+ for buyout) – Ultimate exclusivity.
Having an exclusive wedding venue for your luxury micro wedding is a must! Nothing is luxurious about sharing a space with another wedding or event happening the same day.
The problems with hosting a wedding in a shared space are endless…There’s the obvious fact that you might see the other couple and all of their details. Automatically, the day just feels not as special as it would if you had the entire wedding venue to yourselves.
Also, if you’re going for a luxury micro-wedding, that is going to include particular designs and whether that’s a ton of flowers or candles or whatever you are dreaming of, that all takes time to set up. When you have another wedding or event taking place before or after yours, that set up and break down time is limited as is what you can do with the space.
Exclusive wedding venues only for your luxury micro-wedding.
Related: Visit this Amalfi Coast location for your Luxury Micro Wedding
Step 2: Hire a High-End Wedding Planner
A micro-wedding doesn’t mean less planning. A seasoned luxury wedding planner ($20,000-$40,000) ensures every detail is curated flawlessly.
Obviously, as a luxury wedding planner, I am going to tell everyone to get a wedding planner no matter the scale of their wedding. But I see so many couples discount the benefits of a wedding planner just because they are going small.
No matter if there are 2 guests or 20 guests, you want the experience to be seamless and beautiful. It’s really smart to find a high end luxury wedding planner before you go into the planning process. The planner can help you find the perfect location based on your aesthetic, budget, and other details, and give you only the best to choose from.
Plus, a luxury wedding planner is going to be working for you to find the best vendor team which can be a struggle especially if you’re not going local to get married.
Step 3: Personalize the Guest Experience
With fewer guests, go all out on hospitality:
- Luxury welcome gifts (Hermès scarves, personalized fragrances, monogrammed champagne bottles) – ($500 per guest).
- Bespoke concierge services (private yacht excursions, wine tastings, helicopter rides) – ($1,000-$5,000).
What I truly love most about luxury micro-weddings, especially the destination ones, are how creative you can get with the gift bags. Trust me, your guests will love showing up to their hotel to receive a personalized bag with items that reflect the location you chose.
Our friends over at A Signature Welcome are the pros at putting together curated packages for your wedding guests. In fact, they’ll work with you to find local shops from your wedding destination to include in the boxes and bags!
Step 4: Curate a Designer Tablescape
Micro-weddings allow for over-the-top tablescapes:
- Handmade Italian linens ($300 per table)
- Custom calligraphy menus ($15 per guest)
- Floral installations (roses, orchids, peonies – $5,000+)
Just because it’s a micro-wedding, doesn’t mean anything other than the guest list needs to be small. You have selected your (let’s best honest) absolute favorite people to attend this wedding…these are the people that made the cut…So spoil them with a true luxury wedding.
It’s important to lean in to all the location has to offer! This could be the food, the decor, the flowers…Perhaps you’re thinking about a tropical location- Why not deck the tables out in local orchids that are far more beautiful than what your guests have seen at weddings in the past.
Step 5: Hire a Michelin-Star Chef
A limited guest list means splurging on an exquisite dining experience:
- Private chef from a Michelin-starred restaurant ($10,000+)
- Wine pairing by a certified sommelier ($200 per guest)
- Personalized menu featuring local delicacies
Food should be a number one priority at any wedding or event, but for a luxury micro-wedding, you can do so much with food and beverage. Hosting an elegant celebration in Italy? You already know the drill…splurge on the local wines and get pairings put together that will blow your guests’ minds! Heading off somewhere that specializes in certain foods? Work closely with a chef to design the perfect menu.
Maybe it’s a tasting menu-maybe it’s family style…It’s all about curating the experience and indulging in everything the destination has to offer.
Step 6: Invest in a Statement Dress & Tuxedo
With fewer guests, your fashion choices take center stage:
- Custom Vera Wang or Zuhair Murad gown ($15,000-$50,000)
- Tom Ford or Dolce & Gabbana tuxedo ($5,000+)
- Handmade Louboutin bridal heels ($2,000)
Micro-weddings frequently mean no wedding party or a best man and maid of honor at the absolute maximum. This means you and your fiancé will be on full display along with all of your wardrobe. Take this opportunity to opt for dress changes and custom suits and tuxedos. Fallen in love with a particular country and their designers? Rock out those options for the big day!
Step 7: Elevate Entertainment
- Live string quartet ($3,000-$6,000)
- Celebrity DJ or jazz band ($10,000+)
- Firework display over the ocean ($20,000)
Hiring local talent for your music is a must for these luxury micro-weddings. Embrace the style and the culture of the destination by infusing music you’d hear while visiting. Give guests a taste of something different by incorporating various styles of music during different times at the wedding. What is heard at the welcome party can be totally different than what is heard at the reception.
Take advantage of the luxury upgrades where ever you wed…the possibilities are endless and your wedding planner can help with all of these details!
Step 8: Capture It with Top-Tier Photography & Videography
Hire a world-renowned photographer and videographer to immortalize your day ($15,000-$35,000).
You can’t not prioritize photo and video and YES, I said video! Photographs are wonderful and you should work with a photographer who will be able to adapt to the space even if they have never been there. Make sure their style and aesthetic matches yours but don’t ignore the importance of video.
They say a photo is worth a thousand words…but a video fills in the rest of the conversation. Bonus points if you grab a content creator too!
Step 9: Plan an Intimate Luxury Honeymoon
Skip the crowds with ultra-luxe honeymoon destinations:
- Four Seasons Bora Bora ($3,000+ per night)
- Private Safari in South Africa ($15,000+ for exclusive lodge)
- Japanese Ryokan with private hot springs ($2,500 per night)
Just because you’re having your luxury micro-wedding at a destination location, you’re not limited to spending your honeymoon there as well. In fact, you’re going to need to be on-site at least a week prior to your wedding and you might want to just disappear somewhere else once the whole wedding weekend is completed.
Consider working with your travel agent to put together a honeymoon that will allow you to get that rest and relaxation you need after throwing the best micro-wedding of all time!
Step 10: Add a Surprising Personalized Touch
A unique touch makes your wedding unforgettable:
- Custom fragrance bar (Guests blend their own scents – $5,000+)
- Luxury candle-lit dinner inside a cave or underwater restaurant ($20,000)
- Personalized handwritten letters to each guest at their place setting
There are so many options to choose from depending on where you decide to host this luxury micro-wedding. When working with your wedding planner to find the best venue, talk about what you love and what you don’t love as much. What’s important to you and what do you want your guests to experience? Maybe it’s a place you’ve been to a hundred times before but maybe you’ve only ever seen it in magazines.
Draw inspiration from that to figure out ways with your planner to create a personalized experience for your guests that traveled to be with you…because, remember…it’s a small guest list which means these are quite literally your favorite people.
Final Thoughts
A luxury micro-wedding is an opportunity to craft an intimate, highly curated celebration that spares no expense. By focusing on unique experiences, high-end details, and personalized hospitality, your micro-wedding can be more magical than a 300-person event. The key is quality over quantity – and an unforgettable experience for every guest.
