How to Style a Small Wedding

Researching wedding styling can be an overwhelming rollercoaster of decisions and Pinterest boards. Before you dive into contacting lighting experts, florists or decor hire businesses, stop… breathe… is this something you have to do yourself? While you turn that question over in your head, pin down your guest list. Take it from us, small, intimate weddings have begun to transcend their trend status into nuptial norm territory - you’re no longer expected to invite a swathe of cousins or find a seat for great aunt Jane.

So, how do you style a small wedding when popular culture favours big bashes? How can you create a grand affair without inviting everybody you’ve ever met? Or even half the people you like? Spare a few minutes now and uncover the broad strokes of how our event styling pros put together a wedding without sacrificing the elegant event you’ve always wanted.

Step 1: Ask for Help

Setting a beautiful scene can be done on your own steam, but you have enough to think about in the coming days - a professional touch can transform any idea into a favourite memory waiting to happen. Reach out to a business like Valiant that specialises in bespoke small wedding packages.

Wait… Why Should You Ask for Help?

You deserve a stylist with listening skills, design and trend insights, and an innate understanding of how to make any space burst with wedding day magic. But what can an extra person (or two) really do that you can’t? After all, it’s your wedding day, so you know your own wants back to front… and that’s great, because we know how to make those wants into real moments.

Step 2: Decide on a Budget

Every couple is different, so googling something like how much will a small wedding cost won’t always deliver a realistic picture - the final cost depends on the decisions you make, the vendors you choose and the approach you take. Inviting a wedding stylist to help guide your journey from the beginning can save you money in the long run, connecting you with caterers, florists and a whole network of affordable vendors you wouldn’t reach otherwise.

Step 3a: Location, Location, Location

There’s something warm and romantic about planning a small wedding at home (yours or a rented home), decking the trees in twinkling lights and transforming the backyard or living room into something more with carefully hired furniture. If a homey wedding isn’t your speed, small chapels, beach venues, vineyards, tea plantations, parks, historical buildings and even farms all deliver memorable experiences. Most locations can be scaled to suit the guest list, so don’t feel hemmed into throwing a backyard bash.

Step 3b: Identify a Theme

Some say theme selection should come before location, but really, they go hand-in-hand. A farm wedding is the perfect setting for earthy tones and crisp wooden grain furniture (check out our Bentwood chairs), while a modern flair hosted in a hired mansion suggests a degree of opulence, rich colours and stand-out pieces similar to the Jasmine chairs in our Casablanca collection. Your stylist will help you decide on colours, textures, surfaces and finishes, from floral arrangements to cushions and rugs draped over a loveseat, perfect for photos between dancefloor sessions.

Step 4: Table Settings, Lighting Choices and Little Details

Working with a qualified stylist helps even the most detail-orientated brides and grooms bring everything together. You’ll cover everything from the recommended colours of your napkins, plate styles and cutlery, vases, candles and decorative touches that imbue each table with its own wow factor.

While Valiant aren’t lighting specialists, we do know a few, so you won’t be left under harsh globes for those all important candid snaps - we know you want to look your best, even when you’re smashing cake into each other’s face.

By now, you’ve probably discovered small weddings aren’t necessarily stress-free. Ensure your day remains your day by channelling the experience of a team who is entirely invested in your vision. Valiant Events delivers design and styling services for small weddings, covering every element you can think of (and some you’ve probably overlooked), helping you to create the wedding day you’ve wanted since you said yes.