Small Wedding Planning advice?

We had 72 guests wedding and some of the things I felt wasn't important for such an intimate occasion were:

Real flowers given the cost of the season or particular kind wanted.

Transportation as you two would be driving yourselves and the guests can find their way too.

Decorator given the set up being DIY would be less to do and the day before the event.

Save the Date card since it didn't make sense.

The things that were important to have:

Actual invitations were sent out provided accommodations pricing and room block names. No Boxed Gifts Please was noted to carry more than needed home after the whole event.

Rentals of centerpieces, floral ball, money box and backdrop as DIY set up not taking much time the day before.

Favours and Thank You cards being at the table to know where our guests were seated and given gifts per household, couple and individuals.

Buck & Buck was done by our MOHs and girls at the salon 2 months prior for us. Not necessary if your planning to do have the work done yourselves.

Wedding cake kept on a smaller scale than the actual count of all guests and had assorted pastries too served with the dessert course plated. Not necessary unless going for a slab cake for self serve.

We're doing a small gathering this year and our big party next year. For 2020 we skipped the invites and have just told the people coming the details. We had sent pre-covid save the dates and I regret it because I had to contact all those people who are not included this year.
I never stuck 100% to the WW timeline, and I deleted and changed a lot of items on it that weren't relevant to us from the start (like day of transportation for example).I'm still iffy about what to do about gifts. Next year is our reception so I expected friends to give them then and not now, but several people have recently asked about registries and what to get us. Were having a small do at my parents this year so I think I'll have some space saved and a vase (it's a glass terrarium hexagon thingy) that can be decor or an envelope storage unit just in case.

My fiance and I didn't follow every step that wedding wire suggested. Like Hank has said, save the dates and such are totally up to you. We did just because we're getting married in a different province then we're living in and as well as everyone else, and that they know that they'll have to book a hotel for however long they're wanting to stay. My fiance and I are sending out a little piece with our invitations stating that we're not wanting gifts.

"We don’t have a gift list for all of you to see. As we have everything, we need in our home. Your presence at our wedding is a gift by itself. If you desire to give nonetheless, A monetary gift is one we suggest."

You don't have to follow all the steps in the Weddingwire planner. But it's comprehensive so that if there are things you didn't think about, you now know.


Whether you want a stag and doe, or send save the dates with invitations is up to you. Save the dates are helpful if you have travelers attending and you need to send them a heads up but don't have all the details of the event ready yet. We're personally not doing a stag and doe. If you don't want gifts, you can say so on the invite.

Paperless post is a good website to use for electronic invites. You could easily follow up with people by phone/text. Skip the paper, save the trees