What Is A Microwedding?

Beyonce and Jay-Z, Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas, Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher – what do these celebrity couples have in common? Aside from being #CoupleGoals, these stars all had microweddings! Instead of large affairs, these celebrities chose to have more discreet and intimate wedding ceremonies.

In this post, we’ll break down and explain to you what exactly a microwedding is and why you should consider having one.  We’ll also be listing down the best celebrity microweddings that you can look to for inspiration!

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What is A Microwedding?

A microwedding is a small-scale wedding ceremony. Typically, only a few guests (usually 50 or less) are invited. While this traditional wedding alternative has been an option for decades, there has been recent riseheld. This has been primarily due to pandemic restrictions on how many people can gather together in one place. However, microweddings aren’t only for pandemic times. 

A microwedding isn’t the same as an elopement. For one, elopements are much smaller affairs. Some sources define an elopement as a wedding with a maximum of 10 guests. On some cases, only the couple and a guest or two who act as required witnesses are in attendance. Elopements are also more spur-of-the-moment and spontaneous. 

A microwedding isn’t the same as a minimony, either. While the two can be structurally similar, (or even the same), a minimony is a small ceremony held with the intention of having a bigger wedding bash later on. 

Why are Microweddings Important?

So, why should you consider having a microwedding? In a nutshell, having fewer guests at your wedding means a smaller wedding planning headache!

Jokes aside, microweddings give couples a lot more freedom and flexibility to tailor the wedding to exactly how they want it to be. For example, couples can choose from a host of venues that just wouldn’t be able to accommodate a larger group. From unique locations to the most intimate of spaces, you have your choice of cafés, restaurants, bars, parks, galleries, and more! You can even choose to hold your microwedding in your own home if you want to. If you’re considering a destination wedding, having fewer guests definitely makes the cost of the trip more manageable. 

Aside from this, microweddings are much more personal affairs. You won’t need to say your vows in front of distant family members and work acquaintances. During the reception, you can have the time to really interact with your guests. With a microwedding, you’re guaranteed to form meaningful memories that you’ll keep for a lifetime. 

Lastly, a major benefit of having a microwedding is reduced costs! The cost of spending for 20 people is much less than the cost of spending for 100. You can allot a larger portion of your budget for your decor or food, or you can save your money for other things like your honeymoon.

5 Real Examples of Microweddings

Looking for microwedding inspo? Here are 4 real examples of dreamy celebrity microweddings. 

Beyonce and Jay-Z 

On April 4, 2008, six years after the start of their relationship, Beyonce and Jay-Z tied the knot in Jay-Z’s seventh-floor, 13,500-square-foot Manhattan penthouse. Roughly three dozen guests (including Destiny Child’s Michelle Williams and Kelly Rowland and other A-listers like Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin) were in attendance. However, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any official pictures of the ceremony, as a strict no social media rule was implemented. Guests were asked to surrender their Blackberries at the door! (Remember, it was 2008.)

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas

Right after the Billboard Music Awards in 2019, Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner and pop artist Joe Jonas held a spontaneous and goofy microwedding at Las Vegas’ Little White Wedding Chapel. Their uniquely fun ceremony is a perfect reflection of the couple’s silliness. As seen on DJ Diplo’s Instagram Live, Sophie Turner walked down the aisle to the Jonas Brothers’ hit song “Speechless.” Following the exchange of vows, the couple then posed on a pink Cadillac in the venue’s renowned drive-thru chapel while sporting Elvis-inspired eyewear. The entire thing cost only $600!

Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher

One of Hollywood’s most beloved couples, That 70’s Show co-stars Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher held a garden party microwedding at Parrish Ranch in Oak Glen, California, or “Camp Kuku,” (which is a clever word-play of their surnames, Kunis and Kutcher). The microwedding featured outdoor games and was surely a fun-filled day for the couple, their then nine-month-old daughter Wyatt, and their guests. 

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

Even the royals are having microweddings! When you think of a royal wedding, what comes to mind are the huge and extravagant ceremonies of Prince William and Kate Middleton or Prince Harry and Megan Markle. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex went a different route. They initially planned to hold a 150-person ceremony at the Chapel Royal in St. James’s Palace. However, due to pandemic restrictions, they instead held a private, intimate microwedding at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor. Less than 30 guests were present, including the late Queen Elizabeth. 

Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady

Fabulous supermodel Gisele Bündchen and American footballer Tom Brady showed us that planning a microwedding is as easy as pie! They said “I do” at a microwedding that was organized in just ten days. The ceremony was held at the Santa Monica Catholic Church and only 20 guests were invited. For their reception, they celebrated with their closest friends and family at a simple and intimate barbecue at their home. Ice cream was served!