A Waveny House & Backyard Intimate Wedding

On the blog today is an intimate Waveny House & backyard wedding, and the top 5 tips for planning yours! As Covid-19 restrictions start to lift, brides and grooms are getting back into the swing of planning their weddings. Many brides and grooms are still opting to have intimate weddings, surrounded by their closest loved ones.  And, Joanna & Bill did just that for their intimate wedding day. They started off with their first look and family portraits at the Waveny House in New Canaan, CT and then headed to their backyard wedding surrounded by their closest family and friends.

Keep reading for tips on how to plan your own intimate wedding!

Intimate Wedding Planning Tips

1. Narrow your guest list to your closest family & friends. An intimate wedding means having those closest to you by your side on your big day. Make a list of those only closest to you. Your family that have the biggest impact on your lives and are always by your side cheering you on. And, your besties that play such a big role in your life.
2. Have a small wedding party. Keep your wedding party on the smaller side with only have a few bridesmaids / groomsmen and maybe a Maid of Honour and Best Man. Being surrounded by just a few of the closest people in your life during such a special moment in your life, will lead to those intimate moments between you and your loved ones.
3. Do something special for your rehearsal dinner. Speaking from experience (Nick and I had a smaller,  more intimate wedding), one of my favourite things that we did for our wedding! Nick and I got married in Newport, Rhode Island, and for our rehearsal dinner we rented a schooner for those who attended our wedding, and it was one of the highlights of our wedding! We finished our rehearsal at the church, and then headed out on the schooner ride. All of our closest family and friends were able to hang out, chat and eat together during the schooner ride.  Afterwards, we all went to The Safari Room at The OceanCliff (where we had our wedding reception), and had dessert. It was the most perfect and relaxed setting for both sides of our family to get to know one another better, and everyone had such a great time!
4. Specialize your thank you gifts. With a smaller wedding, you’re able to specialize & individualize your wedding thank you gifts a bit more. Think about what your closest guests love and cherish, and incorporate those things into your thank you gifts.
5. Involve your guests in your wedding. Those surrounding you will be excited to love on you on your big day! With smaller weddings, it’s easier to involve all of your guests on your big day, making it more intimate and memorable. Some examples are, including the kids as flower girls and ring bearers, having those close to you give speeches and share stores and pictures of both of you growing up, designating certain people to help you with getting ready, & having honorary dances. One of my favorite moments of Joanna & Bill’s wedding was when Joanna her side of the family did a toast, chatted together and took memorable photos. It was really sweet to watch them all connect during such a special time for Joanna.

For More Inspo…

For more intimate wedding inspo check out Lizzy & Jay’s intimate Darien, Connecticut wedding. And, head over here for extra wedding planning tips & tricks.

Wedding Portrait Location: Waveny House, New Canaan, Connecticut

Food Truck: Valencia Luncheria, Norwalk, Connecticut