Planning Your Luxury Intimate Wedding

In our opinion, an intimate wedding is a beautifully exclusive wedding!

Here at Couture, we just love the intimacy that is possible when couples hold a small - but exquisite - wedding.

If having a small wedding was not originally part of your plan, don't worry, we are going to give you some insights into how to make your intimate wedding extra special, including our recommendations for top luxury wedding venues at which to host your intimate wedding. We hope you enjoy our tips on how to make a small wedding ultra-luxurious and that you find our ideas for your small luxury wedding inspiring.

Whist we as a nation we gingerly come out of lockdown and receive with joy the announcement that as of 4th July 2020, small scale weddings in the UK may now go ahead whilst respecting government guidance on social distancing, we as an industry can now once again look to the future and get back to working with our couples to design and plan their dream days.

However, with the shadow of a second wave happening somewhere in the world never far from our minds, and with the insecurity surrounding the feasibility of large gatherings both now and in the future, couples wishing to marry in the immediate future will have to accept that they might have to rethink their original vision for their big day - with a cap on guest numbers being the single biggest consideration.

However, small does NOT have to mean low key!

We are here to show you how planning a smaller, more intimate wedding guarantees an exclusive experience, not only for you both as a couple, but also for your guests. With clever design and considered organisation, you can create all the grandeur of a big wedding whilst at the same time having a deeply personal celebration as you connect with each and every guest in a way that is simply not possible at big weddings. For the purposes of this article, we are considering guest numbers up to 60 as a small, intimate wedding.

First things first! If you hadn't originally wanted to have an intimate wedding, you may not yet have considered all the benefits of planning an intimate wedding. There are so many reasons why you should choose an intimate wedding, the first of which is, that it's all about YOU! Planning a smaller wedding can be a lot less stressful - you can focus purely on the most important things to you both (rather than ticking all the boxes to please everybody) and you get to pick exactly who you want by your side rather than sending those dreaded 'obligatory' invitations. Secondly, with fewer guests, will be able to spend quality time with each and everyone - and them with you! Lastly, you can make your budget go further, allowing us to work together to create a truly unforgettable experience for you and your guests.

The next consideration is which are the top UK venues at which to hold your luxury intimate wedding? For us, the perfect intimate luxury wedding venue offers three things - exclusivity, service and a truly unique experience - and the icing on the cake is to be able to have outdoor space for your guests to allow for social distancing and fresh air.

Top of the list for us as the best venue for small intimate weddings is Cliveden House.

We are delighted that Cliveden House has chosen to use photographs from our recent Editorial Shoot, featured in You and Your Wedding and WedLuxe, for their marketing material - thank you Cliveden!. Cliveden offers rooms for your ceremony which can accommodate 16 guests, 40 guests and 60 guests and reception rooms accommodating 12, 24 and 60 guests. They operate an exclusive 'one bride policy' so they only host one wedding per day meaning that although the hotel is open to other residents, you will not run the risk of walking past another bride on your big day!

Another of our favourite country house hotels perfect for intimate weddings is the Four Seasons, Hampshire.

We are delighted to be a recommended wedding planner at the Four Seasons Hampshire - in our opinion, this Georgian Manor House set in 500 acres of rolling meadows, yet still, only an hour from London, is a truly is an incredible location. All of their luxuriously appointed variously side event rooms are licensed for wedding ceremonies and there is plenty of outdoor space.

Last but not least, our third recommendation is Coworth Park, Ascot.

Coworth Park is the perfect venue for intimate luxury weddings - set in 240 acres of idyllic parkland and just 45 minutes from London, In addition to their beautifully appointed event spaces, the Oak Room, The Oval Room and the Garden Room, Coworth Park also offers the exclusive Upper Level at The Barn with space for up to 30 guests for dining. If it is complete exclusivity and privacy that you are after, you have the option of hiring the incredible Dower House (sleeps six), with optional butler service, for your own private family getaway. This venue offers some serious intimate wedding goals right here! We are delighted to be a recommended wedding planner at Coworth Park as well so speak to us today for ideas for how to design and plan your luxury intimate wedding here, or at any of the venues recommended above.

If luxury hotels are not what you are looking for though, we would also recommend considering erecting a marquee either on your own grounds or in the grounds of a stately home or similar - we have plenty of ideas for these; similarly, there are a number of exclusive hire country estates which offer weekend weddings in their on-site accommodation - with our top recommended country houses sleeping guest numbers from 24 to 50, you can host your ceremony and afterparty on-site whilst all staying in one beautiful house for a truly exclusive wedding weekend experience for an elite group of guests. Please enquire directly for our recommendations for exclusive hire country house venues or see our blog here

Once you've chosen your venue, now it's time to have fun with the design to create a truly exceptional experience for your lucky guests.

As the very first touchpoint of your wedding day, nothing says that your wedding day is going to be awesome more than a luxury invitation. We love these pop-up storytelling invitations - please enquire for details if you love them too!

With fewer guests, you can push the boundaries with the catering too and offer a menu which perhaps you would not be able to offer for higher guest numbers either due to the complexity of the menu or the price point of the ingredients. Similarly, the wines you choose to pair with your menu could be more unusual or exclusive than the ones more commonly offered to larger weddings, you could offer cocktails both pre and post-wedding breakfast to be served from a fabulously styled bespoke bar. In terms of design, floral installations make such an impact and are the perfect way to make features of your top table, cake table and bar as well as having a statement installation that guests can enjoy taking photos of themselves with!

Finally, with fewer guests, making each guest feel appreciated and valued can be interwoven into the design in so many ways - from welcome hampers on arrival to creating bespoke, monogrammed keepsakes for various parts of the day and preparing luxurious thoughtful thank you presents for departure - all ways to express to your guests your delight and joy that they were able to share this most precious of days with you.

If you are considering holding an intimate wedding and you'd like our help making it truly unforgettable on every level, get in touch with us here.

We can't wait to hear from you!

Susannah x