Danielle Woodcock was planning her wedding when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, delaying and eventually cancelling her big day. By the time she revisited it in 2021, she had decided to go in a different direction B次元官网网址� a micro-wedding.

Her guest list, once around 100, dwindled to 30 people, and in the end, she and her partner James Costello spent less than $10,000.

Before going the micro-wedding route, the venue and food alone was going to cost well over $10,000, she said.

While many couples had smaller weddings in recent years because of pandemic restrictions, decades-high inflation is leading many to opt for a micro-wedding, which typically includes up to 50 guests.

Though increased costs were a factor when Woodcock started planning again, the pandemic also made her rethink the whole wedding.

Their October 2022 wedding planned by Toronto Micro Weddings was intimate, personalized and B次元官网网址� most importantly B次元官网网址� fun, she said, instead of stressful and budget-breaking.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 feel like we lost out on anything.B次元官网网址�

TDB次元官网网址檚 annual Love and Money survey of American couples, conducted in November 2021, found that almost a third were planning on having a micro-wedding B次元官网网址� and that was before inflation peaked on both sides of the border in the summer of 2022. ItB次元官网网址檚 also before central banks started raising interest rates, driving up the cost of borrowing.

Tiffany MacIsaac and her husband started Toronto Micro Weddings through their event planning company in 2018. That part of their business saw a significant boost during the pandemic and inflation has only made it more appealing to clients, she said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just so hard to get a head start in life in general right now,B次元官网网址� said MacIsaac, creative director at Toronto Creative Events (TCE).

B次元官网网址淚 think that the pandemic forced people to have micro-weddings. But the more people went to other peopleB次元官网网址檚 micro-weddings, the more itB次元官网网址檚 become now something thatB次元官网网址檚 just socially acceptable and an option moving forward,B次元官网网址� she said, adding that B次元官网网址渋nquiries havenB次元官网网址檛 stopped.B次元官网网址�

Many couples these days feel like they have to decide between having their dream wedding and being able to save for the future, she said.

B次元官网网址淲e wanted to create a package that made it possible to do both.B次元官网网址�

To help keep costs down for couples, companies that plan micro-weddings partner with event vendors and venues, acting as middlemen to make things easier on the couple and the vendors. Some venues are also starting to offer their own micro-wedding packages.

MacIsaac said TCE is opening their own venue and is particularly focused on working with emerging and marginalized artists.

Toronto Micro WeddingsB次元官网网址� base package for a ceremony and cocktail reception starts at $8,000, and MacIsaac is also happy to make cost-effective recommendations for things the package doesnB次元官网网址檛 cover B次元官网网址� she often points brides to places that rent out wedding dresses.

Some couples are taking the micro-wedding trend a step further and opting for pop-up weddings.

This means a company will set up a wedding venue for a day or a weekend and couples can pay to use it, usually for just the ceremony with some refreshments, explained Nataleigh Ballantyne, founder of Love Shack Toronto, a wedding planning business.

Ballantyne and her now-husband started their business with a shipping-container wedding pop-up in Toronto which opened in July 2020. Accommodating up to eight guests, Ballantyne wanted the space to have a Las-Vegas-chapel feel, and it served as an alternative for people to get married under COVID-19 guidelines.

Though the shipping container was temporary, Love Shack Toronto now does a mix of micro-weddings and pop-ups.

A common misconception about micro-weddings is that because they cost less, theyB次元官网网址檙e not as special, said Ballantyne.

B次元官网网址淚 think micro-weddings allow people to really prioritize whatB次元官网网址檚 important to them for that day,B次元官网网址� she explained, recommending that couples make a B次元官网网址渄eal-breaker listB次元官网网址� so they can figure out what to prioritize financially.

The guest list is often the toughest part of a small wedding, said Ballantyne, but her advice about prioritization extends to guests B次元官网网址� follow your heart, and focus on whatB次元官网网址檚 most important to you.

B次元官网网址淚f you canB次元官网网址檛 live without those people being there, then do what feels right,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淭he thing about weddings, micro or not, is that there is truly no right or wrong answer.B次元官网网址�

Toronto Micro Weddings clients Alicia and Khaled Maadarani got married in July 2022, and the couple said inflation was a big factor in their decision to have a micro-wedding.

As they looked into their options, they realized a 50-person event would set them back around $13,000; but their wedding totalled roughly $8,000 instead.

It was a big relief for the couple, who say they were able to stress less about money before and after their big day.

B次元官网网址淚 feel like as long as you have people there that you love and care about, thatB次元官网网址檚 all that really matters,B次元官网网址� said Alicia Maadarani.

B次元官网网址淪tressing yourself out over a big wedding with a big budget isnB次元官网网址檛 really worth it.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擱osa Saba, The Canadian Press