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Planning GuideHow to Plan a Micro Wedding
How to Plan a Micro Wedding
In the Right Order
Plan a micro wedding in the right order. Lock your guest count, pick your region, then secure the venue and date together. Sort food and beverage next. Then layer the personal details like florals, ceremony, cake, and photos. Do it in that order and every decision gets easier. Do it backwards and you'll re-decide everything twice.
10 min readUpdated August 2026
How to plan a micro wedding
The order matters because each decision constrains the next one. Your guest count determines which venues will take you. Your venue determines what dinner looks like. Your menu determines when dinner ends. Your timeline determines when the photographer leaves. Start in the wrong place and you rebuild everything.
What follows is the full sequence, written so you can use it whether or not you ever work with a planner. Each step names the decision, why it comes when it does, and the practical details couples most often wish they had known earlier, from guest-count math to the marriage-license window. Where we note how we handle a step for our couples, treat it as one option, not the only way through.
In brief
Plan a micro wedding in this order: guest count → region → venue and date together → food and beverage → personal details (florals, officiant, cake, photos). Do it in that order and every decision gets easier. Do it backwards and you'll re-decide everything twice. Most couples finish the planning process in three to six months. We have done it in six weeks when the date and venue aligned.
The Process
Eight steps, in the right order
1
Set your guest count first
Everything prices and books off this number. Up to 10 guests is an elopement, 11–25 is a minimony, 26–50 is a micro wedding. Your guest count determines which venues will take you, what dinner looks like, and which package tier fits. Every decision downstream gets easier once this is set.
The 50-guest cap is real. We build in a small grace for a couple of extra guests, past that, you're in traditional-wedding territory, and we'll say so. Every name you cut buys back venue options.
If you work with us: your guest count goes into your planning portal at booking, and every shortlist we build is calibrated to it.
Guest count guide →2
Pick your region before your venue
City, coast, redwoods, or wine country. Your region shapes your season, your budget, and the kind of day you're building. A Sonoma winery long table for thirty and a San Francisco City Hall ceremony followed by a private dining room are both micro weddings. They start from completely different searches.
If you work with us: your Discovering Your Style questions in the portal surface your region preferences, then we build a custom venue shortlist from there, never a generic list.
3
Venue and date move together
Hold both loosely until one locks. A lot of couples come to us without a date set, and that's intentional. Staying date-flexible keeps your venue options open. Saturdays compete with large weddings at large-wedding prices. Weekday and off-season flexibility unlocks better venues and better value. October is the busiest California wedding month.
Your date locks when you book your venue, not before.
If you work with us: we inquire, get real pricing and date availability, and load it into your portal so you can look through at your own pace. Then a Google Meet advisory call where we walk through everything and compare options side by side, because every venue does things differently. You contract and pay the venue directly. We review the full venue package first and flag anything that would surprise you.
When to book guide →4
Sort food and beverage with the venue
Your menu is venue-dependent. A winery handles food and beverage completely differently than a park ceremony followed by a private dining room. Good food matters. With 20 guests you can afford the restaurant back room, the tasting menu, the private chef, things that don't scale to 150 people.
If you work with us: we curate a food and beverage shortlist that fits your venue and your count. You decide what to eat and drink, and you pay the venue or caterer directly. Their price is your price.
Catering guide →5
Layer the personal details, the inclusions
Florals, officiant, cake, Hair & Makeup. When you work with us, these are already in the package, you give preferences, we handle the rest. Want an officiant who speaks Spanish, a gluten-free cake, a bouquet that matches a photo you found? You share that in your planning meetings and portal. We source, coordinate, and pay. You never contact the florist unless you want to.
On your own: this is the sourcing work that takes most couples by surprise. Florist minimums are built for 150-guest weddings. Bakeries charge delivery fees that don't make sense at 15 guests. Finding a licensed officiant who matches your ceremony style takes more time than expected. At micro scale, the math only works if someone brings a season of small weddings, not just one.
6
Book your photographer
Photography is the most personal pick you'll make, so you choose and book directly at their real price. We shortlist photographers who already know your venue and your light.
Most couples at this size book four to six hours of coverage. A 20-guest day doesn't need ten hours.
Photography guide →7
Get your marriage license
A California marriage license is valid for 90 days from the date it is issued, and both partners must apply together, in person, at a county clerk's office. You can apply in any California county, it does not have to be the one where you marry, and there is no waiting period or blood test. Bring government-issued photo ID for each of you.
Fees and rules vary by county. In Sonoma County a public license is $82 and a confidential license is $98. The public license requires one witness at the ceremony, while the confidential license requires none. In San Francisco, a civil ceremony at City Hall runs roughly $238 all in. That is about $111 for the ceremony plus roughly $127 for the license. The ceremony is capped at six guests, a count that includes your photographer.
Practical timing: apply for the license 30 to 60 days before the wedding rather than the week of. Book any in-person appointment early. Confirm which of your officiant, witnesses, and the clerk signs and returns the license after the ceremony. For couples we plan, we lay out the county, the window, and the signatures so nothing is left to the last week.
8
Hand the day to your coordinator
A day-of coordinator is included in every package, one person who has confirmed every vendor, knows your entire plan, and runs the day from first arrival to last goodbye. Every vendor gets the full timeline well before the day, so nobody is guessing. You and your people just have the day.
No one can run a wedding and fully be present at it, the two jobs pull in opposite directions. A day-of coordinator exists so you never have to choose between them.
Day-of coordination guide →The planning portal
When you work with us, every step above lives in one custom-built portal. Your venue shortlist with real pricing and date availability. Your food and beverage options. Your timeline. Your vendors. A message thread to us anytime.
“No hunting through email threads. No spreadsheets. One place, always current.”
Your real portal is ready right after your consult, before you book, so you can see exactly what working with us looks like. You answer the getting-to-know-you questions at your own pace, and steps unlock at the right time as your date approaches. Change your mind on the cake flavor three weeks out, that's fine.
For couples who are busy, planning from out of town, or who just don't want to hold a wedding in their head: the portal is where it lives instead. Everything captured, nothing dropped.
Timeline
A micro wedding timeline at a glance
3–6 months out
Region, guest count, book OLW
Lock your guest count and region. Start your free consult. If you book, you're immediately onboarded to your planning portal.
2–4 months out
Venue locked, date set
We build your venue shortlist, load real pricing and availability into the portal, and walk it through together. You contract and pay the venue directly. Your date is now set.
Midpoint
Food, beverage, photographer
Food and beverage shortlist from us, you decide. Photography shortlist from us, you pick and book. The Big Three are now in place.
Closer to the date
Personal details unlock
The inclusions unlock in your portal: florals, cake, officiant, Hair & Makeup. You share your preferences, and we coordinate everything.
30 days out
Final logistics
Final headcount, final timeline, final vendor confirmations. Your coordinator starts confirming every detail.
2 weeks out
Timeline distributed
The full timeline goes to every vendor. Your coordinator runs from it on the day. Nobody is guessing.
Wedding day
You're a guest at your own wedding
Your coordinator handles arrivals, cues, timing, and vendor management. They pack up at the end while you're saying goodbye to everyone.
Why it works
What a small wedding actually unlocks
Venues that don't exist for big weddings
Winery barrel rooms, private dining rooms, clifftop park sites, boutique hotel gardens. These spaces are only available when your count is under 30. No two weddings look the same. That's the whole point.
Real time with everyone there
You will actually speak with every person at your wedding. These experiences don't scale to 150 guests. They work beautifully for 20.
A budget spent on quality, not quantity
Intimate weddings aren't lesser weddings, they're intentional ones. Most couples spend around $1,000 per guest all-in. What that buys at 25 guests is different than what it buys at 150.
Where We Work
Eight California regions
From SF City Hall to the Big Sur coast, each page covers venues we've actually worked at, real weddings we've planned there, and timing specifics.
Get Married Outdoors
Free and low-cost ceremony sites in California
California's state parks and regional preserves are some of the most beautiful ceremony sites anywhere, and most cost under $500 to reserve. We publish detailed permit guides for every site we work with.
Garrapata State Park
Big Sur
Brazilian Room at Tilden
East Bay
Armstrong Redwoods
Guerneville
Roberts Regional Recreation Area
Oakland
More micro wedding planning resources
Micro Wedding Ideas
Formats from real weddings
How Much Does a Micro Wedding Cost?
Real numbers, every line item
How Many Guests Is a Micro Wedding?
Size bands + what each unlocks
When to Book Your Micro Wedding
Timing guide, season by season
Real Weddings
See how our couples did it
California Packages
From $4,500
Keep exploring
More to help you plan your day
Micro Wedding Ideas
Formats from real weddings, city hall, redwoods, winery long tables, coastal.
Read the guideHow Much Does a Micro Wedding Cost?
Real numbers, every line item, package plus the three costs on top.
Read the guideCalifornia Micro Wedding Packages
From $4,500, two packages, six price points.
See all packagesFAQ
Micro wedding planning questions
How far in advance should we plan a California micro wedding?
Three to six months is the sweet spot, enough runway for the venue you want without a year of planning limbo. Peak season is May through October. Wine country and Big Sur dates book fastest on weekends. That said, we've planned full weddings in six weeks when the date and venue aligned. Reach out before you assume a shorter timeline won't work.
Do we need a wedding date before we start planning?
No, and staying date-flexible is often an advantage. A lot of couples come to us without a date set, and we like that, because it keeps your venue options open. Your date locks when you book your venue. Saturdays compete with large weddings at large-wedding prices. Weekday and off-season flexibility unlocks better venues and better value.
What is the difference between a micro wedding and an elopement?
An elopement is up to 10 guests, just the two of you, or with a handful of people. A minimony is 11–25 guests. A micro wedding is 26–50 guests. The line matters because it changes your venue options and your package price. Both are intentional at heart. The difference is who you'd regret not having there.
What does a micro wedding planning process actually look like?
You book a free consult, and your real planning portal is ready right after, so you can see exactly what working with us looks like. From there, you answer getting-to-know-you questions at your own pace in the portal. We build your venue shortlist with real pricing and date availability. You pick and contract the venue directly, then food and beverage and photography follow the same pattern. The inclusions are handled by us with your preferences: florals, cake, officiant, and Hair & Makeup. A day-of coordinator is included too.
How much does a micro wedding cost in California?
Most couples spend around $1,000 per guest all-in. Our packages start at $4,500. They include your florals, cake, officiant, and Hair & Makeup. You also get a day-of coordinator, your timeline, and your planning portal. Venue, food and beverage, and photography are the three costs on top. They vary by region and by your choices. See our full cost guide for real numbers.
Can we get married at a California state park?
Yes. California State Parks, East Bay Regional Parks, and various county parks all allow small ceremonies with the right permit. Most require four to six weeks for processing, have rules about decor and capacity, and charge modest fees. We publish permit guides for every park we work with at /get-married-at/, and we handle the permit process for our couples.
Book a free consult
You don't have to run it alone
Planning in this order keeps a micro wedding calm and unhurried, but you do not have to run it alone. Book a free 30-minute consult and we will map your guest count, region, and timeline together. Your real planning portal is ready right after, so you can see exactly what working with us looks like.
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