All About Micro Weddings

Micro Weddings have been a trend for years now, but for pretty much every engaged couple in the world, if you want to tie the knot anytime soon, you don’t have much of a choice beyond a micro wedding! They’re a really exciting and unique option for any couple wanting to have a smaller affair on their big day. Whether you’ve known you wanted to have a micro wedding for years, or you’re looking into it because it’s a COVID-related necessity, let’s cover everything you need to know about micro weddings.

The Basics

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So first of all, a micro wedding is generally considered to be a wedding with twenty guests or less. The context of the wedding doesn’t really matter; a destination wedding, a backyard ceremony or a family-only event, if the guest list is below twenty, it’s micro. Now, for many brides that sentence right there is where the line is drawn in the sand when it comes to mini ceremonies. If having twenty guests at your wedding sounds as impossible as building a rocket ship in your back yard, then a micro wedding probably isn’t for you. But if the thought of twenty guests (or less) sounds doable, or even preferable to you, then a micro wedding is a totally viable option for you!

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If you are choosing to go the micro-route, some elements will be exactly the same no matter what size the guest list is and some things will be totally different. So let’s take a look at some elements that shouldn’t be overlooked for your micro wedding.

The Non-Negotiables

1. A Dress You Absolutely Adore

   Whether you’re having two or two hundred guests, the need for a magical wedding dress does not go away! Why? Because the dress isn’t for your guests, it’s for you and your spouse-to-be! If you weren’t having any guests, I’d still advise you to find and wear and dress that you absolutely adore. Regardless of what your wedding looks like, a dress is the ultimate wedding staple and something that shouldn’t be compromised on just because your wedding is going to be smaller than average.

2. Your Venue

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Similar to the dress, a small wedding is no reason to cancel any sort of dream venue you have in mind. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a bride say “Well we love *insert venue here* but we’re only having about twenty people so it’s just going to be at my parent’s house” What?!?! If anything, having a micro wedding is the perfect reason to go for your dream venue. A lot of venues charge per-person so a guest list of twenty people in a high-end venue might not cost as much as you think. Couples seem to have a hard time justifying booking a nice venue when their guest list is so small, but like your dress, the venue you get married at is meant to be for you and your fiancee. Don’t compromise on a venue if you decide to go for a micro-wedding.

TIP: Read till the end of this blog to get some exclusive info on venues we love and how they do micro weddings

3. Your Photographer

This is another thing that I see so often and don’t understand; when brides are having a micro wedding and use that as a reason to skip on a professional photographer altogether. That makes no sense to me! Do you want your wedding to be captured for you and your spouse to enjoy twenty years down the road? Of course you do! So why, just because you’re having fewer guests than the average wedding, would you not find the best photographer you can? In reality, by having a smaller wedding, you’re probably able to afford more photographer than you think! Get a videographer, get an extra package, hire somebody more expensive. Just because your wedding is small doesn’t mean you’re going to want to relive it over and over again as the years go by.

4. Your Bouquet

When you’re walking down the aisle, whether it’s in front of six family members, or 150 co-workers and distant relatives, that moment should be as special and once-in-a-lifetime as possible. A large part of your down-the-aisle look is your bouquet. Your bouquet is a beautiful way to represent your personality and ties your entire bridal look together. You can even look into the symbolic meaning of specific flowers and really make your bouquet unique and meaningful to you and your spouse. They’re something that should definitely not be overlooked!

The Perfect Venue

Some of our absolute-favorites have wonderful options for micro weddings and have availability from now through the end of the year, you don’t wanna miss out on these awesome opportunities.

Villa Woodbine

Located in the heart of coconut grove, this Miami mansion will give you the gorgeous views of an old-meets-new fairytale dream ceremony. And the venue is perfectly situated for a guest list of just about any size!

You can email info@billhansencatering.com for more information! 

Curtiss Mansion

“Recently restored to its original splendor, the Mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is centrally located just north of Miami International Airport in beautiful Miami Springs, a city founded by Curtiss. With distinctive architectural details, a rich history and verdant tropical landscaping, it is the perfect setting for any engaged couple looking for an unforgettable and personalized experience. Multiple spaces are available for both large and intimate indoor, outdoor and courtyard receptions and ceremonies, which can be held in the lush shaded grove, in front of a romantic bridge or under the elegant stone archway.”-From the Curtiss Mansion Website

Call  305.869.5180 or email events@curtissmansion.org for more information!

Historic Walton house

This gorgeous house was built in 1917 and has so many stunning spots that it’s hard to just want to be in one. It’s a true triple-threat of options with an English-Style Cottage, a botanical garden overflowing with tropical vegetation, and a massive Indonesian style Chickee hut situated right next to a beautiful lagoon. Don’t miss the hundreds of koi fish living in the lagoon as well!

Feel free to contact them on their website!

More Friends With Micro Wedding Specials

Here are some more trusted vendors that all have special offers running right now for micro weddings!

Makeup Artists Florists Photographers Decor

@giadespo @poncefloraldesign @the_picture_cottage @mivintage

@powerhousebeauty @miamicenterpieces @themontejos

@beautyby_renata @rodristudio @dippphotography

@snappphotography 

I hope this article was informative and if you’re a bride considering having a micro-wedding I hope you walked away with some new perspective and some more information on exactly how to go about this process. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments and we’ll be happy to answer!

Tips for a COVID-Postponed Wedding

The novel Coronavirus pandemic has made life difficult for just about everyone. Between unpredictable lockdowns, viral hotspots moving all over the country, it seems like the COVID-19 situation changes by the second. If you were planning on getting married at any point in 2020, it’s obvious that your plans have changed. Some couples have simply opted to tie the knot at home and have friends and family join via a Zoom call, others have exchanged vows on their front lawn while their closest friends watch from their cars. There are a lot of ways your wedding can be adapted to still go on during this unprecedented situation, but what if you and your fiancee are insistent on the big party? While many couples are adapting to still marry on their original date, just as many are postponing to 2021 in hopes of a Corona-free wedding day. If you’re one of the brides that decided to push your date back, here are a few things you can do to make sure your postponed wedding will be equally as magical!

DIY All The Details You Wish You Could Afford

Megan Batoon

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard a bride say “I saw the best DIY on Pinterest for these but I just didn’t have time so we just paid extra”. Well guess what? If you’ve postponed your wedding a whole year, you can go crazy with every little budget-DIY and thrifty idea you can get your hands on! If you’ve got the time (and you definitely have the time), and wanna put a little extra work into the small details of your wedding, you can literally save hundreds, I’ve even seen some brides save over $1,000 by doing things themselves. Hop on Pinterest and figure out how to make your wedding cuter and cheaper!

TIP: One of my favorite things to see DIY-ed and what can save the most money is party favors!

Get a second gown

Always dream about having one gown for your ceremony and another for your reception? With your big day now months away, you absolutely have the time to do this! Although at first consideration, this might seem like an unnecessary or over-the-top option. But the reality is that every bride we know that’s decided to go the two-dress route has been overjoyed with the total elegance of their ceremony dress, and then feeling the freedom to choose the most dance-suitable dress for the reception. with two dresses you don’t have to find a middle ground!

TIP: At Brides of Florida, we can totally find you a second dress that will be well within budget, and we guarantee that the process will be smooth and safe!

Upgrade What You Settled For

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Every bride has that one (or five) thing they’re not totally in love with because they thought they rushed their decision. Whether its the linens, plates, or photographer, with a postponed wedding date, you can reevaluate all of your questionable decisions and really make sure you’re getting what you want! Personally, I’d start with the photographer. First of all, make absolutely sure that you chose the right one! Then get the extra package, and hire a videographer if you haven’t already. The wrong color silverware, rethinking your shoe choice or not totally loving your linens are all things you’ll forget about in a year or two, but the memories that the photographer and videographer are going to capture will be your way to relive your big day forever! It’s definitely worth a splurge and totally worth revisiting if you’re not 100% certain. You’ve got time!

TIP: If you’ve saved all that cash by DIYing a bunch of little details, you might have some funds to move into upgrading linens, silverware or floral arrangements. If you do decide to go the DIY route, make sure you didn’t sell yourself short on these details

Revamp Your Honeymoon

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With all this extra time, if you haven’t already planned your honeymoon, or only planned a portion of it, you have more time to look into every little detail that would make your honeymoon an absolute dream. If all the wedding exhaustion made you and your fiancee take the easy way out and plan something that was under budget and easy to book, you might wanna put yourselves on a savings plan and take that extra effort to plan something truly unique! Time is on your side, that means you have more time to save up money and more time to plan something totally amazing.

TIP: Although it might seem like travel will be totally impossible until the end of time, a little research can go a long way in finding some resorts, or Airbnb’s that are totally equipped to provide a safe honeymoon experience. And if you’re on the fence about flying, there are even some options within driving distance, just do some research!

Some Other Ideas

• Expand your guest list. Yes, I know…add MORE people to your guest-list!? The logistical it might seem to be, a few extra months to figure things out could give you an opportunity to add some extra people that just barely missed a spot!

• Hire a wedding planner. While that may not have been something you had the time or money for on your original timeline, maybe bringing someone on to help make sure the next 6 months of your life go as smoothly as possible may seem like a worthwhile investment to you now!

• Do an Engagement Shoot (Or two). If time or money got in the way of doing an engagement shoot, or if your engagement shoot was 6 months ago, and your wedding is now a year away, it’s an ideal time to get this done!

Almost every bride I’ve ever met, says to me, “I wish I had more time to plan my wedding”. To all of my COVID-Postponed brides, here is your chance!! Good luck ♡

(Chris Wallace Productions)

How To Go All-Out Saying "Yes" at Home

People in every industry are experiencing unique challenges due to COVID-19. Many elements of daily life have been altered or halted altogether. Lockdowns across the US and the world have posed difficult questions to communities and businesses everywhere. However, in the face of all the negativity and uncertainty, couples wanting to tie the knot and start a life together has not been put on lockdown.

Here at Brides of Florida, we needed to think of a new way to celebrate Brides to Be and we found it! Our Brides of Florida Say “Yes” At Home Boxes have been a hit for all of our quarantined Brides and we’ve loved seeing all the different things that they’ve done with their at-home bridal experience and we especially love this new way for Brides to have a beautiful try-on experience in their own home.

Now that it’s been almost 3 months since we launched, we wanted to share a few pointers on how to make your Say “Yes” at Home experience just as unforgettable as it would be in store!

Decorate Your Full-Length Mirror

A full-length mirror is an absolute MUST for your at-home try on! If you really wanted to spruce up your at-home experience though, make your full-length mirror stand out with some flowers or string lights! If you’re a little sad that your bridal appointment won’t take place in-store, we recommend going above and beyond to make your home environment feel extra special. Plus, you even get the added benefit of decorating exactly how you’d like! So go big because you’re only gonna have this experience once!

Prepare a Spread of Goodies

If you have some friends or family in quarantine with you, set up a brunch or appetizer-style spread for your appointment! Along with a decorated mirror, your home will be transformed into a totally upscale bridal boutique with decor and a nice spread for you and your family to snack on between gowns! Brunch, charcuterie, cookies and cake, whatever your dream spread is, have it prepared to make your experience that much more unique!

Create a Say “Yes” Cocktail

Have a go-to drink? Take that cocktail and put a special twist on it for your at-home appointment! Put a bridal flare on your cocktail of choice to make your at-home appointment feel ultra-luxe. There’s no better reason to treat yourself during this time than your Bridal appointment! Whatever you need to do to feel taken care of is essential for your appointment.

Keep a bottle of Champagne Chilled

The last thing you’d want is to say “Yes” to the dress and have no bubbly cold to toast your decision! On top of your snack spread and cocktail of choice, keeping a cold bottle of sparkling wine is an absolute must and is the cherry on top of everyone’s bridal experience. When our brides say “Yes” in-store, the pop of champagne is one of the most special parts for the Bride and our whole team, saying “Yes” to the dress is one of the most memorable moments in the whole wedding process, just because you're saying “Yes” at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it right!

Don’t forget to hang your Say “YES” at Home banner, provided by #BOF that’s inside your box! And if you really want to the extra mile (which you should) the Say “YES” balloon arch is available from our friends at @myballoonworld

Cake available through our friends at @divinedelicacies

Bouquet & flowercrown available through @miamicenterpieces

How to Book your Say “Yes” At Home Box

Getting the process started to say “Yes” at home couldn’t be easier! Just visit our website at bridesofflorida.net, and click the Say “Yes” At Home link in our banner. It’s that simple! You’ll be asked to fill in your information like you would for a normal bridal appointment, pay the appointment fee, and the box will be on its way to your door. Happy shopping!

This time has been difficult for everyone in different ways, and people everywhere have been trying to overcome the challenges in every way they can. Sharing these experiences with friends and family is something that no virus can take away and even though things may be different now, every Bride deserves their wedding dress experience to be unforgettable. In the face of adversity, it’s amazing to see love stories unfolding as much as ever. We hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy during this time and we hope we can make your bridal dreams come true as effectively as ever even during a crazy time.

Thoughts on a Long-Sleeve Dress

Long sleeve wedding gowns have come a long way. Gone are the days of puffy sleeves, large bows and an ocean’s worth of pearls. Today’s long sleeve dress meets right at the intersection of sexy and timeless. fulfilling the look perfectly why getting the wow factor to perfection.

Gone are the days of puffy sleeves, bows and pearls

Many wondered if the long sleeve trend would come and go like many others or become a legitimate part of our daily bridal vocabulary. As a personal fan of this “trend” from the beginning, I’m so glad to say that today, even in hot Miami, Florida almost every bride that comes in wants to try at least one long sleeve dress to see how it looks on them! Regardless of your wedding vision, whether it’s indoors or outdoors, and no matter your personal style, there is definitely a long sleeve dress can fit perfectly with your vision!

Let’s dive a little deeper into the 3 types of long sleeve dresses:

Sexy:

Lots of cut-outs, silky material and curves for days. A sexy long sleeve gown will make everyone and anyone fall in love with this style. With a sexy long-sleeve dress, you can have the best of both worlds, the long sleeve look you’ve always wanted, and a Beyonce-like fierceness while you walk down the runway.

Traditional:

A traditional long-sleeve dress is the best way to achieve that Grace Kelly look! These dresses don’t try to reinvent the wheel in the sleeve department, rather it offers a gorgeous tool sleeve with simple lace appliques. Traditional sleeves are absolutely stunning!

Boho:

Known for their contemporary colorways and detailed lace patterns, a long sleeve dress in a boho style give the perfect blend of traditional and boho without going off the deep end.

How you’ll feel in your long sleeve dress from Brides of Florida

At Brides of Florida, our long sleeve dresses start at $1,200. We strive to only bring gowns that have a perfect fit, and the highest-quality materials. We hope that when you try them on, they enhance the bride leaving no doubt that they’ve found the dress of their dreams!

Let us know your thoughts on long sleeve dresses in the comments and make sure to share this blog!

The Truth About Shoes

 When picking out the shoes you’re going to wear on your wedding day, brides can have an unexpectedly hard time.

Many times, girls forget that pretty is not the only goal for your shoes. Here are some Brides of Florida tips to finding the perfect shoes to make sure your feet are as happy as you are on the big day!

In It For The Long Haul

Photo courtesy of @miguelocquephotography

     The shoes you wear on your wedding day will be on your feet for at least 10 hours, the first thing they need to be is comfortable! It takes at least 30 minutes of wearing shoes to know if they’re going to work all day, so once you buy a pair, wear them for at least half an hour at home, preferably on carpet. Give yourself plenty of time because if a pair of shoes doesn’t work, you’ll have plenty of time to return them.

The Trouble with Twos

         Having two pairs of shoes is a very common idea nowadays, brides love to do something elegant (and less comfy) for the ceremony, opting for a more comfortable (and less elegant) pair for the reception. BUT, many brides don’t take into account the issue of heel size. If the heel size of your 2nd pair is longer or shorter than that of your first pair, the gown could be too long and you won’t be able to move around safely. Nobody wants a fallen bride! Here at Brides of Florida we always make sure that the bride has measured the inside of the heel to know exactly what heel length she needs. Even still, finding an option that works for both the ceremony and reception may be the right call.

Nobody wants a fallen bride!

      The Honest Truth

          Unless you’re doing something very nontraditional, you’re going to be wearing a long gown. Therefore, the view of your shoes is going to be extremely limited. I’ve seen brides put as much time and effort into choosing their shoes as they put into picking their gown, big mistake! Of course you want your shoes to look good, but here’s the truth: nobody is going to see your shoes if your gown is long. Should they match your dress and jewelry? Of course! Should they be trendy, elegant and represent your style? Definitely! But the reality is that they will be hidden by your dress 90% of the wedding. So opt for comfort over style every time when it comes to choosing your shoes.

     My Recommendations 

Here are some of my top 3 shoe options that our #bofbrides have recommended as both comfortable and beautiful:  

• Betsy Johnson’s shoes have been raved about by our brides for their style and comfort for years, and their soles are blue (something blue!) Definitely check them out.

https://www.dillards.com/brand/Betsey+Johnson/shoes-women-shoes-bridal

• Badgley Mishka has gorgeous styles, but watch for the fit because some of their shoes are on the uncomfortable side.

https://www.badgleymischka.com/wedding-shop/ceremony/bridal-shoes/  

• Designer shoes! If there’s any day to splurge on some red bottoms it’d be your wedding day. However, keep in mind that most of these high-end options aren’t designed for comfort. So, if you go the designer route, make sure you give them plenty of time to be broken in. Whether you wear them a handful of times yourself, or get something that does it for you.

https://m.saks.com/eSearch.jsp?N=306624275&Ne=399545537

   Designer shoe photos courtesy of @simplycaptivating

Even though this list of advice may seem rigid, keep in mind, there’s no going wrong! Through the years I’ve seen girls in every kind of shoe and color and I can say that the brides who prioritize comfort are always the happiest!

The truth is, any shoe can be a wedding shoe if it’s comfortable and you love it.

I hope you found this informative, and if you did, please like, share and comment your thoughts below!