A Minimalist Wedding: Rethinking Priorities

Minimalism, as an artistic movement, is all about stripping off the non-essential details to expose the subject in its simplest form. On the other hand, minimalism, as a lifestyle, is all about finding out what really matters to you, rethinking your priorities, and giving more weight on experiences rather than material possessions. While minimalism as an artistic concept won’t have problems in tailor-fitting its principles to a wedding theme, a lot of people are skeptical about wedding themes which call for the precepts of minimalism as a lifestyle.

Not Just Your Ironic, Hipster Kind of Wedding

When you hear “minimalist wedding”, you’ll probably think about white plates with small portions of food or probably a vegan menu to boot. In addition, you’ll expect self-righteous hippies or mocking hipsters making a huge bulk of the guest list.

The truth is, minimalism is concerned about finding out what truly matters to you. By and large, a minimalist wedding is a unique celebration of the things that you and your partner consider as essentials; it is not about what culture and society dictates you to do.

Dan Savage, in his book The Commitment, perfectly sums up how society has turned weddings into an artificially-flavored processed food rather than a simple and authentic homemade dish-- “People won’t take your commitment seriously if you just run down to city hall or fly off to [end page 140] Vegas. If you want people to take your relationship seriously, if you want them to believe you’re really in love, then you need to marry in the presence of God, friends, family, ministers, caterers, waiters, banquet hall managers, bakers, bartenders, disc jockeys, jewelers, florists, wedding consultants, limo drivers, photographers, videographers, and Web designers. Oh, and ice sculptors—don’t forget the ice sculptors.”

Yet, is this the kind of wedding you really want? Who made it a rule that weddings need to have 300 guests and there should be separate venues for the wedding and the reception? Who said that a wedding isn’t a wedding if there’s no cake as high as three feet?

Minimalist Wedding Ideas

It is very possible for a couple to tie the knot the minimalist way minus the vegan menu, fair-trade coffee, and that general feeling of lack and deprivation. We list down several minimalist wedding ideas below which might prove useful, practical and fun at the same time!

1. Aiming for a specific number of guests. Admit it, not everyone in your Facebook list of friends are actually your “friends”. Invite people whom you think are the ones which truly matter to you and your partner -- immediate family, long-time friends, etc.

2. Skip the invitations. While crafts and other cutesy Save-the-Date items are really nifty, keep in mind that these items often end up as trash. Eventually, they will be forgotten by the recipients and will eventually find their way into the wastebasket. Why not send email invitations or personally tell loved ones of your wedding date instead?

3. Focus on the wedding experience and forego the wedding favors. Come up with a wedding that your guests will cherish because the experience they felt during the event was something unique. Chances are, the favors you give them will simply fade out from their memories. To maximize their wedding experience, why not hire a Scottish wedding band who could cater to the requests of your guests during the event? A wedding band belting out your guests’ favorite romantic tunes is certainly more personalized and memorable than the traditional wedding favors.

4. Have the ceremony and reception in one venue. Apart from saving costs on an extra location, you’ll save yourself the hassle of transporting guests from one venue to another.

5. Come up with a different kind of wedding registry! You do not want to be crammed with more stuff in your new home so forego the linens, chinaware and furniture. Create a registry focusing on experiences as gifts -- free hot air balloon rides, discounted classes on learning a new language, or even tickets to a summer trip destination!

How about you? What are your thoughts on rethinking what is truly necessary by the time you walk down the aisle?

Melissa Page loves everything about weddings. She usually writes about wedding planning, wedding ideas and wedding bands in Glasgow. She also loves traveling, bowling, and books.