The wedding planning process has changed significantly since 2020.

I’m here to share some good news, and give you the tips that I’ve learned over the past few months.

Who am I? I am Sean Carter and I’m a wedding photographer from Lansing.

Along the way, I’ve learned a number of things.

1. SMALL IS BETTER

For the past number of years, I’ve watched wedding guest counts (and price tags!) get really out of hand when planning. In my experience, this is usually due to family pressure. At some point, a lot of my couples have started to feel like it’s not even their wedding any longer. That they’re along for the ride.

THIS YEAR IS YOUR EXCUSE TO HAVE THE WEDDING YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO.

You now have full control over the guest list. You get to invite the most important people in your life to be there, and you actually have time to be with them-

2. YOU GET TO SPEND TIME WITH EVERYONE THERE

Traditionally, it’s actually rare for my couples to actually talk to everyone that attends their wedding.

With a smaller wedding, you can now spend time with everyone you’ve invited.

3. COST

Couples this year are saving so much money on weddings. Prices really have gotten out of control, and now you can spend the money you save in other places.

4. YOU CAN NOW GET MARRIED ANYWHERE

This is one of the most exciting things with micro weddings - you can get married anywhere.

You no longer have to look for hall to accommodate a certain guest count, while also meeting the budget.

Now you get to be creative. Some of my couples are getting married in forests, in front of waterfalls, and at restaurants that would not have been possible with a larger guest count.

5. BETTER WEDDING PHOTOS

As a wedding photographer, this is the most exciting part of micro weddings for me.

Weddings have become much simpler overall. Which means, less stress for you on the day. No problems to troubleshoot, you just get to enjoy the day.

This lack of stress on the wedding day, really comes through in the photos.

We have all the time we need for photos, and we’re in control of the time of day we take them. At a traditional wedding, the photo session just kind of fits wherever it fits - which means non-ideal lighting conditions where you might not look your best.

Micro weddings, we can schedule at the best time of day for photos.

To add to that, you can now use the budget you saved to spend a little more on the details you’d really like to have.

SO HOW DO YOU PLAN THE BEST MICRO WEDDING?

My suggestions:

Pick your dream location. There are no longer any rules to where you should have your ceremony.
Parks, locations, and businesses are all really going out of their way to be super accommodating these days, and that makes your life a lot easier.

Spend some of the money you’re saving on bringing in great vendors. Budgets usually get stressed really thin because of the number of guests at the wedding. This is your excuse to involve all of the vendors you would want to have for your dream wedding.

Set up an on location dinner, or move to a restaurant. With smaller guest counts, it’s now possible to set up a small reception wherever you’d like. Again, whatever your dream location is for this, this is probably the only year that it will be possible to do.

TO GET THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHS:

Schedule your ceremony when it’s good for photos. 2 hours before sunset will give us the best light for photos.

Hire a photographer (me!) for 2-3 hours. That will cover a little of the getting ready, the ceremony, family photos and photos of the two of you. (There are also packages if you’d like me to come to the reception)

My photography is primarily candid, so it’ll be a more relaxing experience than you might think right now.

If you’re interested in working together, please send me a note in the contact form below, and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours.

Thanks for reading and if you have any other questions, feel free to reach out!