Small, intimate weddings are nothing new. And, for wedding venues, we know they may not be your biggest revenue-generators as compared to the big wedding bashes that had come to dominate the industry in a pre-COVID world. But, unfortunately, in a COVID world, the former wedding rules – large venues, long guest lists, and packed dance floors – no longer apply. We’re not saying it won’t ever get back to normal. It will – you’ll start to see that once a vaccine comes out. But, because people have become more cautious, careful, and critical now (and will be for the foreseeable future), it may be some time before all couples and their guests feel completely comfortable gathering in a big group.
So why not show how a small intimate celebration – or what has now been coined “a micro wedding” – at your venue can deliver them that much-needed peace of mind, while still being an awesome bash? In fact, as couples are now finding themselves trying to reimagine quintessential wedding elements as they plan (or re-plan) to meet social-distancing regulations, it can actually serve as a ripe content marketing opportunity to make your venue to stand out. The place to do that: your blog content. Because not only does this kind of content show potential couples how a micro or socially-distant wedding can beautifully be done, but be beautifully done at your specific venue, encouraging conversion. Not sure what to post? Here are four examples of catered content and how to market a micro wedding to couples who are shopping.
Blog Post Idea #1: “X Major Benefits of Hosting a Micro Wedding That Couples Don’t Realize at First”
If you’re looking to book more micro weddings, this is an obvious topic to tackle – not to mention, it capitalizes on some “fear of missing out” with the use of “That No One Realizes” (other options: “That No One Talks About,” “That the Wedding Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know About”).
Some of the benefits to touch on in this post:
- Saving Money or Making a Splash It’s a no-brainer way for couples to cut costs or – on the flipside – allow them to really spoil or luxuriate their smaller group of guests.
- Breaking from Tradition to Make it Really Unique/Custom Smaller weddings naturally seem to encourage less traditional expectations (read: fewer family members/friends breathing down a couples’ necks with input), meaning couples can get more creative.
- More Quality Time Couples get to spend more time with loved ones, rather than trying to touch base with everyone during a larger gathering.
Even better, fold in what makes a micro wedding so special at your venue. For example, perhaps you’ve got a variety of open and airy ceremony spaces ideal for social distancing or have created a handful of elopement or micro wedding packages – the ability for a couple to envision what they could do at your property is a major selling point for them, and a big win for you.
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Blog Post Idea #2:“Tips & Tricks for Choosing Your Guest List for Your Micro Wedding”
No matter what size wedding a couple is having, whittling down the guest list can cause headaches. In the case of a micro wedding, that typically means a guest list of 50 people or less, which often has couples biting their nails over who makes the cut or not.
Some natural tips and tricks to touch on in this post:
- Start With the A-Listers Suggest not to divvy your families and friends into a first string, second string, third string – think only first string, nothing beyond that. A good rule of thumb: If they’re not on your holiday card list, don’t feel guilty about not inviting them.
- Set Boundaries Early Particularly with parents about how this is going to be a small wedding (in the age of COVID, they should understand). If couples have narrowed down their A-Listers and have leftover spots (even if just a couple), divide by two and give each set of parents that predetermined number of invitations available to them.
- Be Judicious with Plus Ones Because the most important thing is having the couples’ loved ones there.
- Note that It’s a “Micro Wedding” on the Invites Which can help prevent some misunderstandings if some guests start comparing notes about whether they were invited or not.
Blog Post Idea #3: “X Creative Ways to Throw a Safe, Socially-Distanced Wedding Ceremony”
With regulations requiring couples to avoid face-to-face seating, use protective screens and face coverings, and limited access to non-essential social spaces, it can feel a bit overwhelming to throw an event that feels, well, normal and beautiful. The key is showing potential couples that it can be done.
Some ideas to touch on in this post:
- Make Masks Their Own Instead of buying the wedding party matching robes or socks, suggest having custom masks made to match. As for wedding guests, masks and personalized hand-sanitizer can actually double as wedding favors, especially with a personal touch like embroidery of the couples’ initials.
- Outdoor, Open-Air Ceremony & Reception Spaces That Wow The name of the game is having enough room to disperse the crowd, so, as a venue, you can actually showcase your best spaces for that, plus the seating arrangements that naturally work in each space (see next post example).
- Create A Virtual Guestbook To limit the sharing of pens or photo-booth props, WedShoots is just one example of an app that allows couples to build a collective wedding album online, where guests submit photos and express their well-wishes in the comments. Eventually, couples can print out a photo guestbook for a physical keepsake.
- Satellite Entertainment Stations to Steal the Show Satellite dance floors and bars provide more than one space for guests to bust a move or refresh their beverage. Sure, it’s a health and safety precaution, but also a great way to get guests to explore different entertainment experiences throughout the party.
Blog Post Idea #4: “Our Favorite Socially Distanced Wedding Ceremony Seating Ideas & Arrangements.”
So if guests shouldn’t (or don’t feel comfortable enough to) sit side-by-side, how will the actual ceremony go down? Again, this is a great post to showcase the unique and versatile seating arrangements your spaces can accommodate.
Some examples to touch on in this post:
- Wedding in the Round Place chairs, stumps, or benches in a circle or spiral configuration with ample space between or in spaced-out clusters (so that families who are comfortable with each other can opt to sit together).
- Standing Room Mostly Provide spaced-apart seating up front for guests who need to sit (think elderly), then ask your guests to stand (especially since the ceremony will be shorter than usual), allowing them to determine how close they want to stand next to each other.
- Lounge-Style Seating Opt for an eclectic arrangement of sofas, love seats, single sofa chairs, ottomans, and more to let guests decide where they want to sit, with who, and how many people – plus, it makes for great photos with a really fun vibe.
Other Micro Wedding Ideas & Examples to Chew On
- Our Wedding Designer’s 5 Favorite Details for Small Weddings Have your on-site expert share some top insights.
- Our Top Socially-Distant Wedding Spaces on Property Profile your best spaces and what they’re capable of.
- How This Couple (Or These Couples) Pushed the Envelope for their Micro Wedding Share inspiration from a couple (or several) about some of the coolest inspiration/features from their micro wedding, held at your venue
So are you ready to get to writing? We are. But seriously, if the act of content marketing feels a bit intimidating or too time-consuming, our on-staff wordsmiths and content experts are happy to assist – just drop us a line. Because valuable, insightful digital content doesn’t just help reach couples who are doing their research, it positions your venue as the place to deliver on their dreams.