Some couples are opting for 'micro weddings' to cut down on costs, with the average wedding now exceeding $30,000.

• Instead of a black-tie wedding with 100-plus guests, Vanessa Acosta and her husband opted for a "micro wedding" in their backyard.
• Slashing their guest count to roughly half saved them thousands of dollars.
• Here's how a smaller wedding can help you save costs.

Vanessa Acosta and Sam Roberts discovered their ideal black-tie wedding venue last year.

Acosta, 35, of Pasadena, California, said, "We don't need to do this big thing where we're going to put ourselves out financially."

The couple opted for a more intimate wedding ceremony with only 54 guests in their backyard, saving them around $75,000.

Couples often use "something borrowed" to reduce wedding expenses.

Micro weddings are events with up to 50 guests, while minimonies are even smaller, typically attended by no more than 10 people, according to The Knot.

With a new budget of $3,000, Acosta and Roberts had to think outside the box.

"Acosta shared that they DIY'ed and thrifted everything for their wedding. They thrifted my husband's shirt and used his really nice dress shoes he already owned. I made my dress and thrifted the fabrics; I made my veil."

The wedding became "more manageable" after the guest list was reduced, she stated. The couple got married on May 25.

Why micro weddings are becoming appealing

In 2023, the average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception was $35,000, a $5,000 increase from the previous year, according to The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study.

According to the Knot, higher costs were a result of inflation over the past few years, as reported by a survey of 9,318 US married couples between January 1 and December 2023.

According to Allison Cullman, a wedding expert and the vice president of brand marketing and strategy at Zola, an online wedding marketplace, weddings are costly.

'The number one way' to save on wedding costs

Experts suggest reducing the guest list as a way to save on wedding costs, even if it's not a micro-wedding.

The Wedding Report, a wedding research company, reported that in 2023, about 15% of the market consisted of weddings with 25 to 50 guests, while weddings with less than 25 guests made up roughly 2%.

Since 2006, the average number of guests at weddings has been decreasing, with the average guest count being approximately 184 people, according to data from The Wedding Report.

In 2020, the lowest number of weddings was recorded, with an average headcount of 107, mainly due to Covid-19 restrictions, according to Shane McMurray, CEO and co-founder of The Wedding Report. However, in 2021, the size of weddings rebounded to 124 as people sought to socialize after the lockdowns.

"Because of the high cost of marriage now, the size of weddings is likely to decrease."

According to McMurray, reducing the number of guests at your wedding is the most effective way to save money, as many expenses, including meals, invitations, and favors, are determined by the number of attendees.

Cullman stated that having a minimony or a micro wedding enables you to have a special celebration without the expense of 150 meals.

Acosta, who booked a taco stand for $640 instead of roughly paying $90 per plate for about 150 guests, stated that dealing with the food situation for a 50-ish person wedding was not stressful.

Acosta stated that it was a drastic change to go from feeding 90 people with 150 people to a taco stand that could feed everyone and still have leftovers.

Set a 'clear and realistic' budget

To make "difficult decisions to stay within your budget," Cullman advised engaged couples to establish a "clear and realistic" budget and prioritize their spending from the outset.

Discussing what is most important to them and allocating funds towards items that will make their wedding unique, authentic, and fun is crucial for couples, according to Cullman.

Determining where to allocate your budget and where you can cut back will be easier with confirmed priorities, according to Lauren Kay, executive editor of The Knot.

You might need to make trade-offs along the way.

"Kay stated that typically, the venue is the largest expense and food and beverage costs are based on the number of guests. Therefore, prioritizing the location will aid in budget allocation and guest list size decisions."

Off-peak dates can be less expensive, said Cullman, and being flexible with the ceremony date can help reduce costs.

Renting a wedding dress or flowers is a more serious interpretation of the proverb "something borrowed."