Micro weddings aren’t just a trend anymore — they’re becoming the new normal. I’ve photographed weddings with 200 guests and weddings with just 2. And what I’ve learned is that joy looks different at every wedding and that’s down to the people you gather to celebrate with you.
What actually counts as a micro wedding?
Before we go any further, let’s clear up some confusion. People use ‘micro wedding,’ ‘Town Hall wedding,’ and ‘elopement’ like they mean the same thing. They don’t and the distinction actually matters when you’re planning.
A micro wedding typically means 20-50 guests — small enough to feel intimate, big enough to include your core people. It’s a full day with a ceremony, meal, and celebration, just scaled down.
A Town Hall wedding is about the venue choice — getting married at your local registry office. You might have 5 people there or 50. It’s simple, quick, and stripped of all the extras.
An elopement is usually just the two of you (maybe a witness or two). It’s about ditching the guest list entirely and making it completely about your commitment to each other.
These all overlap, and couples mix and match depending on what feels right. But what they share is this: less noise, more meaning.
Why couples in 2026 are choosing smaller
More meaning, less pressure
A smaller guest list means you actually get to spend time with the people who matter most. No awkward small talk with your mum’s colleague from 1997. No performing for the crowd. Just connection, presence, and real moments.
I’ve shot big weddings where the couple barely spoke to half their guests. And I’ve shot micro weddings where they had proper conversations with everyone there. The difference is palpable.
Budget flexibility
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: weddings are expensive per person. Fewer guests means you’re not haemorrhaging money on catering, chair hire, and favours nobody wants.
Instead, couples can invest in what genuinely matters to them — beautiful photography that’ll last a lifetime, a meal at a restaurant they actually love, a venue that means something, or a weekend away to celebrate properly. The money goes toward experience, not optics.
Easier planning
Micro weddings are quicker to organise, easier to coordinate, and far less stressful. I’ve seen couples plan something beautiful in weeks, not months. When you’re not juggling seating charts for 150 people or negotiating with three sets of parents about the guest list, everything just flows.
Authenticity over tradition
This is the big one. Couples in 2026 are choosing experiences that feel like them, not what they think they “should” do.
That might mean a Town Hall ceremony followed by fish and chips on the beach. A quiet woodland walk with your closest five. Dinner at your favourite pub with the people who’ve been there through everything.
There’s no script anymore. And micro weddings give you permission to write your own.
Why Sussex works beautifully for this
Sussex has everything you need for a small, meaningful celebration. We’ve got stunning Town Halls in Brighton and Lewes for example. Coastal backdrops that don’t need decorating. Independent suppliers who get it. Intimate venues that feel personal, not corporate.
You can have your ceremony at Brighton Town Hall and be walking along the seafront twenty minutes later. Or tie the knot somewhere quieter – Lewes, Chichester, Arundel – and celebrate at a spot that actually means something to you. It’s all here, and it’s all close.
The documentary approach
This is where my work comes in. Micro weddings suit what my clients are drawn to, whether we’re talking about weddings, family photography or family events: documentary, honest, authentic. Photos that aren’t about proving anything to anyone, but about having a recollection of the moments that matter.
When there are fewer people and less performance, you get more truth. More quiet glances. More laughter that isn’t staged. More of you.
I’m not interested in stiff poses or fake moments. I’m interested in what actually happened. And at micro weddings, what happens is usually pretty beautiful.
My base package starts at 2 hours — which is often enough for an elopement or Town Hall wedding. But it extends to fit what you actually need. There’s no pressure to book and pay for a full day of photography when your celebration is intentionally smaller. That flexibility matters, especially when managing costs is part of why you’re choosing a micro wedding in the first place.
The permission to choose differently
Micro weddings give couples permission to slow down, be intentional, and create a day that feels deeply personal. No wonder they’re thriving in 2026.
If you’re considering a micro wedding, Town Hall ceremony, or elopement in Sussex, I’d love to hear what you’re planning. This is the kind of work that suits my life, my values, and my camera.
Let’s make something honest together.
