Big Wedding or Small Wedding? 4 Questions to Decide

Start your size planning by keeping in mind any limitations by your choice of venue. If your heart is set on a specific venue, you'll need to work within their size allowances and price list. That expensive venue you've always dreamed of may break the budget unless you keep the guest list down, or they may not be able to accommodate you.

Even if you don't have a particular venue planned, the style you want will also impact how big you can make the wedding. If you want to use a nontraditional space, such as a restaurant or backyard, you'll probably run into some space limitations no matter where you book. Check these out first.

Decide early where you and your partner want to focus your wedding budget. A bigger party will almost invariably cost more - including a larger venue, bigger tents, more rental items, more dinner plates, and more cake slices. But it may be worth the investment in order to catch up with olds friends and avoid offending anyone from not inviting them.

Smaller weddings save on some costs, such as catering and venue size, allowing you to splurge on other things. What you save on buying fewer flowers, for instance, you could spend on higher end centerpieces. If you don't need a full band at a small reception, you may choose to spend that money on an upgraded honeymoon suite.

Only you can decide your priorities for your big day. But by identifying what are the most important features, you can target your budget where it will make the most difference to you.

Big weddings and small weddings generally have different tones and feelings. You may struggle to create a wild party atmosphere with a small guest list, for instance. You're more likely to have a lot of conversation, more people relaxing, and more one-on-one time with guests. You're also more likely to be the center of attention.

Bigger affairs lend themselves to more noise, more movement, and quick meet-and-greets with your guests. You'll get more opportunities for compliments - and probably more gifts or cash - but personal time will be limited. Your guests will entertain themselves much of the time, perhaps allowing you and your fiancé to get lost in the crowd.

Big events are generally harder to plan than smaller ones - and weddings are no exception. The grander your big day is, the more moving parts you'll be juggling. There's more to order and manage, more rentals to arrange, more guests to invite and communicate with, more thank you cards to write, more decorations to make, and more food and drinks to order.

This planning may or may not be a big deal for you and your fiancé. If you've spent your whole life dreaming of a big wedding day with lots of festivities and everyone you know in attendance, the extra work may not be a problem.

If, on the other hand, you want to simplify, a smaller wedding could be a better fit. At a smaller affair, you'll have only selected guests, fewer things to order, and an easier time getting everything where it needs to be.

At L & L Tent and Party Rentals , we have a wide variety of rental equipment and tents to suit any size wedding and reception. Check out our inventory today to see how we can help you create the right ambiance, the right party, and the right price for your big day.