When you have a small guest count at an elopement or micro-wedding, the question of how to include people is worth thinking through deliberately. Guests at an intimate ceremony can feel like spectators — present but passive — or they can feel genuinely part of the day. The difference is almost entirely in the planning.

Here are the ways I've found most meaningful for involving small groups in an intimate ceremony.

This is the part of ceremony planning that doesn't come up in every conversation — and when it does come up, it often comes up quietly, almost like an afterthought. Someone will be partway through describing their ceremony vision and then say, almost carefully: my dad passed away last year, and I'd like to find a way to include him somehow.

The blank page problem is real. And what I've found, helping couples think through their vows over the years, is that the fear usually comes from trying to write something universally beautiful — something that would work for anyone — instead of something that works for exactly one person.

So you want something unique incorporated into your ceremony that compliments your ring exchange - a symbolic ceremony or ritual is a good place to start. No worries if you don’t know what that is. I’ve got you covered!

So your officiant, parents, friends, planner, significant other…reccomended you have a special reading for your ceremony and YOU ARE LOST on where to find one. This blog post is for you!

This blog is the overview of how to think about personalising your ceremony. The rest of this series goes deeper into each element: readings, rituals, vows, honouring people you've lost, and including your guests. But this is where to start!