How to Make a Large Wedding Feel Intimate

6 Tips for Creating Cozy Moments

I often say that I have the best job (and I really do always mean it), but there’s something a little extra special about photographing a childhood friend’s wedding, especially when they have the knack of knowing exactly how to make a large wedding feel intimate.

S + L seamlessly made a wedding of 300 guests at Battle Mountain Farm feel like the coziest party. Want to learn how?

If you’re a people person, you understand the power of connection. It naturally follows that your wedding day is the perfect time to showcase your love story! So, here’s a cheat sheet on infusing your celebration with intimacy and capturing moments that reflect the authenticity of your love.

1. Selecting Large Wedding Venues with Intimate Corners

Choose a venue that speaks to you. Ideally, it should accommodate your guest list and fit the feeling you’re going for on the day! Seek places with intimate corners and tranquil settings– places that will allow yourselves quiet moments to be still. Look for gardens, courtyards, or cozy spaces. These provide the perfect backdrop for sweet moments with your loved ones (and privacy for your first look).

2. Craft Inclusive Experiences

Create an inclusive celebration that radiates love. For your guests, your wedding day is a shared experience! Making each guest feel essential adds an extra layer of warmth, plus it gives you a chance to share your own personal touch. Plus, when you build a timeline with your planner to create multiple little activities throughout the day, there’s less stress on you to make sure everyone connects and more time for you to have fun!

3. Illuminate with Soft Lighting

Candlelight, fairy lights, and soft uplighting will all create a cozy atmosphere. These lighting choices enhance the ambiance of a potentially large area and create a dreamy space for capturing the moments you’ll treasure forever.

4. Unstructured Group Shots

I love talking to my clients about their wedding parties and getting to know each member on the big day! Inside jokes? Share them! I’ll be there with the camera. Your photographer can help you document the unscripted moments only you and your best pals share. There’s nothing like observing the collective joy, laughter, and love that connects all of you on such a special day.

5. Be Present in Candid Moments

We’re totally here to embrace the candid moments over posed perfection. Talk to me about how we can help you feel most comfortable when capturing the day. It’s a big day, full of big emotions, and that’s a good thing! These moments, filled with authenticity, are the core of your love story from your wedding day, frozen in time to revisit again and again.

6. Cherish the Details

You’ve likely put much thought into meaningful details. Remember to soak in the little things that make your day uniquely yours – from the intricate lace on your dress to carefully chosen decor. After months of planning, take the time to appreciate your hard work!

To wrap it all up…

When you’re deep in the planning stage, it can feel tricky to balance a large guest list with the desire to maintain a cozy vibe. Just remember to stay true to yourself and what you feel comfortable with– and always ask for support when you need it! You and your partner deserve a wedding day that mirrors the warmth, authenticity, and love that defines you as a person. Through your venue choice, inclusive experiences, soft lighting, candid moments, and attention to detail, your vendor team will be with you every step. We’ll make your dreams come true, and no matter the length of the guest list, we’ll help make your large wedding feel intimate.

Let me know your thoughts below, and if I can help answer any of those questions, let me know here!

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