This Is Why You Should Do a Small Wedding
“A short invite list meant that each guest truly reflected a significant part of our lives, both individually and as a couple,” says playwright and screenwriter Lila Feinberg, who married fashion executive Douglas Raicek this past summer in front of 70 friends and family members (above) at La Mercerie in New York. “And it allowed for the focus to be on the joyous and sensory experiences of the night: the food, the cocktails, the conversation, the love.”
Plus, were it not for the small scale, Feinberg wouldn’t have been able to plan her own wedding in just four weeks—and still succeed in creating the dinner party vibe she had always envisioned, complete with a jazz trio to set a “hot Bemelmans” mood, meaningful toasts, and thoughtful touches like the poetry books given as parting gifts. “Planning a wedding is stressful regardless,” she says. “At least this compacted the frenzy to one month.”
“When it’s intimate, you can have the best of the best of the best,” says event planner Jung Lee, who considers any wedding with fewer than 75 guests to fall into this category. Lee has also noticed a rise in couples who are preserving certain aspects—namely, the exchanging of vows—for the inner circle only. “The ceremony is so personal,” she says. “They don’t feel they can do it in front of 250 people.” Of course, these are often preludes to a much larger reception, but not always. Feinberg has no such plans: “One wedding was enough for one lifetime.”
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Where to Host Your Own Small Wedding
Four jewel box properties we love.
The Lowell
New York City — Michael S. Smith, the Obamas’ White House decorator, refreshed the interiors of this Upper East Side gem. thelowellhotel.com
Villa la Massa
Florence — Marry like a Medici at this 13th-century property nestled on 25 beautiful acres just outside the city center. villalamassa.com
Domaine des Etangs
France — This Auberge Resort in the countryside is a 2,500-acre playround with excellent food and wine. aubergeresorts.com
The Point
Saranac Lake, NY — Book all 11 rooms and turn this former Rockefeller Great Camp into your own Adirondacks retreat. thepointresort.com
This story appears in the October 2024 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW
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