Prior to 2020 had you ever heard the words “Micro Wedding” ? No? that’s because 2020, and the global pandemic invented them!

So what exactly is a “Micro Wedding” in Orange County and the rest of the country, and why is it trending? It’s exactly what it sounds like – a highly scaled down version of the traditional wedding. It’s not quite a regular wedding, and not quite an elopement, it falls right in the middle.

In the beginning of the pandemic everyone was just postponing their weddings by a few months. However, we all quickly came to realize that this chaos was going to last longer than anticipated, and many people stopped wanting to postpone and began preferring to find a compromise. Enter: Micro Weddings. I don’t know who coined the term, but it’s cute right?

Yes, there are still a lot of people opting to just postpone. But the vast majority is beginning to realize that there is no telling WHEN weddings will get back to “normal” and they don’t want to put their lives, and family planning on hold. Many within that vast majority are also realizing… that this has been the answer to their stress over planning a big wedding that they didn’t actually want! If you’ve been there, you know. If you are recently engaged, you also know… if you’re on your way to that sweet spot some day – let us tell you… Weddings can QUICKLY become about everyone around you, and before you know it your guest count is over 200 people and you only really want like 20 of those people there… but you’re trying to make everyone happy.

That is the way the wedding planning story goes for so many people. Too many people, if you ask me. And if there is any bright spot in all of this darkness in relation to weddings – it’s that for so many people, their forced Micro Wedding turned out to be exactly what they have wanted deep down all along: a highly intimate and romantic affair with those who are truly nearest and dearest to their hearts. The pandemic has given some people the excuse they needed to drastically cut down their guest count!

Whatever is in store for your wedding in 2021 or 2022… we are excited to capture it. Whether that’s a petite gathering where we can maximize your photography time, or a big giant extravaganza (pandemic permitting) with elephants and belly dancers – we can’t wait to tell your story. We are very much looking forward to getting back to normal here with Southern California wedding photography, but in the meantime we are very much enjoying these safe little intimate events. There is beauty in waiting for that big giant party, and there is beauty in adjusting your plans to meet the times we are in.

This couple opted to move forward with their event at the end of 2020, and it was their little dream come true. Take a look:

2020 was a strange here and forced a lot of changes… but if you look deep enough, I hope you see some beauty in it all. Cheers to 2021… onward and upward!

With love,

Brianna & the Team at Shy Heart Studios