Micro-Weddings, Intimate Ceremonies & Elopements
The ceremony is the foundation of any wedding day, even more so for micro-weddings and elopements. As the moment you become a married couple, it’s the truest celebration of your love and commitment!
More and more couples are choosing to have their ceremony be the highlight and main focus of their wedding day, and (though I may be a bit biased in this case) who can blame them? The ceremony is the foundation of any wedding day - it’s the moment you become a married couple, and a Celebrant can help you to create an intimate celebration that is deeply rooted in joy and authenticity.
Couples often find that their connection intensifies as they work with me leading up to their wedding day, through a process that is designed to help you thoughtfully reflect on your partnership and the reasons you are choosing to make this commitment to one another. The clarity that comes as you articulate your thoughts and feelings also allows me to learn about your love, relationship, values, beliefs, and create a one-of-a-kind, profoundly meaningful, deeply moving and absolutely unforgettable experience for the two of you and any loved ones who may be in attendance.
Read more about andy and geri’s intimate ceremony at smith point beach
“When we chose to work with Danielle there was no way to know just how lucky we were to have found her. We had a small ceremony with just our immediate family members, and not once did we feel like this undermined Danielle’s level of attention and care for our day.
Danielle got to know our story and our vision. The conversations were super enjoyable and it felt like she really cared to understand our relationship. The ceremony script, the vows, and any readings are all handled with immense care, and most importantly, your own ideas, thoughts and edits are put first and foremost. This makes the ceremony feel completely personalized, not just in content but in character.
Even with a small ceremony like ours, we still felt overwhelmed the day of, and having Danielle beside us felt like having a guardian angel of sorts. Her presence was extremely grounding as she took the lead in creating a magical ceremony. We couldn’t recommend Danielle any more than we do. We feel completely blessed to have found her for our ceremony.”
Elopements, intimate ceremonies and micro-weddings can vary in size - from simply the two of you (and one witness, required by law - which can be a photographer!), to inviting your parents and siblings to be alongside you, or having a small gathering of generally no more than fifty guests. Compared to larger wedding celebrations, couples who chose this wedding style often feel a greater sense of intimacy with their partner and a richer connection with any loved ones in attendance.
Some additional benefits of micro-weddings and elopements are:
You have fewer details and decisions to stress about. You can focus only on the things that you care about most, and design your day exactly how you want it to be.
You can have a shorter engagement period. Having less to plan and not being at the mercy of catering hall availability means there’s no need for a long wait before saying “I do!”
You can choose any date. You’re not limited to Thursday-Sunday wedding dates like you typically are with a larger celebration. You can choose any date that is meaningful to you, like the date you met or had your first kiss. Or perhaps there’s a date with numerical significance for you - a combination of your lucky numbers, or an auspicious date in accordance with your culture or astrology.
You have more possibilities for your ceremony location. Take advantage of the small size and go somewhere you wouldn’t be able to otherwise! Get creative - Are you both bookworms? Have your ceremony on the steps of your local library! High School sweethearts? Celebrate on your school field! Just moved into your first home together? Plan a house-warming party and surprise your guests with your wedding ceremony during the celebration! (Yes, I actually got to do this for a couple, and it was amazing!) Art aficionados? Nassau County Museum of Art has both sculpture gardens and formal gardens for your ceremony, and you can stroll through the beautiful exhibits afterward.
Whether you are in Nassau or Suffolk, on the North Shore or South Shore, Long Island is home to so many magnificent parks, beaches, and gardens for an outdoor ceremony. There are also beautiful gazebos in several towns, like The Bandshell in Northport and Argyle Gazebo in Babylon, which can provide shelter for a small group - so you won’t have to worry about the weather forecast. Your favorite restaurant, brewery, or winery might have a private room to use. There are historical spots that are rustic, such as the Frank Brush Barn in Smithtown, or opulent, such as the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport. Storied hotels - Oheka Castle, Gurney’s and Three Village Inn, just to name a few - have gorgeous suites or private cottages where you can have your ceremony, and then enjoy a delicious dinner at their in-house restaurant. Some well-known catering halls also have public restaurants where you can share a meal, like Volpe at Fox Hollow - and they may allow you to use their ceremony space beforehand on “off” days.
Your overall wedding costs will be lower, and/or you can create a more lavish experience with fewer people than you would have been able to have with a larger guest list. Intimate weddings often allow more freedom in designing your day, so you can allocate your budget toward whatever is most important to you.
Read more about danielle and carla’s elopement at bayard cutting arboretum
Danielle Giannone
Certified Celebrant & Wedding Officiant
