If you've been deep in wedding planning mode, you've probably seen the term "micro wedding" everywhere. As a micro wedding venue in LA, our team at The Hill has hosted celebrations ranging from 2 guests (yes, literally just the couple) all the way up to 700. So we have a pretty good feel for where micro weddings fall on the spectrum and what actually makes them different.

What Is a Micro Wedding?

A micro wedding is a smaller, more intentional wedding. Think of it as a full wedding experience (ceremony, dinner, toasts, dancing, cake, all of it) scaled down to your closest people. You still get the traditions and the celebration. You're just sharing it with a tighter circle.

The word "micro" can sound like it means tiny or bare-bones, and that's a common misconception. Most couples who go the micro wedding route actually invest more per guest. The overall budget might be lower, but the experience for everyone there tends to feel more elevated and personal.

How Many People Is a Micro Wedding?

Most micro weddings fall somewhere between 20 and 50 guests. That's the range we see most often at The Hill, and it lines up with what's happening across the industry.

Some couples stretch it closer to 75, especially when the family is large and trimming the list feels impossible. Others keep it under 20 and focus entirely on immediate family and a handful of close friends. There's no strict cutoff that makes a wedding "officially" micro, so don't stress about hitting an exact number. If your guest list feels small and intentional, you're in micro wedding territory.

What Is Considered a Micro Wedding vs. a Small Wedding?

This is one of the most common questions couples ask when they start looking at venues, and the answer is simpler than you'd think.

A small wedding usually means somewhere between 50 and 100 guests. You've trimmed the list from the traditional 150+ celebration, but you're still hosting a sizable group. The vibe can still feel like a "big" wedding in many ways.

A micro wedding keeps things under 50 (and often under 30). The feel is noticeably different. Conversations are longer. The couple actually gets to spend real time with every single person in the room. Dinner feels more like a gathering of your favorite people than a banquet.

Both are wonderful. The right choice depends on how you want your day to feel.

Micro Wedding vs. Elopement: What's the Difference?

Elopements and micro weddings overlap a lot, and plenty of couples use the terms interchangeably. Here's how we'd break it down based on what we see.

An elopement is typically just the couple, maybe with a few witnesses. The focus is entirely on the two of you. Some elopements happen at a courthouse, some at a scenic overlook, some right here in our courtyard with nobody else watching.

A micro wedding adds more structure. You'll have a guest list (even if it's small), a ceremony with seating, a reception with dinner and music, and usually a few of the classic wedding moments like a first dance or toasts. It's a full wedding, just with fewer people.

The biggest practical difference? Planning. Elopements are often simpler to organize because there are fewer logistics. Micro weddings still involve coordination with vendors, a venue, catering, and a timeline. They're smaller in headcount, and that's really where the "micro" part begins and ends.

Your Micro Wedding, Your Way

However you define it, the best micro weddings share one thing: they feel like you. If you're exploring what a smaller celebration could look like at a venue that's actually built for it, our team would love to walk you through the options at Sierra Courtyard.

What Is a Micro Wedding? A Venue's Honest Take on Size, Guest Counts, and How It All Works