Trends and Intimate Weddings: What’s Changing the Industry and What Couples Are Looking For

There’s a quiet shift happening in the wedding world - a soft rebellion against spectacle in favour of soul. Where once the word “intimate” may have implied compromise or simplicity, it now whispers something altogether more elegant. Intentional. Thoughtful and romantic in the truest sense of the word.

At The Old Vicarage, we’ve seen first-hand how couples are reshaping the way they celebrate. No longer bound by tradition for tradition’s sake, they are curating experiences that reflect who they are at their core - not just as individuals, but as a couple. It’s less about hosting a performance, and more about crafting a moment of connection. One that lingers, long after the candles have burned down and the last champagne flute has been collected.

Guest lists are growing smaller, not out of necessity but choice. There’s a tenderness to inviting only those who feel essential to the story. With fewer faces comes more space - space to breathe, to be present, to exchange glances across the table, to dance without a crowd, to speak without a microphone.

There’s a considered beauty in the details. Linen menus stitched with initials, wildflowers spilling from stone urns, handwritten notes left at each place setting. Personalisation has evolved - not into novelty, but into nuance. Everything feels intentional, everything has a story. A cocktail inspired by a first date. A table plan painted by a friend. Music that stirs a specific time, a certain summer. This new wave of intimate wedding isn’t minimalist - it’s meaningful.

Styling leans into nature and nostalgia. Rather than towering centrepieces or maximalist displays, couples are favouring elements that feel like an extension of their surroundings. At our venue, we often see muted tones, soft textures, and a preference for locally-grown florals - ingredients that echo the changing seasons and honour the setting. The effect is not just beautiful, but rooted and honest.

And then there’s time - perhaps the most treasured luxury of all. With fewer guests and less structure, couples are choosing to slow it all down. We’re seeing more overnight stays, rehearsal dinners, drawn-out brunches the morning after. The timeline expands, and so does the intimacy. It becomes not just a day, but a weekend - a shared experience, a pause in life’s usual rhythm, a little world created for just a moment.

Even the ceremony is shifting. The rules are being rewritten, or ignored altogether. Some couples exchange vows privately before the day begins, others walk down the aisle together. It’s about what feels natural - about forging a path that feels entirely their own. And with the formality stripped back, what’s left behind is often something incredibly moving. Something real.

There is a quiet power in intimate weddings. In their gentleness, in their groundedness, in their refusal to be anything other than authentic. As a venue, we feel endlessly inspired by the way couples are choosing to marry now - with meaning, with grace, and with a kind of beauty that doesn’t beg for attention, but simply exists, softly and without apology.

Because the truth is, small doesn’t mean less. Often, it means more.

Photographer Faye Wilde Photography

Assistant Abi Buck Photography

BTS Curated Content Co

Styling Two Oak Events

Flowers Gigil & Bloom

Bridal Frances Day Bridal

Linen Alba Tableware

Hair Leah Bailey

MUA Josephine Way

Model Jade Lamey

Stationery Paper Stories