Best weddings you have attended

We are friends with a couple who had a very non traditional wedding. They casually walked into the venue together with no formal announcement and started socializing. They started their ceremony without anyone walking down an aisle. No grand entrance. There was no sit down meal, it was more like a long cocktail hour. There was a band and a dj and good drinks. Honestly, it opened our eyes to the possibilities. It was a beautiful venue with a touching ceremony, good food and drinks, and a great dance party. You really don't have to do weddings the cookie cutter way.

The best weddings I have attended (and also the most memorable) have all been weddings of people with whom I was really close. They have all also been small-ish/intimate (both relative terms, but small enough to actually get to spend time with the happy couple), not too formal, and with a focus on celebrating the marriage without having too many planned events/long agendas/other things that distract from the main event.

All of that is to say that what ends up being memorable and meaningful to guests is always going to be up to the individuals. What I value in weddings are very personal things (relationships, feelings of intimacy, emphasis on quality time instead of spectacle) but everyone has different priorities and values.

Above all, I wish for all couples is to plan the wedding that they want, without too much outside input. But also think really hard about including things that are just for show, or are more expensive than they can afford, or demand too much from guests other than good company.

Honestly one of the weddings that stands out most to me had a truly unique venue. A friend of mine got married in an auction warehouse, and it was absolutely beautiful. Plus it was entertaining going around and seeing all the items for sale. It was just really cool because I never would have thought of that as a wedding venue, and it made for a lot of fun discoveries and conversation for the guests (plus I can only imagine how much they saved on decor).

View Quoted Comment How many people (ballpark estimate) counts as an "intimate" wedding in your books?

Ummmmm .... my wedding???? ROFLMAO Every single one of our guests told us that it was the best ever. Our DJ was un-frickin-believable - super super energetic, and he followed our guidelines to a "T". Our wedding officiant made everyone feel so welcome and a valuable part of our ceremony. We already knew the food was going to be outstanding, but even that was better than expected. I think because we only had 45 guests the whole event was so personal and intimate. Plus the awesome Photobooth sure helped with the fun. It was such a great vibe all night, and even though *I* thought guests would be disappointed in the early ending time (10:00 pm, island rules) everyone said it was the perfect amount of party time.

Ummmmm .... my wedding???? ROFLMAO Every single one of our guests told us that it was the best ever. Our DJ was un-frickin-believable - super super energetic, and he followed our guidelines to a "T". Our wedding officiant made everyone feel so welcome and a valuable part of our ceremony. We already knew the food was going to be outstanding, but even that was better than expected. I think because we only had 45 guests the whole event was so personal and intimate. Plus the awesome Photobooth sure helped with the fun. It was such a great vibe all night, and even though *I* thought guests would be disappointed in the early ending time (10:00 pm, island rules) everyone said it was the perfect amount of party time.