Lately I’ve been finding myself more and more drawn to small, intimate weddings. Possibly because the two weddings I’ve designed for so far in 2025 have both been for under 30 people, but also because there’s just SO much that you can DO with a smaller wedding.

Let’s get into it — if you’re thinking about having a smaller wedding, here are some of my favourite ideas!

WEdding Dinner Party

I absolutely love a good dinner party. Full disclosure: I am almost never invited to them 😂 But I love being with a small group of people (whether at a home or at a restaurant!) and eating amazing food. With a smaller group of people, you can really go for it with multiple courses, pairings, and a customized menu that feels a lot more interesting than the typical banquet fare.

Now even if you can’t host your entire group in your dining room (understandable!), we have SO many amazing restaurants and unique venues in Winnipeg, many of which can take on small weddings. Some of my favourite unique venues to work at are Smith, Pizzeria Gusto and Gusto North, and Cibo. These images are from a wedding I designed in summer of 2024 at Pizzeria Gusto, which was set up like a combo cocktail party meets dinner party. Such great vibes!

Small Backyard Wedding Reception

A few years ago, we planned my cousin’s wedding. It was originally going to be a larger wedding, but scaled back to 15 people due to you-know-what, and we ended up in her parents’ farmyard. Let me tell you, it was PERFECT. With a small group of people, we didn’t need to worry about renting in bathrooms, or a rain backup plan (we would have all fit inside the house if we needed to!), and we could afford to rent in upgraded tableware items that they wouldn’t have been able to prioritize for a group of 150 people.

The florals were bright and colourful (which is always what I want, but I think the colour especially pops off all the green in the backyard!), the dinner was catered by a local restaurant and served out of the house kitchen, and the details were really quite easy to pull together.

View this entire, colourful wedding here!

Al+Fresco+Family+Style+Wedding+Reception+-+Wedding+and+Event+Design+in+Winnipeg.jpeg

Berry+Toned+Zinnia+Wedding+Centrepiece+-+Winnipeg+Wedding+Florist.jpeg

Colourful+Wedding+reception+with+Serpentine+Tables+-+Stone+House+Creative.jpeg

Garden Wedding Reception Outdoors

If you have a connection to a beautiful property or yard where you can host your wedding, then an outdoor garden wedding reception is truly unmatched. Shannon and David’s wedding was hosted a few summers ago on the property of a family friend, and it made for such a beautiful atmosphere. Not only was the yard beautiful, but the ambiance was made even more special because of the happy family memories spent on that very lawn.

They hosted about 30 people, all seated at one long table, and served an incredible multi-course dinner by Academy Hospitality. They had a raclette cheese, guys. Obviously I filled the table with as many florals and candles as I could, and it was set against the backdrop of the lush treeline. It was perfect.

view this entire garden wedding here!

what if you don’t have access to a property for your small wedding?

There’s no reason why you can’t have your dream small wedding at a venue.

If you don’t have access to a property or garden, consider one of these spots: Wild Skies Resort, Elkhorn Manor if you’re up for a bit of a destination, the Manitoba Club Bonnycastle Garden or the Oak Room, or The Pavilion at Assiniboine Park.

Each of these locations offers a different vibe, so if you’re hoping for intimate but an elevated indoor spot, then the Oak Room at the Manitoba Club is the one for you. If you really want to disconnect from the world and celebrate in nature, there’s no better place than Wild Skies. You may not own the property, but there’s no reason why you can’t still have the small wedding of your dreams.

see more of this intimate wedding at wild skies resort here!
Photos by Megan Steen

what about a good old elopement?

When Vanessa and Richard began planning their wedding, they quickly realized that what they really wanted was to spend the day together, just the two of them, and then jet off to Europe for a honeymoon. So that’s what they did! They added 3 friends — one to marry them, and two to act as witnesses — and I added some flowers (courtesy of my a la carte wedding florals collection!) and the day was spent just celebrating them, with nothing else to think about.

They chose a beautiful nook in Assiniboine Park’s English Gardens, and just rolled on up.