Planning a Small Wedding in Aberdeenshire? 5 Reasons Why I Love Intimate Ceremonies as a Wedding Photographer

Over the last few years, I’ve photographed a lot more small weddings across Aberdeenshire, and honestly, they’ve become some of my favourite days to be part of.

Small ceremonies can take many forms, such as a handful of guests at a venue, or just keeping things really simple with your closest people around you at home.

And I think sometimes couples worry that “small” means the day somehow won’t feel as exciting or memorable. But from my experience as a wedding photographer, that’s really not the case at all. If anything, smaller weddings often feel more relaxed, more emotional and much more personal because there’s less pressure to turn the day into a huge production. People are more present, there’s more time to actually enjoy it and the moments that matter don’t get lost in everything else going on around them.

So if you’re currently planning a small wedding in Aberdeenshire and wondering whether it’ll still feel special enough, here are 5 reasons I love intimate ceremonies from photographing them over the years.

This is probably the biggest thing couples experience. With smaller weddings, there’s usually a much calmer pace to the whole day. You’re not trying to organise huge groups of people, move guests between different venue spaces or squeeze loads into your timeline.

That means you actually get time together, enjoy meaningful conversations after the ceremony, as well as time to chat with your guests during the drinks reception without feeling bombarded. A lot of couples also mention that the day doesn’t feel like it flies past them as much.

One of my favourite things about intimate weddings is how connected everyone feels. At bigger weddings, it’s completely normal for couples to spend most of the day quickly moving between guests trying to make sure they’ve seen everyone. However, with smaller weddings, you genuinely get quality time with your favourite people who are all there to celebrate you.

And because everyone usually knows each other well, the atmosphere tends to feel really comfortable from the start. Guests relax quicker, conversations flow naturally and people are much more present in what’s happening around them. This closeness comes through so much in your photographs too!

One of the best things about planning a small wedding in Aberdeenshire is how many more venue options suddenly open up to you. You’re not needing space for 100+ guests, which means you can start looking at smaller country houses, private dining spaces, family gardens, outdoor locations, or venues across the North East of Scotland that maybe wouldn’t work for a larger wedding.

Some of the nicest intimate weddings I’ve photographed have happened in spaces that felt really personal to the couple rather than just somewhere designed to hold a big event. And honestly, smaller guest numbers often make venues feel even better. Everyone’s together and the whole atmosphere feels warm and relaxed rather than spread out.

A lot of couples planning smaller weddings are doing it because they don’t love being the centre of attention. So with fewer people around and the whole day often feeling much less overwhelming, there’s less pressure, fewer eyes on you constantly and couples tend become more confident being photographed as a result.

I’ve found couples are usually more comfortable slowing down for portraits as well because the timeline isn’t packed quite so tightly. We can take longer to go for a wander and it never feels like we’re dragging you away from loads happening elsewhere. This relaxed feeling between you both transforms your newlywed photos completely!

One thing I notice a lot with intimate weddings is that couples feel much less tied to what a wedding is “supposed” to look like. When you’re planning a smaller ceremony, there’s usually more flexibility with logistics and budget to make decisions based on what actually suits you both rather than what’s expected. That might mean having a later ceremony, skipping parts of the day you’re not fussed about, going out for dinner instead of a huge reception or simply getting married somewhere that feels meaningful rather than traditional.

There’s no right way to do it, and that’s kind of the beauty of smaller weddings. From my experience, intimate weddings tend to feel the best when couples stop worrying about what a wedding “should” include and focus more on what’s actually important to them both.

I think small weddings work so well because they allow couples to strip everything back and really think about what they want their day to feel like. There’s far more flexibility to do things your own way, make decisions that genuinely suit you both and create a day that feels comfortable rather than overwhelming.

And from a photography point of view, this always comes through and makes your final gallery images so special. When couples feel fully present on their wedding day, the photos naturally feel more authentic and personal too.

And if you’re in the middle of planning a small wedding or intimate ceremony and looking for a photographer for your Aberdeenshire wedding, feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to chat things through and hear what you’re planning.