In 2017, the average American wedding guest list numbered 136 guests — down from 141 in 2016. That’s 136 chairs (minimum) at the ceremony site, 136 wedding favors, 136 plates of chicken or fish, etc. No wonder the average wedding cost over $40,000 in 2018, according to the Brides American Wedding Study.

But while the amount of money couples and their families are spending on weddings seems to be on an upward trajectory, the number of guests couples are inviting to share in their special day continues to decrease. In 2017, The Knot found weddings with 50 guests or fewer made up 11% of weddings across the country. In 2016, such small, intimate weddings made up just 7% of the total.

Small weddings — from backyard weddings to campsite weddings and everything in between — are growing in popularity, and for good reason! Here are just five to keep in mind when trying to decide whether to go big or small on one of the most special days of your life.

More intimacy in every moment

Big weddings are inherently stressful. There are lots of moving parts, a tight schedule to keep, and tons of people to feed and entertain. It’s no surprise many couples find the day a tad overwhelming.

With a smaller group, however, there’s a lot more flexibility. Instead of 15 tables with 10 guests each, stretched across a vast reception hall, picture two or three long tables with 20 place settings in all — more like an extra-large Thanksgiving dinner. With more of the group within earshot, it’s easy to talk, laugh, and make memories with the people you love. And they, in turn, have the chance to shower you with their advice, well-wishes, and love stories.

And if you should need to step away for an hour to go take some pictures with your Boise wedding photographer, those who’ve been invited to such an exclusive event likely won’t mind.

You won’t go into married life in debt

This assumes, of course, you don’t plan to spend the same budget on a wedding of 25 as on a wedding of 150. Sure, it’s possible, but unlikely.

In 2018, Student Loan Hero surveyed 1,000 people and found 74% incurred some debt as a direct result of their wedding. And with debt comes stress. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they felt “somewhat stressed” or “very stressed” about their wedding costs, and 38% said they agreed with the statement “I can’t afford to pay for my wedding.”

The truth is you don’t need a big, expensive wedding to have a special celebration. Save yourself the debt and the stress by investing in a small, intimate wedding instead.

More money to spend on the honeymoon

And what could you do with all that savings? Travel, silly! If someone were to ask you “Would you rather have a small wedding and an epic honeymoon, or an epic wedding and a small honeymoon?”, there’s no wrong answer. Both are lovely!

But consider this: Weddings are for everyone. Honeymoons are for just the two of you. Often, it’s the trip of a lifetime. When else are you going to have the opportunity to travel somewhere new in the beginning days of marital bliss? With any luck, your honeymoon will be trip No. 1 of many wonderful adventures, but depending on if you want kids and when, it might be the only chance you have to take a romantic trip this decade. Just one thing to keep in mind as you decide how to allocate your wedding budget.

More time together on your big day

I think I saw my husband for about five minutes outside of the ceremony and pictures on our wedding day. Afterward, I couldn’t even remember if I looked at him while I walked down the aisle. Now, whenever people ask me what I would do differently, or if I have any advice, I say “Have an intimate wedding.” That is what we both wanted from the beginning, but we decided to do the big day so we could have extended family there. It was a beautiful wedding, and I loved having our families with us, but I so missed out on all the intimate moments with him that I thought were just a given on a wedding day.

No matter what size wedding you have, so long as it reflects your dreams and desires, it’s going to be incredible. And with the right Boise wedding photographer, you’ll have plenty of pictures to prove it.