A Tiny Backyard Micro-Wedding in Los Angeles

Justina and Eric’s wedding on the most popular date of 2020 was incredibly beautiful in so many ways, from the decor, the emotions and all the moments shared with the people closest to them. Just like many others across the country (and world), Justina and Eric had planned a bigger event for their wedding, only to have to cut it down to a select few due to COVID-19. Reluctant to give up their auspicious date of 10/10/2020, they decided to opt for a tiny backyard micro-wedding instead, held at one of Justina’s family’s private residence in Rancho Palos Verdes.

An important Chinese custom during weddings is the Chinese tea ceremony, which Justina and Eric incorporated into the first half of their day. The Chinese tea ceremony involves the wedding couple offering tea to their elders as a thank-you for everything they had done for the couple to bring them to where they are today. Their elders then gift them a red packet (containing cash) as a symbol of blessing to the couple. Red envelopes in Chinese culture represent luck and good fortune, and is often gifted by elders to their younger generation symbolic of “passing down good fortune”.

With 20 of their closest family and friends by their side, Justina and Eric held a beautiful and intimate celebration that was filled with laughter, tears and lots and lots of love. Their tiny wedding was a timely reminder of the three biggest reasons why I love tiny weddings and elopements so much:

Relaxed and stress-free. The tiny nature of Justina & Eric’s wedding allowed for many moments of downtime in between the day’s events to just relax and spend time with their guests and each other. In my humble opinion, the day is so much more pleasant when the couple isn’t rushing from one event to the next, and has time to just relax and be intentional with one another and their guests. Your wedding day shouldn’t be a stressful event where you’re just being shepherded from one activity to the next. It should be a day where you actually get to spend quality time with your new spouse and truly celebrate this new chapter in your lives.
Time to actually spend with everyone present. I can’t count how many larger traditional weddings I’ve been to where the couple barely has time to spend with anyone because they are getting pulled in so many different directions. In the case of tiny weddings, fewer guests means more time to spend with each guest present. It’s simple math, really.
Do what you, the couple, actually want. Having fewer guests to entertain also means less pressure on filling the day with activities or traditions that don’t mean anything to you, the couple. Many couples opt to do a bouquet toss or a money dance just so they have something to entertain their guests with, even if it’s a tradition that they’re not the most comfortable with themselves. It breaks my heart when I see couples be pressured into an activity that they don’t even necessarily enjoy for the sake of their guests. You deserve to feel safe on your wedding day and not be pressured into an activity that feels meaningless or uncomfortable.

I often tell couples that a small wedding does NOT mean a less-than wedding day. Tiny weddings such as Justina and Eric’s can still be filled with so much love and be incredibly powerful in their own ways. When you fill your day with the people closest and most dear to you, your day becomes so much more special and memorable when you actually get to spend quality time with them. It also means being able to slow down and take it all in - your wedding day will still go by in a flash, and while photos will help to freeze time, wouldn’t you want to slow down and actually experience the day for yourselves?