Micro-Wedding Venue in Virginia
Virginia Micro-Wedding Venue
Silver Hearth Lodge offers one of the most unique wedding venues in the commonwealth and it’s not just the top of a mountain either, in fact, we also have Virginia’s smallest chapel called Sacred Heart Chapel.
Today, we’ll explore a bit more of this micro-wedding venue and how you can have your micro-wedding on the property.
Sacred Heart Chapel, Virginia’s Smallest Chapel
At less than 67 square feet, our small wedding chapel was designed to pack a punch all the while large enough to have a wedding with friends and family to witness. It also has enough room right outside for roughly 100 guests.
The inside of the building is filled with a coy of the famous Michelangelo Sistine chapel ceiling, real crystal lamps, and wood reclaimed from the 40-acre property.
What is a Micro-Wedding Anyway?
A micro-wedding by definition is one that is less than 5 hours total, but still has a ceremony and a condensed wedding reception. An elopement is not eh the same as a micro-wedding as elopements do not have receptions or guests typically.
They generally have less than 50 guests total and they many times cost far less than a traditional wedding day.
Couples have been choosing a micro-wedding more-so in recent years, especially during COVID-19. Many wedding venues, however, don’t have a micro-wedding venue or offer one, although Silver Hearth Lodge does, our chapel.
While the wedding ceremony is almost the same as a traditional wedding ceremony, the reception is faster, smaller, and much more compact.
The reception will still have music, a brunch, or early dinner, but there may be other elements of the day such as:
Limited introductions
The first dance of just the couple
Cake or cupcake cutting
Dancing (limited)
The exit of the couple
Limited brunch or dinner menu
Should we have a Micro-Wedding or Traditional Wedding?
That depends on your needs.
Some couples need to have a smaller wedding, it could be because of finances or just have a smaller wedding party in general.
Pros of a Micro-Wedding
They are a step up from an elopement, but not a full wedding day, they are much more intimate and many couples, especially those that are more introverted, tend to like them.
From a financial standpoint, a micro-wedding is a great choice. Half a day on the property, roughly half the cost of catering, wedding photography, flowers, and your video are great reasons to have it.
Cons of a Micro-Wedding
Of course, there are reasons to skip a micro-wedding and have a more traditional wedding.
Perhaps the most important reason people skip a micro-wedding is the lack of family and friends at the wedding. People want to celebrate the day and limiting the number of people means that some will skip out on your day.
Another reason that couples sometimes skip the micro-wedding is they want the entire day’s experience, not just a handful of hours. We completely understand that. Brides, grooms, and couples alike all want that experience of getting ready, being pampered, and have that magical experience in the process.
Having a traditional wedding tends to be more appealing to couples and they tend to have a better satisfaction rate during the wedding process too.