Small Wedding Ceremonies Melbourne
A small wedding is a proper wedding, just smaller. You still get the ceremony, the vows, the celebrant, the photos and the moment. You just skip the 150-person guest list, the reception venue hire, and the five figure price tag.
More Australian couples are choosing small weddings than ever before, and the reasons are pretty clear. Money saved on the wedding is money you can put toward a mortgage, a house deposit, travel, or the party you actually want to throw. View our small wedding packages to see what's possible.
What Counts as a Small Wedding?
There's no official definition, but generally a small wedding has 40 or fewer guests. Many are much smaller than that, sometimes just immediate family and a few close friends.
At Registry Weddings, we cater for small weddings in a few different sizes:
Just the two of you: A legals only ceremony with just your two witnesses. Often called an elopement
Micro wedding: Up to 16 guests, typically immediate family and a few close friends
Small wedding: Up to 40 guests, which still feels intimate but gives you room for extended family and a wider group of friends
What makes a small wedding work is the focus. When you're not trying to seat 150 people and keep everyone fed, you can actually enjoy the day.
Why Have a Small Wedding?
There are a lot of reasons couples are choosing smaller weddings, and most of them come down to money, stress, or both.
Save serious money. The average Australian wedding costs around $36,000. A small wedding with us starts from $495. That's $35,500 you could put toward your mortgage, a home deposit, a honeymoon, or that house renovation you've been thinking about
Less stress, less planning. A small wedding can be organised in weeks rather than months. No seating charts, no vendor coordination, no decade-long guest list debates
A more meaningful day. When every guest is someone you actually want there, the whole day feels different. You get to spend real time with each person
Skip the formalities, keep the party. Get the legal wedding done, then throw the celebration you actually want. A dinner at your favourite restaurant, a backyard BBQ, a pub night with friends. No first dance, no speeches if you don't want them, no rubbery chicken
It's more flexible. Small weddings suit any venue, any time of day, any day of the week
Small Wedding Packages at Registry Weddings
We have two packages designed for small weddings, both including a qualified celebrant, your ceremony space, and all the legal paperwork lodged with Births, Deaths and Marriages Victoria.
Intimate Ceremony from $495
Up to 16 guests
30-minute booking in our ceremony space
Time for personal vows, a reading or two, and photos
$495 Monday to Thursday, $595 Fridays, $795 weekends
Personalised Wedding from $695
Up to 40 guests
60-minute booking in our ceremony space
Full ceremony with music, the story of how you met, personal vows
$695 Monday to Thursday, $795 Fridays, $895 weekends
If you want to keep things really simple, our Legals Only ceremony from $295 works too. It's perfect if you just want the legal side done and plan to celebrate separately. View our full ceremony pricing for all options.
Where to Have Your Small Wedding
Most of our small weddings take place at The Ivory Room, our ceremony space inside St Kilda Road Towers. It's modern, calm and filled with natural light, with views over Albert Park Lake and Port Phillip Bay. It holds up to 40 guests comfortably, so it's ideal for small and intimate weddings.
If you'd prefer somewhere else, we can conduct ceremonies at parks, gardens, private homes and external venues. Some locations may incur an additional fee, but we're happy to work with you on location.
How to Keep Your Small Wedding Actually Small
One thing couples often ask us is how to keep their guest list from creeping up. It's easier said than done, especially when family members start suggesting people.
Some approaches that work:
Set a hard number and stick to it. "We're having 20 people" is much easier to defend than "a small wedding"
Use a clear rule. Immediate family plus one or two closest friends only. If a rule applies to everyone, it's harder to argue with
Have a celebration event later. If certain people feel left out, a casual drinks night or dinner afterwards can help smooth things over
Frame it as a deliberate choice, not a rejection. "We want to keep it really intimate" lands better than "you didn't make the cut"
If you're planning a small wedding, protect that decision. It'll make the day better.
How the Process Works
Choose your date and time. We're available seven days a week, including evenings
Complete your Notice of Intended Marriage (NOIM) form. This needs to be lodged at least one month before your ceremony. We can witness it in person, or over Zoom, FaceTime or WhatsApp
Bring photo ID and your two witnesses on the day. If you don't have witnesses, we can provide them for $50 each
Enjoy your ceremony. We'll handle the paperwork and register your marriage with BDM Victoria
For a full walkthrough, see our 3 steps to get married guide.
Ready to Plan Your Small Wedding?
A small wedding gives you everything that matters about getting married, without the parts that don't. If that sounds like the kind of day you want, we'd love to help.
Book your small wedding date or get in touch to chat through your options. You can also view our ceremony packages to find the right fit.
Small wedding, big day. That's the whole idea.