A huge hall filled with hundreds of people, decorations, and a vast food menu – if all this sounds like the wrong idea for your wedding, then we have some ideas for you. People who want their wedding to be an intimate event and who wish to spend it with their loved ones with a casual ceremony, don’t worry. We have just the right ideas for a laid-back, low-key celebration with the people you love, and no formality.

Play With the Seating

Go ahead and have fun with your seating arrangement. Do you want comfy couches and cushioned chairs? Go for it! This is your big day and you are throwing a party for the people you love to be a part of your beautiful beginning. Mix and match your seating arrangement so that each guest of yours is at his utmost comfort.

A Small Guest List Is a Big Yes

Well, the whole purpose behind a casual wedding is to be relaxed before and on the D Day and the simplest key to that is inviting people who really matter. Having the right people around will elevate your wedding day experience in the best possible way. Keep going back to the list a couple of times before you send out the invites to make sure that you aren’t inviting anyone you don’t feel that close to but at the same time, you don’t miss out on someone important.

An Outdoor Arrangement

An outdoor ceremony is just the perfect type of setup for a casual wedding. Why, you ask? Well, a courtyard arrangement feels more relaxed than a formal one in a hall. You can add more to it by adding string lights and a floral arch, as suggested by Anna Griffith, senior sales manager at Cannon Green. Make sure that your entire setup matches your vibe.

Simple Lighting Is the Best

A gorgeous chandelier right in the middle of the wedding hall, hanging from the wall, with just the perfect tones of light, that is it. This is what should be the centerpiece of your décor. In case the hall is too big and seems a bit dull, go with the simple, subtle bistro lighting. While checking the placement of these lights, make sure every corner is lit and so is your dance floor. You do not want your family and friends out of the limelight on your wedding day.

What’s Better Than Comfort Food?

No, no… by comfort food, we definitely do not mean Mac n Cheese. However, there is no harm in serving the same flavors in an elevated dish. The food at your casual wedding must make your close ones feel at home. Every bite they take must make them feel warmth and comfort. A good example of comfort food taking to a can-be-served-at-a-casual-wedding level is the bite-sized John’s Island tomato pie tart, suggested by the director of sales at The Cedar Room, Graham Ervin.

Bringing a date to a wedding isn’t strange at all, unless that date happens to be a llama! Mendl Weinstock, a 21-year old college student from Ohio, showed up to his sister Riva’s wedding with a llama. He explains that he was just following through on a promise he made to his sister jokingly five years ago. What’s certain is that hilarity ensued as he showed up with this dapper-looking guest.

The Story Behind the Llama

Five years ago, when Riva was just 17 and not even planning on getting married, she and her brother were taking a trip from Ohio to Indiana. During the trip, something prompted her brother, Mendl, to jokingly promise that he’ll bring a llama to her wedding one day as a date and she agreed that this guest would be invited. When his sister got engaged years later, he knew it was time to make good on his promise!

The Reaction

Mendl rented a well-behaved llama called Shocky from a local farm and had a tuxedo custom-made for him for this special occasion. As they showed up to the wedding, Riva was shocked at first but impressed that her brother remembered and fulfilled his promise. Soon enough, Shocky became a part of the wedding ceremony and many guests took pictures with him. As Mendl shared some of the pictures online, they quickly became popular and shared many times across different social media platforms.

A wedding day is always a memorable and happy occasion, and Mendl made certain that his sister won’t be forgetting hers any time soon. This gag will definitely remain a fun anecdote for their family for a very long time. Riva has since promised to get her brother back on his graduation day from the University of Akron, which Mendl agrees is only fair. He just hopes the prank or surprise doesn’t happen as his name is called out at the ceremony.