Intimate Mini Wedding | Derby Lanes Estates

Geena and Ian’s intimate mini wedding at Derby Lane Estates was a to-scale replica of their original wedding design. Like so many 2020 brides and grooms, Geena and Ian’s had to pivot their wedding plans because of the coronavirus. Originally slated to get married at a large ceremony at the Dayton Art Institute in July, they opted instead for a beautiful mini wedding with 14 of their closest friends and family.

What I loved about Geena and Ian’s mini wedding is we were able to keep so much of what they originally wanted their wedding day to be. We worked with as many of their existing vendors we could and scaled the concept back to fit a smaller guest list. That meant Geena and Ian could minimize money lost on deposits but more importantly, they still got to use vendors they fell in love with. We did have to track down a new venue because the original did not open in time, but Derby Lane Estates turned out to be the perfect fit.

Much of what you see in their mini wedding was meant for the large scale event they originally had in mind. With a bit of creativity, we tweaked it to make sense for the new guest list. We used the chairs they picked out, just a lot less. We used the caterer they had their heart set on and designed a special 4-course meal for the smaller group. Designing for a small group means you can do a bit more for less, that is one of the benefits of a mini wedding!

One of my favorite moments of their wedding day was actually seeing Geena’s mom react to our room reveal. Genna and her mom have pretty different styles, but throughout the process, her mom trusted me to execute Geena’s vision. When she saw the room, she said it “felt just like Geena.” She was so thrilled knowing her daughter’s style had been perfectly captured. Trust me, I know it can be stressful for families to negotiate design decisions when they have different tastes. But if you are in a supporting role, there is so much joy in seeing the bride and groom’s vision come to life.

2020 has been a whirlwind of changed plans and not exactly what we had hoped. This couple had already been through so much, it was a joy to create the wedding day of their dreams, even if it was a little smaller than they had hoped.

Real Words from the Bride

“Thank you for all of your help and hard work. I know that there is no way I could have done it without you and your guidance and organization. There are so many details that go into planning a wedding. You helped make sure I stayed on task, in control, and in vision every step of the way. I hope you are as happy and proud as I am with the outcome. I think the wedding turned out artsy, classy and fabulous, while being comfortable, safe and fun. I honestly still can't believe we pulled it off with as many hurdles as we encountered in those last few weeks, but we did! It was definitely 100% due to your leadership and networking skills that we were able to secure the best venue at an extremely reasonable price only two weeks before the wedding. Your vision board really captured my aesthetic and love for color while providing a reference point for vendor design decisions along the planning process. My mom, bridesmaids and I were able to bond over the experience of planning a wedding ( or three ) together with your help.”