If you can only afford - or only want - a small wedding reception, then there are a few things to be considered. For a start you have to look at the reason you want a small wedding reception - do you really desire it to be so small, or is it just budgetary constraints forcing you to keep it that way? If it is the latter, but in an ideal world you would love to go bigger, you should really pull out all the stops to make sure your bijou reception is full of little touches that make it really special, so you don't feel that because of lack of money you ended up with second or third best.If you are opting from personal choice to keep your wedding reception small, then perhaps you don't want everyone who knows you to come along, you genuinely want to keep it to the handful of people who really mean the world to you and your partner. That's a good reason for having a little wedding reception and not going over the top.
One thing to bear in mind though is that family members or friends who perhaps don't get on or wouldn't mix well can get lost in the crowd in a big wedding reception, they can form their own groups and cliques and everyone still gets along. If you only have a small party and you have invited people who love you but maybe hate each other, you are really asking for fireworks you don't need on your big day!
Just because you have opted for a small celebration, don't be lazy about planning it. An ill-planned small get-together can seem ever so lacklustre, and don't expect if you only have a dozen guests, half of whom are elderly, that you will have people leaping up to dance around. They will feel self-conscious in such a small group. The food, and an intimate style of entertaining, needs to be tip-top to keep your guests' attention. Yes they love you and they will be thrilled to be in your company, but you need to have something to keep them entertained other than gazing upon your beautiful countenances!
Attend to the details just as if you were planning a large affair. Make sure table decorations, flowers and such are all really beautiful and in keeping with your theme, in terms of color, motif or style. As you are staying small in terms of numbers then you might be able to afford that little bit more on these things so that your guests go away saying how very special this wedding was. The same applies to wedding favors. Maybe you can afford to let your precious family and friends go away with something which is a real surprise and something really personal as a wedding favor. If you are catering for a hundred this is not so easy!
Above all, remember it is your day, and you want to make sure it is special, large or small. It should be more than a little get-together in a bar, it should be joyful and full of pretty and surprising touches.
