PHOENIX — As people continue to adjust to new norms during the coronavirus pandemic, they're also adjusting plans -- big ones like birthdays, graduations and the dream wedding so many imagine.
We spoke to a Phoenix-based company and a couple who slashed their guest list in hopes of having their special day actually become a reality.
Some say it's soul-crushing for couples who've had their hearts set on tying the knot with family, friends and all the fond traditions.
Now, though, "micro-weddings" are trending and they're everything but traditional.
"You really can have that beautiful magical feel with 20 people," Kim Hogue said.
Newlyweds Kim and husband Alex Hodes swapped banquet halls for their own piece of heaven.
"It was just so laid back and it felt like we were all a vacation together and it made us feel very special, I felt like there was a lot of focus on us," she added.
Cloth and Flame, a pop-up event company based in Phoenix, is coming to the rescue during COVID-19 for many couples who are cutting ties with big plans in order to finally tie the knot.
"We find ways to create the same level of experiences you'd expect to find in a venue in an established space, in a totally unprogrammed place in the wilderness," Matt Cooley said.
Cooley is the co-founder of Cloth and Flame. He tells 12 News that brides and grooms are re-imagining their big day due to all the uncertainty.
"A lot of people are opting to get married rather than wait to see what’s happening and prolong this planning process or postpone their marriage," Cooley added.
Business Insider shows more and more couples are cutting the guest list to keep it safe but more so to keep it affordable and intimate.
"I feel like we actually got to look at our floral archway and appreciate it and hate to say this but weren't bombarded with guests, we could genuinely step back and smell the roses," Kim added.
The sweet couple shared memorable moments and added that it was a fairytale from start to finish.
"Whether it was Alex dancing with his nieces or me sitting on the couch with his mom having a glass of wine or a margarita," she said.
Plus, the pair said the micro-wedding price was right and the memories are priceless.
"Luckily, we were able to kind of live in the moment and not have to worry as much and now we're so thankful and fortunate that we were able to get it in," the couple added.
