Intimate Wedding - Zuckerberg marries long-time girlfriend Priscilla Chan

via graziadaily

Zuckerberg surprized guests at a graduation party for his long-time girlfriend, Priscilla Chan.  Instead of walking into the expected party, guests ended up celebrating the couple's wedding.  The small guest list of about 100 people got to see the couple exchange their vows in a traditional and low-key style.

Zuckerberg is no stranger to the spotlight. From the movie The Social Network to the stock sale of Facebook, Zuckerberg has been heralded as a genius and vilified as a thief. The need for such a personal thing to be out of the public eye was most likely behind the couple's decision to share this special event with friends and family in private fashion.

Many couples are now turning to small venues and intimate weddings.  It makes the event feel even more special when shared with a small group of only the closest people in your life.  Why are so many couples choosing to go small for weddings?  I've put together a list of great reasons to not invite everyone you've ever met to your wedding.

7 Benefits to to hosting a small Wedding

1. Cost.  This is usually the first thing that comes to mind.  Weddings are a big expense.  Cut down the guest list and you cut down the food and bar bill (usually the biggest costs involved).
2. Intimacy. Do you really need to invite your second grade teacher?  No. and she's probably not going to remember you anyway.  Keep it small.  It's less stress on the couple and easier to manage.
3. Giving guests their proper acknowledgement.  If you have a huge group, how in the world will you ever say hello to everyone?  You know you'll get stuck at the table with the one that blabbers on and on and some guests will feel snubbed if you don't say hi.  Keeping your list small ensures you get to give your guests the welcome feeling they deserve.
4. Bigger bang for your buck.  Lets face it, you've been overwhelmed and inundated with inspiration for your wedding.  It's amazing all the great resources you've found, but you also have a budget.  You can have your wedding cake and eat it too (sorry, I had to use that pun) by simply cutting down your guest list.  If you're into DIY the sheer amount of projects you do on your own can be larger and the grandness and quality that the guests receive can be better.
5. It's easier to hide that it's a wedding.  I know you're saying, huh?  Unscrupulous venues and vendors will upcharge anyone that says the word "wedding".  To keep this from happening you can now say, "Small family party".  If the guest list is small enough, you can pull it off. 
6. Simple can sometimes mean less money.  Your wedding cake could be three tiers, filled with a combination of 4 different fillings and flavors and frosted with a sculpted Eiffel tower on top.  But do you really need all that? You could do one single tier with one flavor filling and one flavor cake with a simple butter cream frosting and a fresh flower on top.  I'm sure the latter will save you a bundle and if you're not too picky you can just get any regular cake you like at a local bakery and do the flower decoration yourself.  Think of your small venue too.  Do you need something grandiose for a simple wedding?  Keep your theme in mind when choosing things for your event.
7. Try a members only or "super" store for your needs.  If you're a member of a big chain like Costco or BJ's you can try to get some of your supplies from them.  From flowers to food to decorations they might have it all for your at-home party.