Author Made

06/26/2025

If you're on a tighter budget or looking for a more personal touch for your special day, we know of some alternatives to hiring a furniture rental company.

1. Borrow from friends & family
Ask around! Many people have folding chairs, tables, rugs, or decorative pieces they’re happy to lend. It creates a charming, mismatched look that feels homey and unique.

2. Use the venue’s in-house furniture
Many venues already offer tables, chairs, or lounge seating as part of the package — don’t overlook what's included before renting extra pieces.

3. DIY lounge setups
Bring your own: think vintage couches, rugs, and coffee tables from your home or thrift stores. These pieces can create cozy, photo-worthy spaces at a fraction of rental costs.

4. Shop Facebook Marketplace / Craigslist
You’d be surprised what people are selling or giving away — especially event pieces like folding chairs, benches, or bar carts. You can even resell them after the wedding.

5. Use the natural setting
Let the outdoors do the work! Beach blankets, picnic-style seating, or forest logs can double as creative, low-cost alternatives — especially for laid-back or boho weddings.

Have you found any alternative ideas to furniture rental? Let us know!

06/23/2025

When you’re looking to hire a wedding photographer, you might see the phrase “micro wedding photographer” pop up during your online search. As a newly engaged couple who’s just trying to find someone who can hold a camera within your budget and with Insta-worthy quality, the last thing you need is one more complicated term to confuse your search efforts.

But what exactly is a micro wedding photographer, and what makes them different from the hundreds of other wedding photographers out there?

The answer might surprise you — and it might make a world of difference to your wedding day.

What's the difference between a micro wedding photographer and a regular wedding photographer? What are the benefits to hiring a wedding photographer who specializes in small intimate micro weddings and elopements? When you hire a micro wedding photographer for your small wedding, you're hiring some

06/19/2025

From refreshing mojitos to fruity spritzers, signature cocktails are a fun way to add your flavor to the celebration. What’s your dream drink for “I do”?

Ours are:
+ Classic Margarita
+ Aperol Spritz
+ Sangria
+ Negroni
+ Paloma

What's been your favorite signature cocktail at a wedding so far?

06/16/2025

No wedding planner, no problem?

Actually…anybody who’s planned their own intimate or micro wedding or elopement without a wedding planner will tell you they had plenty of problems. From missed communications to coordinating details with your vendors while you’re getting ready to walk down the aisle or even finding out the day before your wedding that you hadn’t actually booked your venue (yes, this actually happened to one of our brides…) — planning your own wedding is not for the faint of heart.

Here are 11 simple tips for a stress-free wedding without a wedding planner:

Can you plan your own small micro wedding or elopement without a wedding planner? We say yes! We're sharing 11 simple tips to make sure your wedding is stress-free even when you don't hire a wedding planner. If you're DIYing your wedding or planning your own small micro wedding or elopement without

06/12/2025

Just a little sneak peek! Stay tuned — their love is the real deal and the gallery is simply *perfection*.

06/10/2025

Getting married at home might sound unconventional, but it’s an increasingly popular trend that’s not just practical but full of heart. As a micro wedding photographer, we at Author Made have witnessed the rare beauty of home weddings, and we’re here to spill the beans on why you should consider this heartfelt option.

These heartfelt reasons *MAY* just convince you to get married at home:

Should you have a home wedding? Whether you're considering getting married at home or not at all, these heartfelt reasons why you should consider a home wedding might convince you. If you're planning a small, intimate or micro wedding, a home wedding is a great way to save money by finding a meaning

06/05/2025

Wedding decor is important in designing the wedding of your dreams but if you're anything like us, then you also want to keep wedding costs down AND make life easier (and decor-free) after your wedding.

So how do you do it all? We vote to go secondhand!

Here are a few resources we recommend:

+ Facebook Marketplace: perfect for local listings, could be a faster process of pickup or dropoff, and room for negotiation

+ Wedzee: A marketplace designed to connect former and future brides, wedding planners and small business owners

+ Ebay: Ebay offers a huge selection and easy purchase and shipping options

Not only do these options keep costs down and provide you the decor you may be looking for, but they're also a great opportunity to sell the decor when the wedding is over and you no longer need it!

06/02/2025

When newly-engaged couples think about hiring a wedding photographer, usually it’s just relegated to a single item on a checklist: “✅ Hire a wedding photographer.”

Once that contract is signed, all that’s left is to tell your wedding photographer when and where to show up!

…Right?

Not quite.

As an intimate micro wedding and elopement photographer and videographer, we’ve seen so many beautiful wedding photo moments — tears, laughter, pure magic. But we’ve also witnessed some common mistakes couples make when it comes to capturing the most treasured moments of their lives. In short: there’s a lot more that you need to think about in regards to your wedding photography before you walk down the aisle.

Let’s chat about these 9 regrettable pitfalls couples make with their wedding photography, and what you can do to not make those mistakes.

https://www.authormadephoto.com/blog/9-regrettable-mistakes-couples-make-with-wedding-photography

05/29/2025

When you’re looking to hire a wedding photographer, you might see the phrase “micro wedding photographer” pop up during your online search. As a newly engaged couple who is just trying to find someone who can hold a camera within your budget and with Insta-worthy quality, the last thing you need is one more complicated term to confuse your search efforts.

But what exactly is a micro wedding photographer, and what makes them different from the hundreds of other wedding photographers out there?

The answer might surprise you — and it might make a world of difference to your wedding day. Check out our blog post that walks through all the unique approaches micro-wedding photographers bring, and if you're interested in hiring one for your wedding!
https://www.authormadephoto.com/blog/what-micro-wedding-photographers-do-differently

What's the difference between a micro wedding photographer and a regular wedding photographer? What are the benefits to hiring a wedding photographer who specializes in small intimate micro weddings and elopements? When you hire a micro wedding photographer for your small wedding, you're hiring some

05/22/2025

HOT TAKE: You don’t need a fancy wedding to make your wedding day everything you dreamed it to be.

An at-home wedding might just be the perfect choice for your day, helping you not only save money, but also make your wedding day 10x more meaningful.

Find out how saying "I do" at home can make your day truly special in our blog: Heartfelt Reasons to Have a Home Wedding

05/19/2025

Golden light, genuine laughs, and all the love! What more could we ask for.

Team Photographer | .mth