How to have the perfect small wedding: Six dos and don'ts

Aim for "quality over quantity" and celebrate the charms of a simple wedding. Photo / Getty Images

Planning your perfect wedding? Put down the prosecco and read carefully. Forget the Beckhams' infamous thrones; if you want to have a classy wedding then, it's official, the smaller the better.

Country Life magazine last year stepped in to call for restraint, warning couples that weddings have turned into "the nuptial equivalent of an arms race". From strapless dresses to three day weddings, the magazine warned upcoming brides and grooms of the biggest wedding pitfalls.

It urged "quality over quantity" and celebrated the charms of a simple wedding. Here we've summed up the top tips for a classic 'boutique' wedding:

1. DO stick to one day

Instead of a three-day extravaganza complete with pre-wedding dinner, and post-wedding brunch, celebrate your nuptials on just one afternoon. "Would-be-weds should arranged a get together with family and close friends - it's rare to have everybody in the same place - but don't invite the whole blasted wedding party," writes Annunciata Walton.

2. DON'T have a mega-hen

Hen dos and stag dos used to consist of one drunk night out. Now they can range from anything to a long weekend in Las Vegas to a week in a 5* spa. But don't force your poor guests to spend hundreds on the pre-wedding - that way they'll be sure to scrimp on the wedding gift.

3. DO choose your bridesmaids wisely

If you must, have just one - or at least two. But do not have an army of bridesmaids. You don't need to prove how many friends you have. As Flora Watkins says: "Unless it's a royal wedding, more than six bridesmaids - of any age - is excessive."

4. DON'T have a hashtag

The trend for professional websites and personalised hashtags has got out of hand. Stick to the old fashion simplicity of a professional photographer who turns their day's work into a beautiful coffee table photo album.

5. DON'T ask for honeymoon donations

Crowdfunding for a wedding - whether it is for a lavish honeymoon or your new home together - is simply unacceptable. A traditional list, with plenty of differently priced options, is a much better alternative.

6. DO go back to basics

A wedding doesn't need to be about the party favours (which everyone forgets to take home anyway) or having the best bridesmaid dresses. As Giles Kime writes: "The only essential ingredient is a big helping of sincerity - and a little less triviality."