Micro-Luxe in the Dominican Republic: Why 20 Guests Is the New 100

For years, the conversation was usually about guest numbers. How do we fit everyone in? Can we make room for another twenty guests? Lately, the conversations sound very different. More and more couples come to me with a simple request: keep it small. Twenty guests, sometimes even fewer.

What many people don't realize is that some of the most exceptional weddings I plan are also the most intimate.

When you're hosting twenty people instead of one hundred, the focus shifts. The budget stretches further. The experience becomes more personal. And couples gain the freedom to prioritize what matters most to them.

In the Dominican Republic, intimate destination weddings are no longer simply a practical choice. For many couples, they have become the most intentional one.

What "Micro-Luxe" Actually Means

Micro-luxe isn't simply a small wedding. A small wedding can sometimes feel like a compromise. Micro-luxe is a deliberate choice.

Instead of spreading your budget across 100 guests, you're concentrating it on 20. The result is often a more elevated experience for everyone involved.

Fewer people. More intention. Better everything.

— Anni Roth

Why Couples Are Choosing Intimacy Over Scale

• They want to actually spend time with the people who came. With 100 guests, you get a few minutes with each person. With 20, you get the entire evening together.
• They want quality over quantity — better food, better wine, a better villa, and more time with their photographer.
• They want less stress. Fewer guests means fewer travel arrangements, fewer logistics, and fewer things that can go wrong.
• And many would rather have a smaller wedding and a longer honeymoon.

Where The Budget Goes Instead

• A private villa for the whole group instead of scattered hotel rooms.
• A multi-course tasting dinner instead of a buffet.
• Florals that feel abundant and intentional rather than stretched across a dozen tables.
• Experiences — a catamaran day, a private chef, a welcome dinner that feels like an event in its own right.

What You Can Do with 20 That You Can't with 100

Spontaneity, mostly. With a small group you can move. A sunrise ceremony on an empty beach. A long lunch that turns into an afternoon swim. A dinner that lasts for hours because nobody's rushing anywhere.

Large weddings run on a schedule. Small weddings run on a feeling.

Is Micro-Luxe Right For You?

It's not for everyone. If your family is large and close-knit, limiting the guest list to 20 may cause more challenges that it solves. But if you've ever looked at a 120-person guest list and felt tired instead of excited, that's worth paying attention to. You're allowed to have the small, beautiful, ridiculously well-done wedding. Some of my favorite couples did exactly that.

If a smaller, richer day sounds more like you, let's talk about what that could look like for your guest list.