We chose to have a very small wedding composed of our closest

Alex Cooper, with gratitude and clarity of heart, declared: “We chose to have a very small wedding composed of our closest friends and family. It was so special having all of our favourite people in one room together.” In this reflection, she reminds us that the true glory of a wedding is not in size or spectacle, but in intimacy — in the presence of those who truly love us, gathered not out of duty but out of devotion.

The ancients knew this well. In the villages of old, when two souls were joined, it was the circle of kin and neighbors who bore witness, those who would walk alongside the couple in the years to come. The wedding was never meant to be a performance for strangers, but a covenant sealed among those bound by love and trust. Cooper’s words carry this wisdom forward: that the most radiant celebrations are often the simplest, when hearts rather than crowds fill the room.

History offers the example of John Adams and Abigail Smith, who wed not in splendor but in modest ceremony, surrounded by family and dear friends. Their union, founded in sincerity and mutual respect, endured through wars, separations, and the burdens of state. What sanctified their marriage was not the grandeur of the event but the depth of those who stood beside them. Like Cooper, they knew that strength lies in gathering the faithful few, not in pleasing the multitude.

Cooper’s reflection also challenges the vanity of modern display. Many believe a great wedding must be measured by number — of guests, of lights, of riches. Yet she reminds us that joy is multiplied not by extravagance but by authenticity. To have “all our favourite people in one room” is wealth beyond gold, for such gatherings are rare, and such moments are the treasures of memory.

Let the generations remember: choose closeness over grandeur, and sincerity over numbers. For when a wedding is filled with true friends and loving family, it becomes more than a ceremony — it becomes a sacred circle, a fortress of joy, and a memory etched forever in the heart. As Alex Cooper teaches, the perfect celebration is not the loudest, but the most genuine, where every face shines with love and every spirit is bound together in unity.