Almost exactly 16 years ago, over Memorial Day weekend, my husband and I left work in Fremont and boarded a seaplane to Victoria, B.C., to get married.

We were both working in tech at the time, and the whole plan was wonderfully small. I wore a colorful Anthropologie dress I’d bought for $150, and my husband wore a suit from Club Monaco with a pale purple tie that matched my dress. We stayed at Abigail’s Hotel, which handled everything: a small cake, two witnesses, and an officiant. We hired photographers, a newly married couple who seemed to understand exactly what we wanted. They were about our age, and after the ceremony, the four of us walked to a field of wildflowers with a chilled bottle of Champagne the hotel had given us, and took the most romantic photos.

I have thought about that day often while watching weddings become more elaborate and expensive. Of course, there’s no single right way to get married. A big party can be exactly right, and a small celebration can have its own kind of magic, too.

This summer, Seattle couples will have a new option for an easy wedding, and they won’t have to leave town to do it.

Cake & Punch, a new micro-wedding experience from Seattle event company Functions and Gatherings, will take over Town Hall Seattle for two days, August 15 and 16. Couples can book a two-hour slot inside the historic First Hill venue, with space for up to 30 guests.

The idea grew out of Town Hall’s interest in hosting more weddings. Jake Taylor, principal planner and creative director of Functions and Gatherings, says the venue was exploring wedding rentals when they suggested trying a full wedding event, with several smaller ceremonies happening on the same day.

“Couples are looking to have smaller, more intimate weddings in general and money is tight for a lot of people,” Taylor says. “We wanted to offer something joyful and all-inclusive to minimize the stress around wedding planning while presenting a wedding option that’s much more cost-effective than a wedding typically would be.”

Each $10,000 booking includes a 30-minute couples photo session and a 90-minute wedding with a ceremony, reception, officiant, cake, florals, nonalcoholic drinks, linens, tables and chairs, and planning support from Functions and Gatherings. Optional add-ons include certificate calligraphy, a signature mocktail, and room discounts at Hotel Sorrento.

For Functions and Gatherings, a shorter guest list does not mean a bare-bones wedding.

“Couples don’t want to feel like they’re missing out,” Taylor says. “They still want to have photography, stylish decor, and celebratory time with their loved ones, just on a scale that feels more approachable.”

The two dates have different themes. August 15, called “Going to the Chapel,” brings a Seattle version of the Vegas wedding chapel to Town Hall, with soft pastels, red roses, and a showgirl. August 16, called “Garden Party,” turns the Town Hall stage into a floral setting, followed by a bubbly toast.

The vendor lineup includes Shady Vines Floral Co., Dress Up Box, Jenny GG Photography, Sasha Summer Cousineau, Party on the Rocks, Seatown Sweets, Quarter Keepsakes, and Functions and Gatherings as planner and designer.

Town Hall’s century-old First Hill building still carries the grace of its early 20th-century church origins.

Photo by Dan DeLong Photography

Town Hall adds its own history. The building was originally Fourth Church of Christ, Scientist, built in stages between 1916 and 1922. It became Town Hall in 1998 and now hosts talks, concerts, and civic events.

Taylor says the venue recently hosted the wedding of its executive director, after more than a decade without a wedding in the building.

Cake & Punch is part of a larger move toward making the space available for more celebrations. “From the planning perspective, I love that we get to plan in such a gorgeous venue and support a non-profit that’s been bringing Seattle together for decades,” Taylor says.

Taylor, who grew up in the Seattle area and came to events through culinary school and hospitality work, says the company’s approach is rooted in making people feel cared for. Functions and Gatherings also centers queer couples, which gives Cake & Punch a clear point of view in a wedding industry that has not always made space for everyone. Marriage equality only became law across the United States in 2015.

“Working with queer couples means that I have a very pared down expectation of what you need to have a wedding and the rest is free to evolve naturally,” Taylor says. “My process encourages myself and the couples that I work with to think outside of the box and plan a wedding that is authentic to them and not just what they might feel is expected of them.”

Bookings are open now through Functions and Gatherings.