Couples say 'I do' to quickie weddings

The vows lasted minutes, the bouquet was chosen in seconds and after an hour the couple left as husband and wife, greeting the next pair on their way out the door.

For WA's "pop-up" wedding couples, you can forget long guest lists and meals packages, their big day takes only a month to plan and costs less than a grand.

A group of Perth wedding vendors, including a stylist, celebrants and a photographer, tested the no-frills wedding ceremonies for the first time this year.

There are now up to six couples a day tying the knot at monthly pop-up events in the Swan Valley, which echo similar "drive-through" set-ups seen in the US for years.

After lodging their paperwork, couples are given a date and an hour's timeslot to get married.

Choices such as the wedding theme, decor and the cake are made just minutes before the ceremony and the cost is "split" between the couples marrying on the day.

Eastern States celebrant Joshua Withers, who has brought the concept to Perth, said he had noticed a trend towards smaller and more budget-conscious wedding ceremonies.

Complicated family set-ups where families had remarried, he said, were also resulting in smaller wedding guest lists.

"I saw so many people in situations where 95 per cent of it they weren't OK with, the 5 per cent being the getting married. The rest of it seemed like a burden," he said. Other celebrants have also reported a trend towards smaller guest lists and home weddings in the past year.

Nola Walter said about a fifth of all weddings were now being held in backyards to save on the cost of hiring a venue.

"I think I'd only done one home wedding before last year," she said.

Kalgoorlie couple Kayla and Nathan Lewis eloped at a pop-up ceremony recently because they had little time for planning a wedding while working full-time and caring for their young daughter.

"I think people's idea of a wedding is a bit out of proportion, it's not about the big white wedding, it's about getting married," Mrs Lewis said.