The wedding of Rosemont resident Rosa Brooks to her husband Lt. Col. Joseph Mouer was featured in the Sunday Style section of the New York Times this week.

The wedding, which took place in the backyard of Brooks’ home in June, was part of an article titled “The Smaller, Cheaper, Just-For-Us Wedding” about the growing trend of lower-key nuptial celebrations.

“For us, it was like a dinner party, but with a ring and someone to marry you,” Brooks told the Times.

The wedding took just two weeks to plan and was catered by a local restaurant. Guests included about a dozen family members and a pair of canines.

A photo accompanying the Times piece shows the couple and guests in front of playground equipment belonging to Brooks’ children.

The Times article says simpler, smaller weddings are currently en vogue partially because of the surprise backyard wedding of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan this spring. The downbeat economy and the rising average age of brides and grooms are also cited as factors.

Linda Fairall, owner of bridal boutique Fabulous Frocks of Alexandria on Mt. Vernon Avenue, said she has noticed a growing trend of couples seeking smaller affairs.

“I think it is becoming more of a trend because more brides and grooms are paying for their weddings,” Fairall said. “So there’s a departure from these huge weddings and they’re not inviting everyone—like people their parents want to invite.”

Fairall, whose boutique specializes in consignment gowns, said wedding blogs and Pinterest have also contributed to couples taking more of a do-it-yourself approach to planning and celebrating. 

Fairall is getting married at the end of August and said she will have a smaller ceremony.

“I talk to my friends having big weddings and they all say ‘I wish I had kept things smaller,” she said.

What do you think is contributing to the rise of smaller, simpler weddings? Did you have a small wedding or a big wedding? Why? Tell us in the comments.