(photo by Jason Barnes)
Wedding without reception, anyone? Budget should not be a hindrance to getting married and in fact, for some women and couples trying to establish a new family, spending too much on a wedding party can be seen as a waste of money. Especially as starting a family is not at all easy when it comes to finances and especially if you are a pregnant bride.
Okay, I’m not trying to be a killjoy.I’m just trying to say that a wedding without a reception can be possible and in fact, acceptable. If you can save a fair amount of money later, then you may want to have that lavish and grand thanksgiving party for all your family and friends – but if the resources won’t allow you to have that grand wedding reception today, you can still get married.
Small Simple Wedding Ideas – Skipping the Reception
Wedding ceremony (photo by Michael Davie)
When we talk about simple weddings these days, many people would think about fewer names on the guest list, skipping some luxurious dining set-up and preparing the food themselves. But not many would think about skipping the reception.
Could be a Problem for Guests Living Out of Town |
One good friend of mine once told me about how she felt strange about a wedding she attended that had no reception at all and the idea was somehow new to her. Although she wasn’t complaining about not being fed after the wedding – she was trying to figure out how the guests from out of town handled the situation. Of course, if they drove to the wedding for hours with no wedding reception, or a chance to mingle with the newlyweds and their families and friends, it seemed to be kind of rude.
“If you don’t like dancing then maybe having a wedding without a reception is appealing to you?”
Preparation is Important
However, if you plan to have a really simple wedding without the reception, it is acceptable. Yes, I think it is totally acceptable. You just have to indicate on your wedding invitation (if you are inviting lots of people) that the wedding is ‘ceremony only’. This way, your guests can prepare themselves and not expect any party afterwards.
Planning A Wedding Ceremony With No Reception
photo credit: Thomas Hawk
Of course – You don’t have to have a reception or party. A friend I know took his bride-to-be to the city hall, had a couple of friends to serve as witnesses and the wedding was done in a flash. You can also have a simple wedding ceremony with just a few family and friends, eat out in a restaurant and the celebrations are over. You can actually get married without the fuss and hassles of wedding parties.
When it comes to small simple wedding ideas, you can opt for civil weddings or you can even go for church weddings without the reception. For as long as you have informed your guests about it, then it is not a problem.
As a wedding planner, I sometimes get requests for no reception weddings and it’s something that can be done. It’s totally practical as well, but a couple of things to remember- if you want to go for a wedding ceremony only then tell everyone in advance and limit the number of people you invite, especially guests who have to travel far.
Have you experienced the same thing? Are weddings without reception fine with you? Let us know what you think. Add us on Facebook, tweet, comment….
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Glad I found this post. My fiance and I are saving whatever we can for a house and we are thinking of a wedding ceremony without reception. We just want to get married. We don’t expect gifts either. Anyone else do this?
My cousin’s wedding had no reception. Their guests were only their parents and her sisters who also took their photos and they only had a small dinner after the wedding ceremony and they are just as married as anyone else.
I am in the process of planning a wedding. It will be a 2nd marriage for the both of us. We have 6 children between the two of us so money is extremely tight. We decided to forgo a big ceremony and reception. We have thrown the idea of a small 40 people reception but even that is going to be over $2000 and we would much rather go on a vacation that neither of us have ever taken. We have never been anywhere exotic and longer than 2 days. I am planning on inviting my closest family members and 4 friends that we spend almost every weekend with. I would like to get wording to send out to all my family and friends that we aren’t inviting to inform them of our decision and that we would like to plan a gathering after our honeymoon for all to attend. Any help with this??
you can always make a wedding announcement-reception invitation after the wedding if you wish to have a private ceremony or a destination wedding, as you are planning. here are wordings that may help: He and She are happy to announce their marriage that took place in a private ceremony on Thursday, October 11th, 2018 San Juan, Puerto Rico Please join them for a reception to celebrate their union Saturday, December 6th, 2018 7 o’clock in the evening The Johnson Park Mansion xxxxxx xxxxxx ————————————- or: We’re getting ready to depart on a romantic trip, which is only the start! She and He will be married on Thursday, November 6th, 2018 in Maui, Hawaii Please join us for a reception when we return November 22nd, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. Laurel Oak Estate 101 Riverside Lake Drive Smithtown, New Jersey 08087 ————- He and She are happy to announce their marriage that took place in a private ceremony on Sunday, January 28th, 2010 in Maui, Hawaii Please join them for a reception to celebrate their union on Saturday, February 8th at 7:00 in the evening Lafayette Square Little Rock, Arkansas —————- hope these helps. hope that helps.
If your going to have only a ceremony, DO NOT send out “save the day” cards. My husband and I scheduled time off work for an out of town wedding months in advance. Then the invitation arrived. No reception. It’s 10 hours one way. We were really looking forward to tbis wedding and seeing everyone. Not sure if we will go at all now. We can send a bigger gift if we dont travel & do an overnight. Very bummed. We did save the date!
Thanks and good advice from Clowng4 – and it’s worth pointing out if you are not going to have a reception then mention it in advance to all potential guests, especially if they are from out of town.
This is the first site i’ve found that “get’s it.” It’s not that I can’t afford a wedding reception, it’s that I don’t want one. All these site are saying that the reception is to thank your guests for coming to share your day. That’s strange. Because all these years I’ve been going to receptions simply to celebrate the couple….never once did I sit and think, boy what a nice way to thank me, chicken and beef! My soon-to-be husband and I really wanted to run off to Vegas and get married however, between us we have 3 kids and Vegas & kids don’t go hand-in-hand. Besides, I’ve never been married and I’m certain it would break my Moms heart if I just ran off and did it. Our plan right now is to have a wedding “celebration” (shower) with 50-75 people, they will all get food LOL This shower will be held to celebrate our union, not held to thank people for caring. If people want to bring a gift, great. If they don’t, super. We will do our cake cutting there and 30 days later we will have our ceremony. Immediately follwing the ceremony, in our fancy wedding “duds” a limo will see us off to the airport where we willl for our honeymoon. I don’t know if any of this is “okay” by anyone elses standards….but I think weddings are too much for everyone else, instead of for the actual bride and groom.
Having trouble finding the appropriate wording to indicate “ceremony only” on the invitations, any ideas?