formal wedding vs wedding vows only/reception

sevans5

I am not sure if I really want to have a church/formal wedding but I need ideas on how to have a wedding in the same place as my reception or having a reception and wearing a wedding dress and just doing the vows in front on my guest without bridesmaids and groomsmen.

mbcdefg

Er ... O.K. ...

Church =/= "formal wedding." Plenty of people have simple, casual, or even quirky weddings in a church. You should marry in a church because you feel close to God there, not because you want things to be formal or traditional.

You never "need" bridesmaids and groomsmen. Whether you have 300 guests at a black-tie affair, or 10 guests in a courthouse. If you don't want a bridal party, don't ask anyone, end of story. If your state requires witnesses to sign the license, grab an adult or two who witnessed the ceremony (parents, grandparents, siblings, or anyone over age 18) and ask them to sign for you. It need not be a bridal party member.

Ask your local board to suggest some reception halls in your area that have a room or an outdoor space for a wedding ceremony. Or, just let the guests come in and sit at their regular tables, stand up with your officiant and do the ceremony, and then go right into the food without changing rooms. Plenty of people do this.

If all you want is the vows, then first call your county clerk and see who can legally marry you in your area ... justices of the peace, friends ordained online, religious ministers, etc. Then look for someone you can hire who will make the ceremony as short as you'd like. 

Weddings can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. The only real rules are to seat and feed your guests and to be nice to people, and to make sure it's legal in your state. Beyond that, everything else should be done to your liking.