Small Ceremony, Big party/Reception a couple months later?

knix14

My fiance and I are on a really tight budget. Would it be crazy to have a small ceremony with immediate family and friends(no more than 15 people) and then have a big reception/celebration about two months later to celebrate with everyone else after getting adjusted to married life and saving up some more money for a big party? Has anyone done something similar to this? I also thought it would be neat to video the ceremony and play it for our guests at the reception so that everyone else could see us get married.
Is this idea totally crazy? I'd love some feedback. Thanks ladies!

AddieCake

Why would you not just wait a couple of months and do the whole thing at once?

ETA: Asked and answered over on reception. In the future, please put XP in your subject to denote that you are cross-posting. 

gymbugmj2k

it depends on you and your family.  this would NOT fly in my family.  Too many out of town guests, and too many people that would be sad that they'd miss the actual wedding.

you can have a big party sooner without it being over-the-top expensive.  do a little more research and see what you can come up with.

the only scenario where i could see this working is if you buy a house or something within that time, and it is a sort of combination housewarming/starting our lives party.

Peavy

With only two months between the marriage and the party, I don't really see the point.  Most people want to actually see you get married, so why not just wait and do it all at once.

Also, if you have 15 people to your ceremony now, you are going to have to do some sort of reception for them after the ceremony, whether it's cake and punch, or lunch at a restaurant or similar.  Then, I assume these same people will be invited to the big party, so essentially you'll be paying for them twice. 

Just wait.  It's only two months.

MrsGandthebeag

I don't get it.  Just wait the two extra months and do everything together.  No one wants to see a video of the ceremony they weren't invited to.

savice

I am in the process of trying to plan something similar, where I would like to have a small ceremony with immediate family fairly soon and then a big reception some time in the summer.  Reasoning is I have an ill parent that I want to be sure is able to be there for the ceremony. Planning a reception I gather is going to take some time and not sure we have that much time.   any ideas?

Jen4948

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_small-ceremony-big-partyreception-a-couple-months-later?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:e21edcb4-9257-4cde-a24b-43ee9d5e7e20Post:ba197732-882f-46dd-a4f1-bacde0229a8e">Re: Small Ceremony, Big party/Reception a couple months later?</a>:
[QUOTE]Have the wedding you can have now.  Get a dress.  Order a cake.  Have an officiant come to your house, and invite friends and family over. Generatios of brides got married in their own living rooms. You get a nice wedding for very little money.
Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]

I've seen you suggest this before, but not everybody has the room to host friends and family in their own home.  I don't, for example.  My home is a tiny little box with no room even to host anyone.  There is no way a wedding is happening here.