Wedding Reception Forum

Destination wedding and planning home reception...

Hey ladies!

We are planning a destination wedding for May of next year and I can't decide what kind of reception we want for when we return home...

My idea was to have an outdoor reception - simple but nice and fun too!  We want to have a DJ and be able to dance the night away, but we don't want it to be too expensive.

Also, at our destination, I'm not sure how to handle the "reception" part of the wedding there...do we even have to have a reception? It's being held at an all-inclusive and they want to charge us extra for a buffet (I don't get it because all of our guests will be staying at the resort, but whatever).  Can we just set the guests free after the ceremony? Have a cocktail hour before everyone breaks for dinner (on their own), then meet up later in the evening at a dance club or something?  I just don't know how to work this.

Any advise?

Re: Destination wedding and planning home reception...

  • I suggest you post on the Destination Weddings board, they will probably be very helpful to you!

    I think if you are asking people to travel for your wedding, you definitely need to have a reception for them afterward. 
    image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • You definitely need to do something following your wedding ceremony, even if it's just taking everyone out to a restaurant.  The reception isn't an after-party for the bride and groom, it's a way of thanking the guests for coming.  It doesn't have to be a big huge deal, but you need to host SOMETHING for the guests who witnessed the ceremony.
    This is a neglected planning bio.
    This is a belated married bio, with no reviews yet because I'm lazy.

    image
    Sometimes I feel like people think that brides are delicate little flower princesses who get all dressed up and pretty for one special moment of their dreams, when really they're just normal people who just happen to be getting married. Things shouldn't have to be sugar-coated for grown-ass women. -mstar284
  • I'm a DW bride as well and pp is right - you can't expect people to drop $1k or more pp to come to your wedding for a 20 minute ceremony.  Don't forget - the DW is your WEDDING DAY.  The party at home should NOT outshine the actual WEDDING DAY.  You only get one shot to make your wedding day special - don't ruin it by looking like a cheap-ace in front of all your guests.  Pay for the dinner on the wedding day and scale back the AHR if you have to.
  • I am also a destination wedding bride. We are getting married in Hawaii so I felt instead of doing a sit down dinner after we are treating all our guests to a traditional luau complete with fire throwers, hula dancers and a roasted pig.

    We also are doing a reception back home and my fiancee orginally said he wanted in our back yard (we have a pool) but I thought it would be impossible to have 100-150 guest in our back yard and in July in houston it is miserably hot.  So we rented a banquet hall and they have an affordable package for food/beverages, linens, DJ..etc. I am doing more planning per say for the wedding reception back home becaue I am limited on what we are able to fly to Hawaii plus it is such a smaller party in Hawaii.  Also I have a planner in Hawaii so that helps alot.

    I think you should do something that is true to your style whether it is a small cocktail hour or a formal dinner. But you do need to host something for your guests who fly to your wedding. I know alot of people opt out of the reception back home because of the expenses.. so maybe that is something to consider. But there is always affordable options.
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards