I have no idea what I"m doing!

jamienoble · February 2013

My beau and I have agreed that we want a very simple reception for friends and family after an intimate ceremony with just our parents. I've been doing some research on my own, but I have no idea where to start or even what to look for. I've tried looking at checklists but they're all for weddings/receptions lumped into one. Where can I find a checklist for just a reception? We have no idea what we're doing, and can't go to family just yet for help.

mlg78 · February 2013

The Knot has a rather lengthy checklist that really seems to cover a LOT of stuff...I was able to check a bunch of stuff off that wasn't even remotely relevent to me...but it still got me thinking. That might be a good place to start.

Find your venue...then the rest starts falling into place.

CnSinLOVE · February 2013

I completely agree with mlg! I didn't need a lot of the stuff on The Knot checklist, but it really helped give me ideas and a good starting place, and I could add my own checklist items! And it really is true, once you find your venue things really do begin to fall into place! I spent several months looking for the perfect venue for us and at times was so frustrated I really considered settling for something we didn't love! I'm so glad I didn't settle though because we found the perfect place and all my planning has really starting falling in place from there! My best advice is to just take your time and realize you will get frustrated at times, but keep at it and things will start to fall into place! Pull from anywhere you can find inspiration, The Knot, wedding shows, Google, friends weddings, etc! To me everything has become a thought of would that be something I want for our special day!! Good luck and remember to have fun with it!!

AddieCake · February 2013

I just ignored anything on the checklist that didn't apply to me. Set your budget and find your venue. I suggest all-inclusive venues because that takes a lot of extra work off of you as far as finding a caterer, getting tables, chairs, etc. When I first started, I felt overwhelmed, but once I found my all-inclusive venue, so much of it just took care of itself.

jamienoble · February 2013

Thank you all for your responses. I'm currently trying to find a venue that works for just a reception, as opposed to a full wedding/reception package that doesn't look like a cafeteria. I know we want to do a lot of DIY, as we aren't too traditional. We'd like it to be more like a party, informal and fun. We'd be sending out about 60 invites. How far in advance is appropriate to send out invites? Is there a difference between save the dates and invitations?