Need Help: Reception after destination wedding. Thank you.

chief0401

I need advice. I have never been on a forum before so please bare with me. My fiance and I are having a destination wedding at Costa Rica in June 2012. We are only having our close family and best friends be there (about 12 people). After our honeymoon, we are having a reception for all family and friends, which is probably about 100-130 people. We don't know anyone that has ever had a destination wedding, then come home a week later for a reception so this is very uncharted waters for us and my family to plan. We were thinking about having a "cocktail reception" about 1pm and serving build your own salad bar, sandwiches, appetizers, etc. We are having a 3 tier cake since we won't have it in Costa Rica. As for anything else, we are clueless. Do you have a DJ? Should we adjust the time and serve something else? The tables are rectangle and the chairs are basic metal fold up chairs. Should we do chair covers? Do you still have the first dance, mother/son dance, etc since that would have been done at the destination wedding? What have others done for their reception after their destination wedding? Please help with any adivce you can provide. Thank you so much!

kimmykupcakes

What do you want? It's really up to what you and your FI want for your at home reception. The ladies here do all kinds of different things for their receptions. A couple have had full receptions. Others have had dessert only receptions. My FI and I are doing an afternoon cocktail reception with finger food and a dessert bar. We will have a mock photobooth, iPod playing and some lawn games going. But, that's what we want. What do you want for your reception?

Erinkathleen84

Congrats ! Where in Costa Rica are you getting married ? I am getting married there in July !

I agree with Kimmy - it is really up to you guys. We are renting out a place downtown (still working on it due to complications with our original venue) and having food and drinks. We will have a DJ and acoustic music and do all the traditional wedding stuff. It will not be as formal as a normal wedding reception and I will not wear my wedding dress...but it will still have all the other things a reception has. We are calling it a "celebration of our union"

BMcLeodTeam

As the PPs said, this isn't something that has a steadfast rule to it, its more about what's right for you and your FI. 

Girls have done a litlte of everything on here I think We are going to be renting out a local hall for ours. There will be buffet style laid back food (pizza, wings, etc) and a DJ (only because a friend of ours is one, couldn't do the wedding, and so wants to do this for us). We aren't doing any of the traditional wedding stuff, and I won't wear my dress, but we will have a slideshow to share what happened at the wedding with everyone back home. 

chief0401

Thanks for all of the advice and help! I really do appreciate it.

BMcLeodTeam

Stick around this board, I find that the ladies here are GREAT for advice and help anytime that you need it I'd love to hear more about your planning and get to know you