Need Help!!!

amy070412

We are planning on getting married on 07/04/12 and my FH wants to have the ceremony then a cocktail/dessert reception and then a BBQ/picnic with a smaller guest list.  I am not sure about the whole idea.  We have 8 children together and I do not think taking up the whole day is a good idea. I want to have an 7:30pm ceremony and a trimmed down dessert reception and see fireworks then everyone going home.  Just not sure how to combine the ideas. Any advice is welcome.

caterpillar85

Considering it is the middle of the week, starting later might be a good idea, but personally 7:30 seems a little late. I like your idea, but if you bumped it up an hour or so, you'd be able to have some sandwiches/BBQ/picnic-y foods along with your desserts. That way if there were people that stayed late they wouldn't be starving and/or eating chocolate for dinner. Also, the guests that would have normally worked that day still can, since your ceremony would be at 6 (ish)

amy070412

I was thinking of for the BBQ asking people to bring a side and their fireworks and just have an old-fashioned family picnic and just to enjoy the day with us as we start out new life.  Is that tacky to ask?  We both have big families and are paying for this wedding on a small budget.

kelleyku05

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_missouri-kansas-city_need-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:82Discussion:8651a2fc-ce44-43ac-b290-0134d0652a41Post:e69f96e6-432d-47c9-82ec-32cf594e15e1">Re: Need Help!!!</a>:
[QUOTE]I was thinking of for the BBQ asking people to bring a side and their fireworks and just have an old-fashioned family picnic and just to enjoy the day with us as we start out new life.  Is that tacky to ask?  We both have big families and are paying for this wedding on a small budget.
Posted by amy070412[/QUOTE]

For a wedding I'd have to say it's a little tacky to ask people to bring anything but themselves.  I do like the idea of having "BBQ" type sides.  I do think it would be appropriate to ask grandma to make her famous potato salad or Aunt so and so to bake some of your favorite chocolate chip cookies, but not all of your guests.  You can make it pretty simple by making up big portions of coleslaw, fruit salad (frozen in bulk from Sam's club), veggie tray, and a meat dish.  I went to a wedding like that this summer and they said it was easy and within their budget.

As far as fireworks you could include a little note saying "we're going to be lighting off fireworks, feel free to bring some yourselves!"