At Home Reception

jmgotthardt

okay ladies I previously posted about having a sort of engagement party before we leave, but I have convinced my fiance to do an at home reception when we get back.  he thinks the idea is completely weirdddd, but i explained its a destination wedding thing lol.  he is still not really big on the idea, but is going along with it because i told him it will be fabulous... now i need your help on how to make it FABULOUS haha!  Any tips, ideas, things that worked (or didnt work) at y'alls?  Here is all I have in mind so far.  We are going to buy the wedding dvd, so we will be showing that.  My dad will be BBQing, and his fam probably chipping in the sides.  My sister will be baking us a Married in Vegas wedding cake.  Everything else is ???  how do invitations work, etc etc etc Please help )  Thank you!!!!

AudgiePodge

Honestly, I wouldn't attend a reception if I wasn't invited to the ceremony. Destination wedding or not.

jmgotthardt

Majority of the people that we are planning on inviting, are invited to the wedding, but can't come for one reason or another.  So this is our way of sharing the wedding with them, and to give the families a chance to meet, as well as a chance to meet my future hubby.  alot of my extended family has not met him because he works weekends and nights.  so he is always either sleeping or working during our family functions.

ebonyivory10

Sounds good, formal invitations are probably not needed. Maybe word of mouth or even an email blast?

wiwicaty

Hmmm to make it fabulous ... You could give it a theme, like Hawaiian or Vegas-y?

mrsfranklintobe

I Like wiwicaty's idea. A vegas theme to go with the party. So those who couldn't make it could feel like they were there. Like on Friends when Phobe couldn't go to Ross's wedding, they made it up to her later.

pizzanfries4me

We had a great party back home after our wedding. It had a Vegas-y feel. I bought games at a party store and we had them around (roulette, poker) Our party was a big hit and great fun because it was just friends and family all hanging out. We also had bbq food, everyone was in comfy clothes and relaxing. We had a volleyball net up for people to play (which was a big hit) the other people played the games around the room. We also had plenty of pictures around for the guests to look at.
I still hear (3 months later) how great of a time was had by all.

tlbattaglia

It really depends on what type of reception you are wanting.  OurAHR is going to be pretty big.  About 300 people.  We're having a full meal, bar, cake, band and everything.

We're sending out invites just like I would have if we would've gotten married locally.  A few things are going a little more casual.  The food won't be a served meal, it will be buffet and things like that. 

People that can't make it to our weding are expecting this reception.  Maybe it's a local thing, but I've been to quite a few receptions for people that had DW. 

aegrish

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_home-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:f87069d6-dc61-4da0-84a6-2e0d50e51021Post:f65f95c8-5ec1-4c60-acb2-b75b05e920f5">Re: At Home Reception</a>:
[QUOTE]It really depends on what type of reception you are wanting.  OurAHR is going to be pretty big.  About 300 people.  We're having a full meal, bar, cake, band and everything. We're sending out invites just like I would have if we would've gotten married locally.  A few things are going a little more casual.  The food won't be a served meal, it will be buffet and things like that.  People that can't make it to our weding are expecting this reception.  Maybe it's a local thing, but I've been to quite a few receptions for people that had DW. 
Posted by tlbattaglia[/QUOTE]

We doing the same.  Actually, we ARE inviting people that we're not inviting to the ceremony.  We were invited to a hometown reception and not the ceremony (DW with only 30 guests) and we thought nothing of it.  We still went to the reception and had a great time, and loved seeing the bride & groom dressed up and their wedding pictures.  I think showing the video would be even better!

j_jaye

I am having an AHR. We are only inviting people that are invited to the ceremony (82 invites so approx 200 people) and we are including the invitation with the ceremony invitation. We thought it would be best to do it this way as then it gives the guests the option....so they don't feel pressured to come to the ceremony and know they have an option to celebrate with us when we get back. We may be in a different position though since everyone would have to come from overseas to Vegas (which is why we wanted to let guests know early that they can still celebrate with us without coming to Vegas).

We are having a Vegas theme and will be picking up little things at gift shops in Vegas to deck it out and my cousin is making us the same cake as we are having in vegas and of course showing the video.

We are hiring a local  gated park and having BBQ and sides and alcohol.

MVJP10

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_home-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:f87069d6-dc61-4da0-84a6-2e0d50e51021Post:ea189d16-3b66-4d3e-9bbb-9b5ca73518d8">Re: At Home Reception</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: At Home Reception : We doing the same.  Actually, we ARE inviting people that we're not inviting to the ceremony. 
Posted by aegrish[/QUOTE]

Giant faux pas!
Some social settings allow such things though.

TheEncoreBride

I think that as long as people understand the situation they would be OK with it, it depends on your crowd. I say go for it and the theme sound great. My in-law's want an AHR but I don't maybe I'll change my mind later...we'll see.

smokeybailey

I would be bummed if I was only good enough for your 2nd tier AHR invite list and not your wedding list. 

Why not just have a party and invite people?  Why the need for a formal at home reception that feels like a wedding reception?  How is it any different than having a local wedding with reception and inviting people who weren't invited to the wedding to a second reception?  Hey, I am not close enough to you to invite you to watch me get married but I AM close enough to you to invite you to a second reception so you can bring me a gift (which is not required but most people will feel compelled.)

aegrish

My FI is from a small small country town and trust me people there do not care if they're not invited to the ceremony and just the reception.  I am from the suburbs and we have talked with a lot of people that have blatantly said they just want to come to the hometown reception.  Our close family and friends will be invited to the DW. In fact we're sending out over 100 invites!  What we're not doing is sending out 300 invites to the DW and instead we're opting for an informal hometown reception.

Again, my FI and I have been to 3 hometown receptions when we were NOT invited to the ceremony and we did not at all feel like 2nd tier guests or that they just wanted us there for a gift! In fact we clearly understood they wanted small, simple ceremonies and felt blessed to be able to celebrate with them, see pics from their ceremony and have a good time!

smokeybailey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_home-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:f87069d6-dc61-4da0-84a6-2e0d50e51021Post:fdcd5e27-829e-4e2a-abfa-5b15af17c383">Re: At Home Reception</a>:
[QUOTE]My FI is from a small small country town and trust me people there do not care if they're not invited to the ceremony and just the reception.  I am from the suburbs and we have talked with a lot of people that have blatantly said they just want to come to the hometown reception.  Our close family and friends will be invited to the DW. In fact we're sending out over 100 invites!  What we're not doing is sending out 300 invites to the DW and instead we're opting for an informal hometown reception. Again, my FI and I have been to 3 hometown receptions when we were NOT invited to the ceremony and we did not at all feel like 2nd tier guests or that they just wanted us there for a gift!<strong> In fact we clearly understood they wanted small, simple ceremonies and felt blessed to be able to celebrate with them, see pics from their ceremony and have a good time!</strong>
Posted by aegrish[/QUOTE]

If small and intimate then why the larger AHR?

aegrish

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_home-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:91Discussion:f87069d6-dc61-4da0-84a6-2e0d50e51021Post:0e465d3f-6b3f-4c91-afc5-9bad1c2bb4be">Re: At Home Reception</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: At Home Reception : If small and intimate then why the larger AHR?
Posted by smokeybailey[/QUOTE]

I really dont think anyone (including myself) should have to explain their wedding or AHR choice.  Everyone's background and situation is different.  A one size fits all wedding & reception doesn't always work for people.  If people are 'offended' by an invitation or lack of, they clearly are coming for the wrong reasons anyways.  

smokeybailey

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_nevada-las-vegas_home-reception?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:91Discussion:f87069d6-dc61-4da0-84a6-2e0d50e51021Post:41712915-b5e5-424e-b94f-d85319a63dbc">Re: At Home Reception</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: At Home Reception : I really dont think anyone (including myself) should have to explain their wedding or AHR choice.  Everyone's background and situation is different.  A one size fits all wedding & reception doesn't always work for people.  If people are 'offended' by an invitation or lack of, they clearly are coming for the wrong reasons anyways.  
Posted by aegrish[/QUOTE]

I'm coming because I want to see you get married.  I want to see you take some pretty important vows and declare your love for your best friend and soul mate.

If those are the wrong reasons then I don't wanna be right.