At Home Reception...

Re: At Home Reception...

• emilyinchile member

  

  April 2010

  We will be doing a reception in CA (got married in Chile). We're not doing any of the "typical events" because it's not actually our first dance, it's not our wedding cake, etc. Basically it's just going to be a party, with food and music. The only really wedding-specific things are going to be a photo album with pictures of our ceremony here (because family members have asked to see them), and we're going to wear the same clothes again, although I'm bringing another white dress I have in case I want to change...giant dress + outdoor reception might be a bad combo, but I want to wear my dress again, and friends have asked to see it.
  
  I wouldn't try to think of activities to fill the time. Just host a party, and if it's good then people will stay as late as they can.
  

  

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• grape2323 member

  

  April 2010

  We're doing an AHR next month (married in January). We're definitely not doing any of the traditional stuff -- just a casual party. I am (probably) wearing my dress again, because people asked me to. But I'm bringing another dress to change into. Like the last post says, we're just throwing a casual party. We'll have photos and maybe an edited version of the video (vows, first dance, cake cutting). We're doing ours in the afternoon with heavy appetizers (3-7ish)

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• 2dBride member

  

  April 2010

  Did you still do the typical events- special dances, bouquet/garter toss, etc?
  
  You can.  But the "typical events" are optional anyway, so feel free to leave them out if you want to.  In particular, the bouquet toss may not work well if your bouquet has already wilted.  We did have a first dance and a wedding cake.
  
  What time did you start your reception?  8:00 PM
  
  Did you start earlier since there wasn't a ceremony before hand?  Actually, I think we started later since there wasn't a ceremony beforehand.  Jewish weddings cannot be on Friday nights or Saturdays before sundown.  Thus, they are typically on Sunday morning or early afternoon, so as to allow people time to get back home for work the next day.  In order to avoid a long gap between ceremony and reception, the reception is most often a luncheon rather than a dinner.  Because our AHR was three days after our ceremony and in a different city, we were able to have a daytime wedding and an evening reception without leaving a long gap.
  
  Did you have a grand entrance as you would coming in from the ceremony?  We could have, but we didn't.  I've never been a fan of grand entrances even when coming in from the ceremony.
  
  We have our reception site from 8am-11 pm and I would like to use the space for as long as I can. Any thoughts on having a longer reception? Serving lunch and/or dinner? What other activities could be done to fill some time?
  
  You could certainly serve one meal as part of your reception.  However, there are limits on how long people are likely to want to party.  Six hours is about the maximum, if you have a cocktail hour, a sit-down dinner, and post-dinner entertainment (ceremony video, dancing, photobooth, and/or whatever you choose).
  
  I've had a couple thoughts on an entrance- either have the typical grand entrance or just greet the guests as the arrive at the door.
  
  Either one is fine.
  
  Also, did you wear your dress to the AHR? Some of our family won't be attending the ceremony and I'd like for them, as well as other guests, to see me in my dress. Shoudl I wear it for a little while and change or just wear a different dress all night?
  
  You can wear the dress if you like, but it is not required.  We wore ours all night, because we really wanted to include our guests in our wedding as much as possible, given that our wedding was eight hours away and on a weekday.  You could also wear it part of the night and then change, or wear a completely different dress for the whole night.

  
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• flutgrl1

  

  April 2010 edited April 2010

   Did you still do the typical events- special dances, bouquet/garter toss, etc? We did the stuff that we couldn't do at our DW. The dances, the tosses, unity candle.
  I did also wear my dress again.
  
  What time did you start your reception? 1-5 (I love afternoon receptions) I had no idea people even did evening wedding receptions by choice until the knot
  
   Did you start earlier since there wasn't a ceremony before hand? see above I love casual after parties too much!
  
   Did you have a grand entrance as you would coming in from the ceremony? yes with music (again something we couldn't/didn't do at DW)
  
  Any thoughts on having a longer reception? our AHR reception was large (200ish people) so we needed that time to actally see and visit with all our guests. Plus we had hired an awesome band. I could have partied another hour or so.
  
  Serving lunch and/or dinner? I've never even been to a cake/punch reception. So serving food to me was a given. We had a cocktail hour for when people arrived and then stations (pasta, meat, and more apps)
  
  Personally I love the of a smaller wedding with a large reception. The format worked for us. People seemed to have fun. Good luck!

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