Budget Weddings Forum

Dinner cruise reception

As a guest coming to a wedding is a dinner cruise reception tacky? It's 30pp cheaper than a resort. Very hard to try to stay in budget when I have such a big family.

Re: Dinner cruise reception

  • Is the wedding also happening on the boat?

    I don't think it's tacky at all, but I'm personally not a fan of boats. Just my personal thing, so I wouldn't go unless we were pretty close.
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  • No the ceremony is going to be on the beach it's just extremely hard to accommodate for 70-80 people on an 8k budget 80% are traveling in also. We have no help so it's difficult to do things how I'd reAlly like to
  • Depending on where you live, 8k can go really, really far. If you go with the boat option, just be forewarned that some people may decline. I personally love being on the water in basically any form, but that's just me. As long as you're hosting appropriately, the fact that it's on a boat doesn't automatically make it tacky.
  • I don't think the fact that it's on a boat makes it tacky. Personally, I think it's cool. But I'd be SUPER clear in your invitations that the reception is on a boat. Some people get major motion sickness and they'd probably appreciate that info up front.

    What would make it tacky is if you were going to have a cash bar, or a dollar dance, or anything else where guests were opening their wallets. Especially if it's a DW. Yea, that'd be super tacky.
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  • I don't think the fact that it's on a boat makes it tacky. Personally, I think it's cool. But I'd be SUPER clear in your invitations that the reception is on a boat. Some people get major motion sickness and they'd probably appreciate that info up front.

    What would make it tacky is if you were going to have a cash bar, or a dollar dance, or anything else where guests were opening their wallets. Especially if it's a DW. Yea, that'd be super tacky.
    No I would never ever do a cash bar I was in a wedding who did that an I thought it was awful especially being the bridesmaid not even getting drinks. People still do dollar dances?? Lol I've been in so many weddings when I was younger I remember those days. But I definitely would say it was a dinner cruise on the invite. My fiancé actually gets motions sickness but because it's on the gulf and the intra costal the water is very calm. I guess I just have to see the boat before I decide I guess more concerned about pictures. It's no yatch lol
  • outside that some people get sea sick there is nothing wrong with a dinner on a boat. I worked on a boat for years. People enjoyed themselves.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • lyndausvi said:
    outside that some people get sea sick there is nothing wrong with a dinner on a boat. I worked on a boat for years. People enjoyed themselves.
    Great Ty and I guess those people who don't enjoy it don't come no hard feelings here
  • I don't think the fact that it's on a boat makes it tacky. Personally, I think it's cool. But I'd be SUPER clear in your invitations that the reception is on a boat. Some people get major motion sickness and they'd probably appreciate that info up front.

    What would make it tacky is if you were going to have a cash bar, or a dollar dance, or anything else where guests were opening their wallets. Especially if it's a DW. Yea, that'd be super tacky.
    No I would never ever do a cash bar I was in a wedding who did that an I thought it was awful especially being the bridesmaid not even getting drinks. People still do dollar dances?? Lol I've been in so many weddings when I was younger I remember those days. But I definitely would say it was a dinner cruise on the invite. My fiancé actually gets motions sickness but because it's on the gulf and the intra costal the water is very calm. I guess I just have to see the boat before I decide I guess more concerned about pictures. It's no yatch lol

    **SITB**

    This is why it's never a good idea to follow the "but everyone in my family does it" or "it's so common in my circle" logic -- just because people do it doesn't make it OK.
  • jacques27jacques27 member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper
    edited October 2014
    I used to work doing river cruises.  We had LOTS of wedding receptions.  They are not tacky at all (though there are things that you can do to make them tacky). 

    Honestly, I think people really loved them.  I just threw a surprise birthday party cruise on a river and everyone loved it.  Like everything, there's pros and cons though.

    Pro:
    *Usually all inclusive and they'll have a coordinator taking care of things for you
    *If you're not the type to have a raucous dance party into the wee hours of a morning, then this provides a set start and end time and is easier to coordinate and schedule in that respect
    *I've found you can get away with less decorations because the view of the river/lake/ocean/skyline is pretty enough that most people spend their time oooh'ing and aaah'ing over that than inside caring about your decorations

    Con:
    *There's no way to get off the boat halfway through (so this might lead to some declines if people have small children they think may not make it all the way through without a meltdown or people who might have otherwise left right after dinner for some reason...though these types of receptions generally are a bit shorter, too, so it's usually not that big of a deal)
    *Potential motion sickness issues (usually not as much of an issue on a river, smaller lake, or the inner harbor area of a larger lake, but may be an issue on an ocean).
    *If you are the type to party into the morning, it can be a bit of a buzzkill to end the party when the boat docks - but you can always do an optional after party somewhere.
    *Late people are SOL.

    I personally am the type who loves definitive start and end times.  None of this lingering or wondering if I've stayed a socially acceptable amount of time or wondering what time dinner is actually taking place because the bride and groom are taking too long with pictures and I'm just hanging out eating cheese and crackers and getting tipsy on gin and tonics at cocktail (two) hour(s).  You're either on the boat at your set time or you're left behind. 
  • I definitely don't think it's tacky and I'd love it. You're lucky that they are cheaper where you live- here in MA they are really expensive. 

                                                                     

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  • What kind of boat is it? H and I actually did a 1 hour moonlit cocktail cruse on a paddle boat on our hobeymoon. While I'm not a fan of boats and wouldn't want to be on one for more than an hour tops, it would have been a fine place for a wedding reception. My guess is that if it is a boat set up to serve dinner and accommodate larger private parties, it will probably be perfectly lovely for a reception.
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  • jacques27 said:
    I used to work doing river cruises.  We had LOTS of wedding receptions.  They are not tacky at all (though there are things that you can do to make them tacky). 

    Honestly, I think people really loved them.  I just threw a surprise birthday party cruise on a river and everyone loved it.  Like everything, there's pros and cons though.

    Pro:
    *Usually all inclusive and they'll have a coordinator taking care of things for you
    *If you're not the type to have a raucous dance party into the wee hours of a morning, then this provides a set start and end time and is easier to coordinate and schedule in that respect
    *I've found you can get away with less decorations because the view of the river/lake/ocean/skyline is pretty enough that most people spend their time oooh'ing and aaah'ing over that than inside caring about your decorations

    Con:
    *There's no way to get off the boat halfway through (so this might lead to some declines if people have small children they think may not make it all the way through without a meltdown or people who might have otherwise left right after dinner for some reason...though these types of receptions generally are a bit shorter, too, so it's usually not that big of a deal)
    *Potential motion sickness issues (usually not as much of an issue on a river, smaller lake, or the inner harbor area of a larger lake, but may be an issue on an ocean).
    *If you are the type to party into the morning, it can be a bit of a buzzkill to end the party when the boat docks - but you can always do an optional after party somewhere.
    *Late people are SOL.

    I personally am the type who loves definitive start and end times.  None of this lingering or wondering if I've stayed a socially acceptable amount of time or wondering what time dinner is actually taking place because the bride and groom are taking too long with pictures and I'm just hanging out eating cheese and crackers and getting tipsy on gin and tonics at cocktail (two) hour(s).  You're either on the boat at your set time or you're left behind. 

    Thanx for that advice that's a good point. There's no kids allowed at my wedding besides flower Gil and ring bearer but this made me think more of it being a good idea. I guess the boat on the outside is a little tacky looking it's decorated with lua theme but maybe once I see the inside it will be better.
  • My husband and I were married onboard a yacht. It was great. No one declined, and everyone talked about how great it was.
  • Yes it is a cruise it's only barely 3hr so it's not too long
  • Not tackey at all, the important thing is that you host your guests properly on food based on the time the cruise will take place. The only thing I would appreciate seeing as a guest on your invitation is that the ceremony is going to be on the beach followed by a boat cruise. This way I can pick out approriate shoes to wear.
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