My FI and I are announcing our engagement after years of waiting for our wedding. However, our wedding is likely going to be very minimal, at least in comparison to my hopes of throwing an elaborate wedding for us and our families. My one dream that I really resist giving up is inviting "everyone" we have close ties to - it would be about 120 - 150 guests. We'll be inviting many people who live far away, we haven't seen in years, or only see once a year and speak about a paragraph to during that time - but I really care about them. My concern is that I don't want anyone to regret taking time out of their schedule during the holidays because our wedding didn't live up to their assumptions, or to buy an expensive gift and then be offended when they realize that we didn't spend very much at all on them as a guest, or otherwise feel negatively when they go, so I'd like to convey in some way to them that they should, well, essentially have low expectations, in comparison to other weddings, if they decide to come.
My thought was to make pages on our wedding website for "Ceremony" and "Reception" to include info about them, and on the "Reception" page, include this piece: "Following the wedding ceremony in the [ceremony location], a simple, two-hour reception will be held in the adjoining [area] to celebrate these happy nuptials with the bride and groom. Dancing, a variety of drinks, toasts, cutting of the cake, a bouquet toss, and other jubilant traditions can be expected to commemorate this joyous occasion together." And possibly write "Simple reception to follow," on the wedding invitation rather than "Reception to follow."
Does any of this or the wording seem tacky? [My vision for the wedding is formal, classy and elegant. I know, difficult with a low budget.] Do you think they still won't get it? Do you have any suggestions for how to convey it to our guests with certainty? Or should I just suck it up and only invite our immediate family and such and give them a more lavish celebration?
- I'm sorry if I'm being too wordy. This is my first post, and if you can tell, we haven't even announced the engagement yet and I am already majorly stressing over everything!
Re: How to convey to potential guests that our wedding will be... "underwhelming"?
ETA: I just reread your post and caught this:
"we might not even be able to do appetizers and make the other elements nice"
You need to prioritize food and drink for your guests over making other elements nice. If you can't afford to host them properly, you cannot afford to invite them. Treating your guests well - enough to eat and drink and enough places for everyone to sit - is much more important than decor or clothing or any other fringe elements of a wedding.
It's all very much in the works at the moment, but the happiness (or unhappiness) of my guests was first on my list to consider, so that's why I have brought up this post prior to being certain of just about anything else. And to clarify, perhaps I should have said "We might not be able to have appetizers OR make the other elements nice with 100 - 150 guests," not to imply that I would choose to spend money that could go to catering on making the wedding "nice"-looking, but that I am concerned overall that I have too high of expectations with the guest count and it would affect every aspect of the wedding's quality. This is part of why I'm wondering if I need to "suck it up and invite only a small group." Thanks for your input! I am quite the young and in some ways quite ignorant bride-to-be.
It's all very much in the works at the moment, but the happiness (or unhappiness) of my guests was first on my list to consider, so that's why I have brought up this post prior to being certain of just about anything else. And to clarify, perhaps I should have said "We might not be able to have appetizers OR make the other elements nice with 100 - 150 guests," not to imply that I would choose to spend money that could go to catering on making the wedding "nice"-looking, but that I am concerned overall that I have too high of expectations with the guest count and it would affect every aspect of the wedding's quality. This is part of why I'm wondering if I need to "suck it up and invite only a small group." Thanks for your input! I am quite the young and in some ways quite ignorant bride-to-be.
The people that both care about you and are able to make it to your wedding will be happy to see you get married no matter how fancy your wedding is.
Also don't worry about what gifts people give. Anyone who chooses to give you a gift will likely be giving you what ever gift they want to give and can afford. Anyone who bases their gift on the grandness of the reception isn't doing it right.
As long as the following rules are followed, a wedding is always fun:
1. Every guest has a chair
2. There are no annoying gaps
3. No one is pressured into giving a gift (aka gifts aren't mentioned)
4. Everything offered is fully hosted (so no charging for the beer)
5. Everyone's significant other is invited
6. No one is told how to dress
7. Everyone is invited to all parts of the wedding
8. Food served is appropriate for the time of day
Then you're doing everything right! Nothing fancy is needed and you can throw a great wedding without it (one of my favorite weddings I ever went to was a dry, outdoor reception, with sandwiches, chips and cake eaten at picnic tables).
Ditto everyone else's suggestions about hitting up a costco type place for cheap apps.
To answer your main question, you can give your guests a head up on the type of the wedding straight from the invitation.
Don't do an invitation like this:
http://www.weddingsee.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/formal-wedding-invitations-great.jpg
Do do an invitation like these:
https://img1.etsystatic.com/013/0/6155599/il_340x270.439779529_cbbg.jpg
http://rlv.zcache.com/die_cut_vintage_black_damask_wedding_invitation-r9d3bcf0d56654772887bacb6d6b2319f_zknwj_1024.jpg?rlvnet=1
Other posters, would something like this be appropriate on the invite:
"Reception with Dancing & Refreshments to Follow"
Or is even that much needed?
Cake & Punch to follow
Cocktail reception to follow
Cocktails, dinner and dancing to follow
Dessert reception to follow
are all of those considered "rude" because they give too much info? (that seems counter intuitive to me).
I'd think that if the event isn't at a prime meal time, there does leave some question about what is going to be served, especially if the reception is at something generic like a church basement / park / etc. In that case it might actually be a courtesy to let the guests know what kind of fare they can expect.
I went to a 3pm wedding, and they did serve an early dinner after cocktail hour. if they hadn't mentioned dinner on the invite and just said "reception to follow", I might have made dinner plans figuring there wouldn't be a meal.
Alternatively knowing if it's a cake & punch reception vs one with apps vs heavy apps, it might change the kind and size of the lunch I have / dinner I might plan.
Not trying to be combative, but I'm really not understanding why something like that wouldn't be appropriate on the website at the very least.
And yes, if the guest list could be trimmed a little so that the guest can be hosted better that would be ideal.
My daughter had a morning ceremony with a brunch buffet at a local country club. It was less than half what a dinner reception would have cost. Dancing is not necessary. The food was wonderful.
My own wedding featured a simple cake and punch reception in the church fellowship hall.
My sister was married in a park pavilion, and served picnic food and sheet cake afterwards. The kids all ran around the park and had a blast.
One of my nieces is facing the prospect of a $100,000+ wedding with her social climbing Dad in complete control. She is miserable about it, and might just elope.
You don't need to put on a big production show to have a beautiful wedding, and there is no reason your guests should expect you to spend more than you can afford.
I agree with the other Knotties. Booze should not be a feature of a daytime wedding, especially if there is not a meal being served!
Although I don't think it affects the etiquette much, to give an idea of why in the world we would even consider doing this, with the low budget, (or if more background is of interest,) my FI and I are comparatively young, but we have been dating for six years and planning to marry for four and a half. We've put off the wedding year after year for our relatives and for financial security, and we are now announcing the engagement to our families and would love to marry in/by January.
***Someone please correct me if I am doing something wrong. I don't want to violate TOS.***
So I don't know if I'm allowed to do this but I'm actually looking to get rid of my wedding dress. I purchased one when I was engaged to my ex and now it is taking up space in my closet and I don't want it. If you're around the same size as me, I'd be willing to send you the dress (if you like it). I'd just ask you pay for shipping costs. I can PM you pictures when I get out of work.
I've considered selling it but I already got the dress at a decent price and I feel since I've already accounted for the loss forever ago I am feel fine donating it.
Edit: It most definitely would help you save on costs.
But I took a step back and realized that type of wedding celebration with all the thrills and frills wasn't for us, and our guests, family and friends know that. I shifted my focus on making sure we could be good hosts, provide yummy food and even yummier cake at prices we could afford.
We're doing a 2pm ceremony with a heavy appetizer, cake and punch reception following the ceremony at a very lovely reception venue a block away. We are fortunate that a friend who caters is giving us our reception food at cost as a gift to us but I had already checked into our local Sam's Club and found it wouldn't be too costly after all.
Other PPs have given you great budget tips. I also want to add that I managed to negotiate with our reception venue telling them up front that we weren't planning on a fully catered dinner reception, not having a band perform and could be in and out of the space in X amount of time so they are giving us the space for half they normally charge. It's just a thought to pass along.
There's nothing wrong with a wedding that "goes all out" just as there is nothing wrong with a wedding you may feel is just "simple." As long as you properly host your loved ones as you celebrate the start of a new life together, that's all that matters.
From a guest point of view, I would be like, what is a simple reception. What I want to know more is that if you aren't going to provide dinner that your invite says "followed by a cocktail reception" or "followed by a cake and punch reception" This gives me an idea of what to expect for food and I can plan accordingly. There is nothing wrong with a cake & punch reception or a cocktail reception, but as a guest, then I won't come starving thinking I'm getting a full dinner. I'll make sure to eat before I come, knowing I'm just getting snacks. If I know, I can come prepared and be a happy guest.
Most Protestant churches do not allow alcohol.
I belonged to one church that had a member who would cater a dinner at the church for a VERY low price! Several brides were astonished.
Call the church secretary. Find out what is available. $3000 should not be a problem for a church wedding with reception at the church. Your biggest expense will be photography.