This is the 2nd time around for me and my fiance', and so we both want a fairly small wedding, there will be 26 people , including us two. we are getting married at a hotel at 2pm, then drinks to follow while the photos are being taken, then we will sit down to eat at 4pm. We are having ipod music played through the hotels speaker system, just gentle background music. then we will cut the wedding cake and all that paraphernalia. but with the best will in the world we cannot get a party started with 26 people! so we have decided that it will just be the ceremony and the meal, which will end around 7pm ish. There really isnt much point in hiring a DJ for dancing etc as there are so few people. But how do i let people know that its just an afternoon ceremony followed by a meal? how would i word that on the invitations? I have seen and read in a couple of US forums that its pretty normal not to have an evening reception, but here in England its pretty much expected that there will be dancing and a buffet for the the evening guests.
We really are looking forward to having a small wedding, one where we can actually mingle, and really talk to all the guests, but i dont want there to be awkwardness.
I can resist anything but temptation
CommentAuthorMrs Badger
We aren't having an evening reception at all. We are getting married early in the day then having an afternoon reception, which will be informal and we are having around 30 guests. I have been wondering how to tell the guests without having to write 'no evening reception on the invites'. Maybe just put on the invites that the ceremony will be followed by a meal and just not mention it? xx
Now a Mrs!
"..I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand
with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of
of a woman. You're the one..."
CommentAuthorOWB
What about - "celebrations will conclude at 7 o'clock", keep it simple. Or "Bride and groom to depart at 7pm", or the old school way " please arrange for carriages at 7pm"
If only life could be one long tea break
CommentAuthorRaggedyAnne
Thank you for those ideas, they sound pretty good/ i actually dont mind if they dont go home straight away. we are staying at the hotel, and if anyone wants to hang around the bar with us then that'd be great, but the 'wedding' will be over as such. mind you i think we will feel responsible for providing them with more food if they stay, and thats fine really, because i was also thinking that if they stayed behind after the wedding, until late, then we could actually get the hotel to provide platters or bar meals or something? and i would pay for those, i dont think they will be too expensive. we are seeing the hotel caterer this saturday so i will know more then.
I can resist anything but temptation
CommentAuthorOWB
Maybe you could put something along the lines of "Official celebrations will conclude at 7pm, however you are more than welcome to stay behind and join us in the bar for drinks afterwards" - perhaps word it a little better.
platters and drinks at the bar sounds like a good idea and would suit the informal style if people stay on. xx
Now a Mrs!
"..I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand
with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of
of a woman. You're the one..."
CommentAuthormym72
We had a small wedding - 19 altogether including us. We got married at 2.45pm, had the reception at about 4pm (3 course meal) - and by the time we'd finished it was around 6.30ish. We all then went into the hotel bar and stayed there for the rest of the night (we took our cards etc back to our hotel room first, and so we could have some time together before meeting guests again for the evening).
Our hotel had 2 wedding parties in, but we'd been told that we could play our own music (we made 2 compilation CD's) and that there was a late bar as well. All our guests stayed til the end and really enjoyed themselves. Even though we didn't get a DJ, we had a dance - and because it was so intimate we could give time to everyone and managed to chat to all the guests.
Maybe have a word with your hotel - it may be that you can have your own music etc. No doubt the hotel will be used to this situation and can give you some advice. And your guests might want to stay longer. You can definitely have a good time even without a DJ etc.
CommentAuthorRaggedyAnne
edited
Thank you for your great suggestions, and mym72........my wedding sounds like a carbon copy of yours! :)
I can resist anything but temptation
CommentAuthorLittleMissBossy
Could you put on your invite after the time of the ceremony - followed by food and a good chst/natter/banter - along those lines.
I am not English so to me this is not so unusual that guests won't have the possibility to dance - at my own wedding there will be a bit of dancing for h2bs families sake. My family has already voiced that they don't need this. They rather sit or mingle and chat.
It’s so great to find that one special person
you want to annoy for the rest of your life....
CommentAuthorRaggedyAnne
@ littlemissbossy, I too would much prefer to mingle and chat rather than having a deafening DJ and dancing, then at the end of the night, saying goodbye to guests and realising i hadnt had the time to really talk to them. a small and friendly wedding is what we really want and sounds so lovely when i read of all those weddings on here, and how it made people feel afterwards, so much more welcoming. i have been to huge weddings, and bless them, they barely had time for 2 minutes chat, but they had so many people to talk to they couldnt help it, thats not something i wanted.
I can resist anything but temptation
CommentAuthorLittleMissBossy
I'm with you on this - it's not something I want either. I like our solution - music will come from a laptop and if someone wants a boogie they can but it won't be overpowering. After all this will be the only time our extended families have the chance to get to know each other - and that's what I want them to do! :-)
It’s so great to find that one special person
you want to annoy for the rest of your life....
CommentAuthorMrs Badger
same here, we planned our wedding in most part around the fact that we do not dance and didn't want a dj. xx
Now a Mrs!
"..I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand
with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of
of a woman. You're the one..."
CommentAuthorRaggedyAnne
Went to sort out the details today with the venue's wedding co-ordinator......I love her she is brilliant, and makes me feel like she is excited about our wedding. Of course she isnt....but her professionalism makes us believe that.
Anyway we are all sorted and waiting for the day....
We will arrive at the hotel at 3.00 and have welcome drinks served. Then we will go and have photos taken in the hotel grounds and inside. Then we will be called into our room for the meal. After the meal is over the room will still be ours to use til 12.00, but we can come and go as we please into the bar in the next room. and our guests will stay with us until they want to leave. Anyone feeling hungry later will be provided for and we will pay the bill. They can order from the bar and either sit in the bar, on the terrace, ot in the dining room.....
Our guests are free to roam where ever they choose.
I am so looking forward to it. The numbers have shrunk a bit since I started this thread, but I think the numbers we have will stay that number. We have 18 + 1 baby. and that number includes me and H2B......
