The wedding planning process for a reception-only event is essentially the same as traditional wedding planning. You can add wording that says something to the effect of, “Your presence is enough of a gift, but if you want to send something extra, you can find our registry at …” Plan Your Reception- Only Wedding

Most will want to, but you should make it clear on your wedding invitations or wedding website that gifts are not expected. If you’re a more established couple who already has everything you need, consider using your wedding gifts to raise money for your favorite charity or collect funds for your honeymoon instead.īut remember, according to wedding etiquette, guests aren’t required to bring a gift to your wedding. By hosting an intimate wedding ceremony followed by a casual party, young couples can save money on the wedding but still get all the love, support, and presents their family wants to give. We know no one throws a wedding for the gifts, but for a young couple just starting out, wedding gifts can help you stock your home and establish yourself. And you can keep the price down by doing a brunch (French toast costs much less than filet mignon), a wine and cheese-themed event, or a dessert-only reception. You can also choose to have a barn, beach, or backyard wedding reception. You can also choose not to have a wedding party - although you may still want to ask some of your closest friends to give speeches. If you’re looking for something less traditional, a reception- only wedding allows you to ditch the formal wedding dress in favor of a white cocktail dress or a summery maxi dress. Incorporate your favorite wedding reception ideas. The point of the reception is to celebrate your marriage, so you can make the event as casual as yard games in your backyard or as formal as a sit-down dinner and dancing at a traditional wedding venue. If you had a casual elopement, you can keep that atmosphere going with your reception- only wedding. Wedding etiquette doesn’t dictate how long after your marriage you can host a reception, so you can even throw a reception- only wedding on a milestone anniversary, like your one-year, five-year, or 50-year celebration. Whether you chose elopement because of your destination dreams, family matters, an international pandemic, or another reason, a post-elopement reception allows you to celebrate your nuptials.Įven if you eloped several years ago, you can still have the party you missed whenever you’re ready. There are a lot of reasons why couples elope, and it’s not always because they didn’t want a party. You could also hold your reception weeks, months, or years after you made your marriage official. You could have your ceremony on the meaningful day, and host your reception on a Saturday so everyone can celebrate. Let’s say you and your partner want to tie the knot on a date that’s meaningful to you, but that date happens to fall on a Tuesday - not exactly a big party day. Plus, a reception- only wedding gives you flexibility with your dates. You can celebrate with them at a later date thanks to the separate reception. You can hold a private ceremony for just you and your partner (plus an officiant and a witness), or you can host a small ceremony or micro wedding with only immediate family.Ī separate ceremony also allows you to have your dream destination wedding - even if most of your loved ones can’t make it. Do Your Ceremony Your WayĪ reception- only wedding gives you more freedom when you plan your ceremony. We’re sure you have your own reasons for going the reception-only route, but if you want to make the most of this non-tradition, take advantage of as many of these benefits as possible. There are a lot of benefits to bucking the traditional wedding day and narrowing your wedding celebration down to just a reception.

Emcee send off wedding script