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How To Invite Someone To A Wedding Reception Only

When Do I Send Reception

Want an adults-only wedding? Here’s how to NOT invite kids

Like standard wedding invitations, these should be sent out six to eight weeks in advance. This allows guests just as much time to reply with a yes or no, purchase a gift off of your Zola Wedding Registry, and book travel and accommodations. While a ceremony may not be taking place, this is still a special occasion and people will need to plan ahead.

Be Clear About The Term Reception

All in all, as long as you include the term reception in your invite, you should be able to convey to guests that theyre coming for just a celebration rather than a full, traditional wedding. The term invite you to a reception celebrating our/their marriage, is pretty clear, so dont get too hung up on potential confusion. Plus, you can always direct guests to your wedding website on your invitation, which is where you can really spell things out.

This breakdown really simplifies something that may seem daunting at first. Inviting your guests to just your wedding reception is a totally acceptable thing to do, and as long as you communicate it clearly, youll be set up for success!

What Time Should I Put On The Invite

My ceremony starts at 2:00pm but I would like guests there at 1:30pm to be ready and seated for the 2:00pm start

Whatever time you put on your invite, bear in mind that most guests will know to turn up earlier and not 1 minute before the start time! Some guests could start to arrive up to 45 minutes before the start time on the invite. So, if you have put 1:30pm on an invite, then be prepared for guests to start arriving from 12:45pm onwards. If your service doesnt actually start until 2:00pm then some of your guests may have been waiting well in excess of an hour for the ceremony to start. This might be ok if the venue has refreshments, heating and WC facilities, but if your ceremony is in a more remote location such as on the beach, on a cliff, or in the woods, or if you are using an older building such as a church or a chapel where facilities might be limited, this could be an issue for guests, especially those with children or the elderly.

Most couples put the actual ceremony start time on the invite with the assumption that the vast majority of guests will know to arrive and be seated before it starts, but if you are still concerned you can simply put:

Ceremony at 2:00pm Please arrive by 1:30pm

Recommended Reading: Ways To Use Excel To Plan A Wedding

Printing Your Own Reception Program

Once you download the printable, making the program is easy. You will need a reliable printer and regular letter-sized paper or printable cardstock, as well as a count of how many programs you want to make.

  • Customize the details with your own names, dates, and other information.
  • To start, you may wish to make one printed program to be sure everything looks good and prints properly. Check over the test copy and make any adjustments.
  • Print the desired number of copies.
  • Use scissors or a paper cutter to cut the programs out.
  • Recommended Reading: Wedding Venue Comparison Spreadsheet

    Word The Cards Correctly

    Rustic Wedding Reception Invitation. Wedding Reception

    Try this sample reception-only wording, which makes it clear the couple already were married by the time the party rolled around: “Amber Davis and Peter Moore request the pleasure of your company at their wedding reception to celebrate their marriage” The ceremony card could say: “Amber Davis and Peter Moore request the pleasure of your company at their wedding ceremony

    Read Also: How To Address Wedding Invitation To Family

    When You Want To Kick Curfews To The Curb

    To allow all wedding guests, including parents, a night of relaxation and uninhibited revelry, we respectfully ask that no children attend the reception.

    We love your kids but thought you might like a night off. Adults only please!

    To give all our guests the opportunity to celebrate without having to worry about little eyes and ears, we politely request no children.

    We hope you will understand our decision to make the wedding children-free, and take the opportunity to let your hair down and celebrate in style!

    To allow all guests to relax and enjoy themselves, we have chosen to make our special day adults only. We thank you for your understanding.

    Every Single Person On Your Parents’ Guest List

    This obviously depends on your cultural practices in many traditions, everyone the newlyweds and their parents know is invited to attend. But if your guest list isn’t influenced by cultural norms, and you see names on your parents’ lists that you’re not comfortable with, it’s time to have a talk with them. Go over their list and discuss who you’re not comfortable inviting and why. While you shouldn’t feel forced to invite anyone, your parents will appreciate being able to have a few of their friends at the celebration . So figure out a compromise everyone can live with.

    You May Like: Places To Get Invitations Printed

    Wedding Guests: Invite Wedding Guests To Reception But Not Ceremony

    I recently received an invitation to a wedding reception but not the ceremony. Apparently the church is very small. Is this acceptable?

    More and more couples are opting to have intimate family ceremonies and larger receptions to include all their relatives and friends. You may feel like you’re missing out on the poignant part, but at least you’ll be there to party with the bride and groom. It is acceptable to extend an invite only to the reception. But it is never acceptable to extend an invitation only to the ceremony if you’re also having a reception.

    Make Sure Your Band Has Great Break Music

    How to Assemble Your Wedding Invitations

    Everyoneâs been to that wedding before: Just when the dance floor starts heating up, the band takes a breakand the party seems to as well. To make sure this doesnât happen at your wedding, ask potential bands how they plan to handle breaks before you hire them. Some bands will rest in shifts and split off into a smaller two- or three-piece band, while others will turn on filler music. If yours is planning on the latter, ask whether you can provide the playlist, or at least check and approve their picks before the party.

    Also Check: Fleet Farm Wedding Registry

    Home Wedding Reception : 7 Top Tips

    Youve finally decided on your venueyour homebut how in the world can you pull that off? We can help with our Home Wedding Reception 101: 7 Top Tips for a Truly Successful Event.

    The planning for your big day is well underway. Youve finalized what feels like a thousand other details. But a wedding reception at home? Where do you begin? Not to worry. These 7 tips will get you going & make your beautiful home wedding reception a reality.

    Create Separate Guest Lists

    Creating separate guest lists ensures that you can keep track of which people are attending both parts of your special day and the others who are only invited to the reception.

    Keep in mind that proper wedding etiquette says that a wedding reception invitation must be given out to everybody who attended your ceremony. Some of your ceremonial guests may skip out on the reception, but theyll appreciate the request nonetheless.

    After finalizing your separate guest lists, be prepared to stand your ground against guests who have received reception only wedding invitations. They may ask you to make an exception by including them in the ceremonial proceedings as well.

    If you alter your guest list once or twice, youre more than likely to keep going and not leave many other people who are only attending the reception.

    Dont be afraid to be honest if your guests ask why they received a wedding reception invitation instead of a ceremonial one. Theyre less likely to feel offended if you explain your reasoning, especially if its out of your control. Be sure to remind these guests that youre excited to have them during your reception.

    Read Also: A Practical Wedding Budget Spreadsheet

    Anyone Who Will Make You Happy On Your Big Day

    Weddings are governed by so many traditions and family obligations that it can be easy to forget that this day is all about you and what makes you happy. Invite anyone who would bring a smile to your face as you’re walking down the aisle: old friends you don’t get to see often, your mom’s best friend, a mentor from a old job, even a former teacher. Let your wedding truly be a celebration of you and your fiancé and your journey to “I do.”

    When Youre Including Newborns Nieces And Nephews

    Reception Only Invitations

    Children of immediate family only please.

    Respectfully, an adult occasion . Infants under 12 months welcome.

    Due to limited numbers, we hope you appreciate that children are only invited if named.

    Unfortunately we are only able to accommodate children in the wedding party at our reception.

    We wish we could include all children, but are unfortunately only able to invite immediate family.

    Due to necessity rather than choice, it is children of immediate family only. We hope you understand and enjoy your night off!

    Unfortunately due to space limitations, we are having an adults-only reception. The only children attending are those who are part of our wedding party. If anyone needs help with making arrangements for child care, please let us know and we will do our best to assist.

    Recommended Reading: How To Address A Card To A Couple

    Put Thought Into Seating

    While figuring out where everyone will sit during your wedding reception think about guests who already know each other and will get along during your reception. You and your spouse wont be as readily available to make introductions, so putting thought into where guests will sit during your wedding reception will avoid having uncomfortable guests.

    Have The Wedding Ceremony Earlier In The Day

    If youre planning both the ceremony and the reception for the same day, try to have your ceremony on the earlier side. This will give you and your intimate group of guests plenty of time to celebrate as well as provide an opportunity for you to take all the pictures you might need before you continue with your evening. Once all of your reception guests arrive, you can make your grand entrance and get straight to mingling.

    Planning the overall reception timeline correctly is also important. Make sure you allow ample time for you and your ceremony guests to arrive at the reception, ideally at the same time as the rest of the guests so the party can get started. If your reception invitation calls for a 6:30 p.m. start time, you may want to have the space ready and the bar open closer to 6 p.m., just in case guests begin to arrive a little bit early. Then the two of you can either jump right into cocktail hour or have your band or DJ introduce you formally before dinner so you can spend some time greeting the rest of your guests.

    Read Also: Wedding Planning Template Excel

    How Do We Invite Guests To Our Wedding Ceremony Only

    I am sure that this has been asked a few time before, but I cold not fine an answer, save the one where they didnt want to be polite, So here goes.

    We have a few people that wed like to invite to our wedding ceremony only for example

    Fiance has a family friend whom he grew up with and sees occasionally during his travel around town. .

    A mutual friend whom has a partner that we are not friends with and there is a chance that she will make him leave early . But wed still really like for him to come.

    Sisters ex and his new partner, seems odd I know, but my fiance went to school with this guy, and theyve been friends since before my sister was engaged to him. My fiance and I are still very good friends with him, but having him and his partner at the reception as well might cause some issues with seating.

    Are there any wording suggestion that you could offer so that we can invite these people without offending them, but remaining polite? Ultimately we would prefer to invite them to both Ceremony and Reception, but budget restraints and other aforementioned reasons make it hard.

    I appreciate any help that you might be able to offer.Thanks in advance,Melody

    Donna, Wedding Queen, President Top Wedding Sites, Inc®, a wedding planning guide, and Recent Mother of the Groom

    Hi Melody

    I so appreciate that you want to be polite!

    Melody

    Thank-you for your fast reply, kindness and honesty

    Kind Regards,

    Secrets For A Successful Wedding Reception

    6 PEOPLE NOT TO INVITE TO YOUR WEDDING | Planning A Wedding In Ghana, TIPS

    Throw an unforgettable wedding reception with these top tips!

    After your wedding ceremony, its time to celebrate your marriage with a fabulous reception. This once-in-a-lifetime party needs to be something special and youll want your guests to remember it for all the right reasons. Weve put together this guide, packed full of wedding reception ideas, that tells you how to plan the perfect party. Its time for us to share the secrets for a successful wedding reception

    Read Also: Wedding Band That Goes With Solitaire

    Use A Wedsite To Help You Make Your Point

    Even clearly written Invitations can be misunderstood, and while you can make a point to have the invitations addressed only to your friends many people assume they can bring a guest unless told otherwise.

    That’s why having a wedding website can be so incredibly useful it gives you the room to explain what’s going on, including that there are firm limitations on how many people you can have at the wedding.

    Offbeat Bride reader Amanda Soto used this language:

    Can I bring a date? We have worked really hard to create an intimate celebration that includes all of our closest family members and friends so we ask that you come solo unless we know your other half well. We will specify all guests on your invitation and of course will seat our attractive single friends together so perhaps you’ll go home with a date. We also ask that you make other arrangements for your children, as this is an adult affair. Thanks for understanding, and if you have any concerns about this please contact us directly.

    Offbeat Bride Reader STL-Keri suggested this language:

    With all the craziness that comes with a wedding, we would love to spend as much time as possible with our closest and dearest thank you for not bringing a guest.

    People Who Aren’t Supportive Of Your Marriage

    Gay, interfaith, interracial, and even marriages between young people sometimes bring out the worst in acquaintances who don’t approve of the union. People who don’t support you and your fiancé have no place on your guest list. Why allow negative energy to permeate this special day? Populate your wedding with loved ones who are excited for you, not judgmental.

    Also Check: Wedding Excel Sheets

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