Wedding with delayed reception - how to word this...
So, I got engaged, and I've never been one for the real princess wedding. I wanted to get married in December (this December), to take advantage of the holiday vacation time, tax break, and just because we don't want to live together until we're married, so while I'm not really trying to rush into it, I'm also not willing to wait forever - it's such a pain having to go to each other's houses. My mom and sisters pushed back quite a bit, concerned that with the holiday season, fewer of my friends and relatives would be able to attend. So, my mom came up with a great solution - have the wedding in December (a simple civil ceremony at the courthouse - parents and siblings only, then a dinner out at a restaurant), and the reception in Feburary (after the holiday season, but before my sister is has her baby).
So, what I'm wondering is how to word this in the invitations (what am I inviting them to; do I send out a wedding announcement for the December wedding?)?
Also, I was figuring on having a ceremony in the Feb. reception - just thinking that my grandparents and everyone would want to see us say I Do. Is this appropriate? I'm not thinking of anything long (non-religious), but just something so they can say they did see the vows.
Any ideas here? I'm loving the idea of having the reception and the legal wedding separate - it makes it so much easier not to have everything on one day, but it leads to some problems as well, and I want to make my family happy with the reception - to me, that's the whole reason to throw one. The civil wedding is just where the paperwork gets done.
Thanks.
Etiquette Now
WEDDING ETIQUETTE EXPERT
Oct 7, 2004, 9:28 PM
Post #2 of 3
(2186 views)
Re: [SusanStoHelit] Wedding with delayed reception - how to word this...
[In reply to]
Dear Wedding/Delayed Reception,
What you want to plan is a reaffirmation celebration with a reception to follow. You can have a reaffirmation of your vows at any time after your wedding. The ceremony can be as simple or as elaborate as you wish. Here is an example of an invitation: The honour of your presence is requested at the reaffirmation of the wedding vows of Mr. and Mrs. Your name, the date, the time, the location, Reception immediately following ....
You would want to mail announcements immediately after the legal ceremony in December. And, because you are inviting your guests to a reaffirmation, you would have to wait until you are married to mail these out.
Wedding with delayed reception - how to word this...
