Inviting guests to ceremony but not the reception?
My fiancee's guest list is very large, mostly due to a large number of business associates, clients, etc. There are also many members of our church whom we would like to invite to our wedding, but we don't have the budget to invite all of these people to the reception.
Is is acceptable to send a 'ceremony only' invitation to invite guests to the ceremony, but not include them in the reception? I am uncomfortable with this idea, but my fiancee sees it as the only option.
We could have a 'cake and punch' reception for church members 2 weeks after the wedding. What about the business friends?
HELP! I need to order invitations and don't want to offend anyone.
Etiquette Now
WEDDING ETIQUETTE EXPERT
Sep 22, 2005, 11:19 AM
Post #2 of 2
(1836 views)
Re: [november bride] Inviting guests to ceremony but not the reception?
[In reply to]
Dear Only the Ceremony,
It isn't polite to invite guests to the wedding and not the reception. A wedding is a gift giving event, but the reception is not. So, it is as if these guests were good enough to invite to the gift giving event, but not good enough for us to spend money on.
It is often best to avoid inviting business associates unless they are very close. This is because at times it could appear as apple polishing, especially if these people are higher ranking. (I teach business etiquette also). So, this could lower his guest list number if he omits them
Also, often an open church wedding will include a cake and beverage reception. But, this is typically church members and family--very few friends. This may be followed with a very small family only dinner. So, this is not an socially acceptable option for you.
Your only option is to cut your guest list or to host the reception that you can afford for all of your guests.
Inviting guests to ceremony but not the reception?
