Wedding Blog
Reading everyone’s suggestions in yesterday’s beehive for what Joyful should do (does she have to invite all of her large church ceremony guests to what she was hoping would be an intimate reception?), it sounded to me like the most popular recommendation that made the most sense was to have two separate receptions. First, a large cake and punch reception, perhaps at the church, to which all guests will be invited, and then a smaller dinner reception afterwards for close friends and family. That sounded like a really logical solution to her particular situation, so I was wondering how many people have two different receptions. And then I realized, hey, I’m essentially doing that too!! 
We’re having the wedding ceremony way upstate, immediately followed by a reception for all the wedding guests. But then a month later, in New York City (where we live, as well as most of our friends and Mr. Bluebell’s family) we’ll have a Chinese banquet to which we’ll invite all the wedding guests again, plus a lot of additional people we would have loved to have at the ceremony but couldn’t due to space limitations upstate.
This type of situation seems fairly common these days, plus a lot of people seem to be having a second reception back home after tying the knot at a destination wedding.
How did you decide to have more than one reception? Who’s paying for the extra ones if you’re having more than one?
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We’re having an extra reception because of my FFIl’s health,we’ve had to move the wedding from our city(and my hometown) to his hometown. It isn’t really an easy destination to get to and will be impractical for a lot of our friends. As for paying for it,we’re just using our original venue-we had already put down a deposit which was non-refundable,so we are applying it. And because my future in-laws felt bad about the deposits we lost on local vendors,they are replacing that money with a little extra(they can easily afford it or we wouldn’t take it). So we’ll still have a party with our friends.
We are having a rehearsal dinner for family, the wedding party and their guests on Friday followed by a rehearsal reception for all of our guests, since they are ALL from out of town.
Then on Saturday we will have our wedding and another reception.
We are having our ceremony and reception at one location with about 50-60 people but because of money restrictions we are unable to invite a lot of our friends. So we are considering having an after party/reception type thing at Jillians (its a restaurant/bowling alley/bar/game place) for all of our friends. Only we won’t be paying for food for everyone just maybe some money to get them started on games etc. More of a party then a reception but we wanted them to be able to celebrate with us.
I checked “other.” We decided, after tallying the family we’d have to invite/our parents insist need to be invited, that we just wouldn’t be comfortable hosting an even of that size (more a consideration of vision and personality than from a financial point of view.) so we broke it up. I think of the dinner the night of the wedding with a maximum of 50 people (~2 dozen of closest family from each side.) Parents on each side will both be holding separate receptions for more extended family and some family friends after the honeymoon, and we, the bridal couple are also hosting 1 or more intimately sized and lower key luncheons for our own friends.
We’re having a big reception right after the wedding in Costa Rica for all friends and family that can make it. Then we’re having a party in the backyard/barn at my in-law’s after we get back from our honeymoon for all those in this area that couldn’t make and some who could (close family and friends). We’ll show pictures from the wedding and honeymoon and probably eat a lot of pre-prepped food from Costco (like a Sam’s club for those who don’t have Costco’s in their neck of the woods) and boxed wine. Their backyard barn is awesome and my FFIL is cleaning it out over the summer so that there’s a dance floor in there for the ipod mix. Total opposite from the wedding reception, should be a blast.
I checked “other”… long story, but my grandma, who I have been acting as caregiver for a couple yrs along with my mom is currently at a healthcare facility… I’m there literally everyday and have grown so incredibly fond of so many of the residents. So many of them are excited for my wedding and wish they could come, so I told my FI that sometime after our honeymoon I want to have a minireception there for the residents. I’ll wear my dress again (how great will that be?!) and he can just wear a suit if he’d like. I also want to get at least one or two of our attendants (esp. a bridesmaid in her dress) to come along too. We’ll just have cake and maybe some punch…. but I want to decorate the room with a few balloons and put out pictures from the wedding… that way, these dear people get to feel like special guests too. 
I am having two kinda. One will be right after the ceremony for everyone. and then later we will be going out to a bar and dancing it up! The reason i am having two is b/c my dad and his family hates (and when i say hate i mean it.) my step dad and his family. But i figure since my step dad’s family doesn’t drink ill have a punch and cake standing reception and then have drinking and dancing later which is more of my dad’s and his family’s style
I wish everyone could just along for one day
We had a destination wedding, so we had a reception in the Bahamas. When we got back, we had a reception near the groom’s family in the mid-west and other reception in Colorado, where he grew up.
Actually, I’m #2, 3, and 4. We’re having the wedding in Hawaii where I’m from. Then a second reception in New York where he’s from, for family and friends who can’t come to Hawaii, and it will be a Chinese banquet.
we are having two. one right after the ceremony (in ohio were we live and my fiance’s family lives and where all our friends are), it will be desserts and dancing and everyone is invited. then a month later we will go down to GA where i am from for a second reception for family and friends who can’t travel so far. my parents are divorced an my dad is paying for the wedding and first reception and my mom is paying for the second.
Our wedding was fairly small (125) and his parents couldn’t invite everyone they wanted, so they threw us a 2nd reception about 2 weeks later.
Honestly, I wasn’t crazy about the idea and I didn’t know most of the people there. It still ended up being nice, though.
we “eloped” (it wasn’t exactly a secret), so we had dinner after the civil ceremony with those who were able to be there, here on the west coast. We’ll be having a second “wedding” next year, with a traditional reception, for everyone back home on the east coast.
I’m Jewish and my FH is Catholic. We’re having a small Catholic ceremony here (Seattle) with a reception for our local friends (buffet at a Mexican or Indian place) and then having the “big” wedding for our good friends and family in Minneapolis with a reception after that.
[...] LPC asked today if I had ever posted pictures of our Chinese banquet, held one month after our wedding in the summer of 2007, and, well, I didn’t! Sorry everyone! [...]
We are getting married in my fiance’s hometown with a reception to follow. Afterwards, we head on our honeymoon. When we get back we are planning a private dinner for my family and closest friends who could not attend the wedding. I hope to actually pay for dinner for about 20 people and have cupcakes instead of wedding cake. Oh and wear my dress twice!
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Mrs. Bluebell, New York
Age and Occupation in 07: 26, Finance Manager
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, Playing with the cat and/or Consulting
Engagement Date: December 25, 2005
Wedding Date: June 2007
Venue: Bride's family summer home in the Adirondacks
About Me: Trying to find the perfect balance between family tradition (marrying at the house everyone else in my family gets married at), making our's modern, interesting and different from everyone else in my family's, and incorporating some Chinese tradition for my Chinese fiance. I really have no idea what it's going to end up looking like!
Also, I picked Miss Bluebell for my name because I have blue eyes and I'm a loser like that.
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