My fiancee suggested me yesterday not to do a wedding reception considering our budged (2,000), we made a guest list 2 months ago & ended up with 100 guest most of them common friends, I have no family alive, just 2 uncles and a cousin all I have for family is mostly my friends, he will have his closest family (mom, sis, bro) in town that day. He suggested just family going to a nice restaurant after, I understand his point and I would like to agree with that but I also would like to spend at least some time with my friends also. If we are getting married in the beach is it OK to invite 100 people just to a ceremony? would that sound rude to them? What is the best I can offer them a public beach? can I bring cocktails? or should I just strecht 2000 into a reception?, I would like to be close to my friends that day and have them enjoy it with me even with no reception and do something nice that I will remember forever. What should I do?
2006-12-15 02:28:50 · 24 answers · asked by Marisa 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Thanks a lot...you gave great ideas..!! Thank you all
2006-12-15 03:28:24 · update #1
Depends on how well you know all these people. Some people think if they are giving you a gift they deserve some kind of a party. You could have cake and punch and just have a party with some yard games and other fun stuff like that. Make it a beach theme for the day and just have fun with it. It doesn't HAVE to be formal.
2006-12-15 02:32:34 · answer #1 · answered by Trevor 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your friends and family really care about you, they want to share your joy and not just come for a free party. It's not uncommon for the wedding and reception to have different guest lists.
Why not be upfront about your circumstances and have a big pot luck reception, providing the cake and punch or soft drinks? I've been to a wedding like that and it was like a big family get together, and the everyone seemed to have a great time. You don't have to have a meal at all, cake and punch would work, and music can be a portable stereo and CD's you like. No need to pay a fortune to an irritating DJ. Surely everyone can do the Chicken Dance without professional help!
You could even have a weiner roast and serve dogs and chips to everyone for not much money. Beach food should be fun food. I think a potluck would work well there as well.
Even the cake doesn't have to be a fancy, expensive one. Some family member or friend is bound to be a good cake baker and you could request this as a wedding gift. Wouldn't you rather share a tasty homemade cake than some overpriced bland show piece? At the beach, a simple sheet cake would be easier to manage anyway.
As for the beach, check with local officials. Some allow alcohol and some do not.
You can have a simple gathering with your friends and still have a nice meal with family.
2006-12-15 02:44:06 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't invite 200 people to a ceremony and no reception. that is just plain rude.
Yes, you can have a beach wedding for 2000 dollars. That is more than plenty. What you have to do is ASK the the owner of the beach or the city for a permit to do this. You can get married by the JOP on the beach , and have a champagne toast there. All you need is a table, a table cloth and champagne and plenty of glasses. You can take pics and socialize there for about an hour. Then you can go to your place of residence and have drinks and finger food. You can have a small weddding cake there as well, or youcan go to oru favorite restaurant and invite yoru family and closest friends to a sit down dinner, It will be elgant intimate and memorable.
Good luck
2006-12-15 03:14:24 · answer #3 · answered by Blunt 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should have some sort of reception. Keep it simple, and just have a cake and champagne. People will mingle around for a bit, eat some cake, toast your marriage, and then they'll leave. These receptions are cheap, short, and still very nice.
Just make sure that you say on the invitation "Cake and champagne reception immediately following."
Since you're on a beach, you can easily have lots of cupcakes instead of a big cake. And yes, bringing champagne shouldn't be a problem. Just put it all on a long table a little bit away from where the ceremony will be, and cover things so sand doesn't blow on the food.
2006-12-15 02:33:50 · answer #4 · answered by Pink Denial 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of beaches that allow you to have weddings and get togethers for free. The only thing is is that the space is first come first serve so have someone go and "hold" onto that space for you.
Then you can have a small reception. Fire halls near beaches are really reasonable and maybe you can have a small buffet of finger foods or something. You should be able to save a good amount of money from that.
2006-12-15 02:39:39 · answer #5 · answered by Chloe 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you could do Hor 'dourves, that way your guest have a little snack after the wedding, for an hour or so, then you and your close relatives can go to dinner somewhere, but at least you got to spend some time with friends and they dont' feel cheated out or anything... remember your guests always bring a gift, so you shouldn't leave them empty handed.
2006-12-15 03:43:03 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with your boyfriend. You should just go out with your immediate family to a nice restaurant. But you could spring for some cheap champagne and some colored plastic champagne glasses for after the wedding and have a toast with everyone else. Maybe you all can go out at a later time. It's not about a reception it is however about you getting married to the man you love and having all you loved ones witness that. if you can't afford it true friends will understand that ! enjoy and have a wonderful life....
2006-12-15 02:40:27 · answer #7 · answered by Jan l 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
When my husband and I got married earlier this year in Las Vegas, we had a very nice wedding and opted not to have a reception at the time. We went out to dinner with our very closest friends and family. We had decided to do financed to have an open house/reception on our 1 yr anniversary. Follow your heart it will make you day special.
2006-12-15 03:33:13 · answer #8 · answered by novembersnow78 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The only right answer to a question like that is: do what you want to do.
It's your wedding and nobody can tell you how to do it. It's your special moment (yours and your fiancee).
The friends that you want to be there with you, love you and are not going to judge you because you changed something in the "protocol".
If you want to do it on the beach with a limited budget I recommend the following: give some canapes with withe wine, ask a friend to bring an iPod and enjoy. Later you can go to a friends house and continue with the celebration.
Congratulations.
2006-12-15 02:41:21 · answer #9 · answered by Frost 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you don't have to have a reception...but if you do want a small gathering, just gather everyone afterwards at a restaurant, or have a gathering back at your house a few days/weeks later. I know lots of people who have ceremonies, and put off the "reception" until later in the year.
2006-12-15 02:40:17 · answer #10 · answered by should be working 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋