large reception invite to all, small ceremony invite to family only - how to word ceremony invite?

I've considered doing something very similar, mainly because my FH is a very introverted person, I'm the out going one with a big family and a lot of friends and family. Maybe you could do something like this...

Dad and mom bride

and

Dad and mom groom

Invite you to witness the marriage ceremony of Bride and grom

date, time and local.

Actually- I want to thank you! It's not uncommon, or rude to have a smaller ceremony and invite more guests to the reception! Most guests don't care about the ceremony anyway! They want to celebrate!

It is quite rude to do the opposite and invite people to the ceremony that can not attend the reception.

I'd do an invitation that says:

Please join us for the Private Marriage Ceremony of

Jane Smith and

John Doe

To be held

....

Reception to Follow

As far as the Reception Invite, try:

Mom and Dad,

along with FFIL and FMIL

Invite you to a Reception Celebrating the Marriage of their Children

Jane Smith and

John Doe

....

And on the bottom

Private Ceremony to be held Prior

Either 2 kinds of invites, 1 reception card

or same invites & ceremony cards.

Depends on your preference or which would cost you less.

dad and mom bride

and

dad and mom groom

are pleased to announce

Bride Middle Last

and

Groom Middle Last

will be married in a private

wedding ceremony on

Saturday, the fourth of October

two thousand fourteen

Please celebrate with us at the

reception following the ceremony

at six o'clock in the evening

Harbor view Golf Club

8710 Harbor view Club Drive

Hilliard, Ohio

-or- another way to have all guests get the same invite

dad and mom bride

and

dad and mom groom

invite you to celebrate

the marriage of their children

Bride Middle Last

and

Groom Middle Last

at the reception following

the private wedding ceremony

on Friday, the ninth of May

two thousand fourteen

at six o'clock in the evening

The Hall of Casa Monica

Four North Bend Avenue

St. Augustine, Florida

If 2 different invites.... the ones getting invited to the ceremony can have a more traditional invite with the ceremony address listed and ceremony time.

if all the same invite (wording with "private ceremony") You would not need a reception card for the reception only (that info is on the invite) You would just need wording insert for those invited to the ceremony.

Mr. and Mrs. James Anderson

and

Mr. and Mrs. Fredrick Jones

invite you to witness

the marriage uniting their children

on Saturday, the eighth of March

at three o'clock in the afternoon

St. Mark's Methodist Church

345 Bender Avenue

Canon Bridge, Missouri

I am having the exact same type of wedding.

A private civil ceremony and then a reception afterwards. we did it this way mainly due to financial reasons (ceremony is at city hall) and we put most of our budget towards the reception and party afterwards.

my invite was worded like this:

our wedding day, a new life has its start,

we'll share with eachother one life, one love

one heart

my name

&

FH name

will be married in a private ceremony

on this day at this time

please join us at the reception

following the ceremony

I sent out separate invites to certain people who are invited to the ceremony.

we havent had any people say anything bad about this way of invitation, only a few who didnt recieve the ceremony invite ask if they could still come to the ceremony.

Thank you for all the replies, this helps alot!

What about your WEDDING SHOWER (before the ceremony)? Can you invite people who are NOT invited the backyard, immediate family ceremony (but they ARE invited to a picnic reception 3 weeks later)???