2nd Wedding Reception for Grooms home town

If it's a second reception two weeks after the actual wedding, I don't really feel like you need a "send-off."

Why do you need a second reception? Call it a party and call it a day, no send off required.

You don't have to do a send off. People just...go home.

The send-off thing is growing in popularity (sparkler send offs). You don't need one. You send your printed invitations announcing that the couple exchanged wedding vows on whatever date and that they are hosting a celebration of their marriage. Give the place, date, and note the start time and end time. People will naturally begin to pack it in about a half an hour before the official end time. Once a handful leave, you'll see the exodus begin. Really, you don't have to sweat it. Besides, if you're having an open bar, the last call will send the message that the party is winding down.

Don't do it. Keep the orchestrated moments to a minimum; toast, possibly, that's it.

Plenty of couples get married in other states. The second party, when it even exists, shouldn't echo the first. Keep it simple.

IMO send offs are just for pics mostly. I have literally never seen one done. These days pintrest makes people think they have to have all of these elements that most normal people just don't do. In fact, in my experience the couple is usually among the last to leave. In order to do a send off they have to leave before everyone else and it just seems sad to miss the rest of the fun to me. (I mean, to each their own, it just seems staged to me.) Plus, with this being essentially like an at home reception for a DW I don't think anyone will expect anything like this. Most people know a lot of the traditional elements don't happen at these type of events.

@Lisa ~ Send-offs are fun, but certainly not necessary! I've done a lot of sparkler exits lately ... only to then meet up with the couple at the nearby bar for an after-party . So they never really went anywhere ~ it's a fun photographic moment to signal the end of the reception that could simply be done by announcement, etc.

Don't overthink it~ it sounds like a natural end to this celebration might be perfect.

Also, welcome to the WeddingWire Community, @Lisa!! Thrilled to have you here chatting with us

Thanks everybody for their posts… I'm one of those weirdos that always tries to make sure everything is just right… So yes sometimes I do overanalyze… I'm going to go with your suggestion and hope that everybody knows when it's time to go is slowly leave… We won't have an open bar so those that want to drink will probably go somewhere else later… LOL… We are doing the super long sparklers for the first reception… My daughter did hers and it made the most beautiful pictures and everybody had fun… But yes we weren't even planning on doing sparklers for the second reception… Thanks again for all your help and for letting me know it's OK not to plan a special send…

Why aren't you attending the wedding?

It's actually traditional to have the wedding and one reception in the bride's home town, and then a separate reception in the groom's home town, if the two didn't grow up in the same town. The idea is that it's much easier for just two people to fly between the two towns than for all the wedding guests from one side of the family to do so.

The tradition is less commonly followed these days, in part because it is much more common for the couple already to be living (and planning the wedding) in a town that is neither the bride's nor the groom's home town. Also, with families more spread out, it's more likely that guests would have to travel even if you had receptions in two towns.

However, it's certainly not objectionable to follow the older pattern. It may make sense if most of the bride's family and friends are in her home town, and most of the groom's family and friends are in his. My son actually did the opposite: the wedding was here in his home town (where the couple lives), but there was a separate reception back in the bride's home town to accommodate her very large family that still lives there.

But the second reception can be a more low-key affair. The couple has presumably already had the first dance, send-off, etc. The idea is just to introduce the newly married couple to all the people who weren't in a position to travel across the country to be at the actual wedding.

Thanks @MrsCK!!

@2d bride and OP, it seems rude that the groom's family would skip the bride and groom's reception and then host their own. I've never heard of such a thing. Who cares if you have to travel?

I don't see anything in OP's posts indicating she's not attending the actual wedding, anna... love the new avatar by the way

We are also doing a second reception in my FHs hometown. I agree with the ladies above, keep the pomp and circumstance to a minimum. We are treating it more like a party.

Anna, it is pretty common and I don't think she means she's not going. Often if they are in two different states the immediate family of the groom will go and then there will be a second one for friends and family that you grew up with but might not be close enough for a $400 plane ticket (or simply might not be able to afford it). It might also help keep costs down for the ceremony and reception if the groom has a long guest list.

Yeah, in my son's case, the bride's parents and sister attended the wedding. But rather than have the rest of her large extended family fly out here, there was a separate party back in her home town.

As for who cares if you have to travel, there are a lot of people for whom $1,000 or more for two airline tickets plus hotel rooms would be such a budget buster that they couldn't attend, no matter how much they wanted to.

I guess the only thing to consider with this is that for many people the most important part of a wedding is getting to see you actually get married. A good friend had a private wedding and then two different receptions in two distinct states (not including the reception that followed her immediate reception). I still would have had to spend quite a bit of money to travel, and frankly, it felt strange celebrating her wedding when none of us were actually invited to see her to get married. Do what is right for you, but keep the feel of the 2nd reception more low key.

LOL… All of your comments are starting to get funny… I'm not being rude by not attending my sons wedding… He is getting married in Orlando, Fl where his fiancé's family lives… The wedding will be there and the reception following… Two weeks later after their honeymoon we will have a reception here in Louisiana were all of his friends and family are… A lot of people can't travel 12 hours for a wedding… Lots of church family and his old school friends… so that is why we are having a second reception… Which is not that uncommon… I have heard of it often

We will be doing something similar as our wedding in June is in my hometown and then probably in July have more of a party in his hometown which is 4 hours away. His immediate family is invited(grand parents, aunts uncles, and cousins, and also a few close family friends) but not the extended family. So we liked the idea of encorporatibg everyone and also if others are not able to attend/ travel to the reception that they can attended the "party"

@Lisa, don't mind the rude posters ..it's the time of year when people get a little round up.

2nd receptions are not rude , they are not "gift grabby" either. 2nd receptions are simply receptions for a side of family that lives far from the wedding location.

Jewish couples commonly do this all the time. In fact , it's custom to celebrate for the whole week of your wedding. Weddings for traditional couples ARE a BIG deal to families and everyone wants to attend and celebrate with the couple.

So go big or little Lisa on the 2nd reception ..it's your wedding ! If you want to do the send off ..go ahead and do it !!!

Does anyone have any suggestions to wording for the invitation for this type of party? Our son got married two weeks ago and I am planning a party at our home to honor them in our hometown at the end of this month since very few of our friends and family were able to attend the wedding. Everything that I see is for couples who have eloped.

Thanks!