Cute ideas for a small, unconventional marriage ceremony?

If some family member convinced you to have a wedding, then ask those family members to help you out. If it wasn't for them, you would have eloped, but you opted for a small civil wedding. Even if they wanted the big wedding and since it didn't happen but the small one is going happen, why can't they help out if they put the stress on you in the first place? We're just saying don't stress over something you can't afford. It's your wedding, not your families. We don't mean to stress you out more. It just don't make sense to stress over something that seems won't happen the way you hope. Just say you are having a small ceremony and they are more than welcome to come and watch, if not thats fine if so great! Then say you and your new husband aren't planning on having any type of celebration immediately after for anyone, but you may grab a bite to eat and they are welcome to join you if they are hungry, but the actual celebration isn't going to be for another couple months. So, it is not a reception meal, its just a regular meal and you wish you can afford a nice small reception meal but you can't afford to pay a big meal, just what you and your husband are going to eat is all you can afford. That way you let them know you can't afford it now, but you wouldn't mind their company. And just remind them when and if you do go out to eat that you appreciate them being there and you can't wait until you can afford to celebrate with them. This way it sounds simple and its just a regular meal after you get married.

I love that. Thats a really nice and polite way to put it thats exactly what it is, its just a meal. Celebration/vow renewals will be later.

I did want to still give a thank you gift or card or something. Maybe some cute baggies with personalized hersheys kisses in them?

It would be like a "thanks for being a part of our special day" type thing. Something they can take home with them

Hmmm… yeah you can go to like the dollar tree and see if you can buy little nylon bags and put herseys kisses in them. If you're crafty you can print our labels to attach to the them (like put them on the string that ties them closed) and put your wedding date and your and your hubs monogram and put thank you! Like for example say your name is Jane and your hubbys is John put on the label "JMJ 10.25.14" and put thank you under or above. You can buy a little bowl and pick a rose and get the rose petals and place them around the bowl and put the little bags in them and place the bowl at the table you sit at, so they can just take one after they are done and it can look a little cute