Do you think inviting people to the reception but not the ceremony is rude?

Better to do it that way than to invite them to the ceremony, but not the reception.

You can just say you're having an intimate ceremony for family only. You have to really be careful about drawing the line and making sure things are "fair" if you're going to invite people to the ceremony only. For example, you say family only, make sure it's family only.

I've been invited to 2 receptions where the ceremony was extremely small. I wasn't offended :-)

If I were a guest and you said to me that the ceremony was for the family I would be alright about it, but if you opened it to family and close friends, I'd feel some type of way about being excluded.

I wanted a VERY intimate ceremony -- the JOP would have been fine for me. We only invited our closest 20-25 relatives to our ceremony. The rest of our family and friends (about 75) were invited to the reception. I heard NO complaints from guests being invited to the reception only. We did have a few guests that came to the wedding that were only invited to the reception, but it was no big deal.

I have also had many clients do the same thing. The ceremony can be a very intimate thing if you don't want EVERYONE there. Its YOUR day.

Honestly, I have a lot of clients who do intimate ceremonies before their receptions, and I think it's fine, but you have to decide who to invite and why. Just having the room isn't a good enough reason. (This is along the lines of what Roe said...) I don't think anyone would be insulted unless it got down to some friends being invited, some friends not.

Add up your family, their kids (if you're inviting them), very close friends and draw the line in the sand.

Oh yeah, I wouldn't just be drawing the line at 150 because that's what it holds...it would be a family and MAYBE really close friends type of thing.

We are doing a small family ceremony in CA, I wouldn't even ask my closest to friend to pay for a plane ticket. So we are having a reception a few months later after it has cooled off from 100s to the high 80s or low 90s (July to Sept) in Memphis. I know that I have friends that want to celebrate with me there.

No, I think this is acceptable and sometimes done in cases like yours where the chapel is just too small.

Usually it's the other way around that people have questions of. How awesome to have so many to share in your celebration. It's so easy now to do live video feeds now, so having one go to a large tv or projection screen would not be difficult at all. That would be something to consider.

I had a friend that invited me to her reception and not the ceremony. She was having a very intimate ceremony with just her immediate family; mom, dad, sisters and the same for her husband's side (no cousins, no extended aunts/uncles, no extended family at all). And everyone was else was invited to the reception later that day.

I thought that was fine.

Maybe a little? I've heard of ppl invited to ceremony and not reception, not the other way around. I guess its one thing if its a 50 person church and its all family/BP, but 150 is a lot of ppl.. Sounds like a lot of friends and such would be invited to ceremony but others not?

I think it's fine. I would keep it to just family/bridal party at the ceremony if you want to avoid hurt feelings/drama. Personlly I generaly get bored at the ceremony anyway so I would be more than okay with only being invited to the reception!

I would not be offended at all. I was at a wedding where that happened and I was fine. I think people understand.

Some people on here will say it is in bad taste .. I however DISAGREE. It's way better than the other way around. Small intimate ceremony and BIG OLE' party .. sounds fine to me.

I don't know why people have a problem w it. What about all the couples that have a courthouse wedding and then a party / reception later or at a later date?? No one ever has a problem with THAT??

We are doing the exact same thing! We are having family for the ceremony and then we are sending out a really cute card stock invite (a piece of paper divided into 4 equal parts) to our friends and it says...

The parents of

Bride Name

and

Groom Name

invite you to share in their wedding day celebration at 6:00 pm at the Paw Paw Elks Lodge.

There will be cake, dancing, free beer, free 7&7s, free screwdrivers and cash bar beyond that.

Just obviously in a cute fancy writing. If I had the invite with me, I would post a picture of it.

I don't think it is rude at all! At first i was just going to do a small intimate ceremony and just have everyone for the reception. Some people will only go to the reception anyway for food and dancing. If you want to get married in your moms church i'd totally do it and if someone doesnt like it, its your wedding not theirs

I agree, I don't think its rude at all. We are doing the same thing, our barn for the ceremony is smaller (family and very close friends, basically the wedding party people) and then we are having a reception at a hotel thats larger. I specifically worded it on the invites so that people wouldn't be hurt.

We put - The bride and groom will be married in a private ceremony. Please join us afterwards for a reception at ...blah blah.

I struggled with the whole thing as well, but then decided to go about it that way. I haven't had anyone say anything to me about it.

Wow! Danielle, I just realized that you are from the same town as me. Haven't run into a whole lot of that on here!

Many folks don't show up to the church and just the reception.

But I really like the "Please join us for the reception"

it invites them to your wedding reception without blatantly telling them YOU CAN"T COME.

Im wondering if it's not out of town, might you send two invites. Invite those close to you to the ceremony. (without a date if their date isn't close to you) and without kids. then let them bring kids/ a date to the reception. I mean, their date isn't going to be offended not getting to sit through a ceremony. (I would rather be someones date to a reception then ceremony, also kids don't have patience what kid wants to watch a borring ceremony, then the parents only have to get a sitter for an hour or 2 instead of all day and night)

Amy!!!!! HEY NOW!!!!!!! lol...

It's always acceptable to have a smaller ceremony, but if it's going to be small, it has to be small by design.