Gifts for ceremony-only invite?

Nothing about that invitation is okay! Inviting guests to just the ceremony is extremely rude and gift grabby in and of itself, but to actually include a card with registry info is really bad. Mentioning the registry on a full wedding invitation is terrible enough.

If you'd have to fly internationally to get to her ceremony, she's not expecting you to come. She's only sending you an invite in hopes of you sending her a wedding present.

Give her an empty box, with a note that says the other half of the present will come when you get to attend the other half of the wedding.

Inviting people to the ceremony and not the reception is rude. Including a gift registry in your invitations is also rude (even if you were inviting the person to the reception). Your friend is trying out for the Rude Olympics here.

@Delfina haha! That would be hilarious

OMG, ridiculous. Rude, tacky AF, gift grabby, no way. Easy decline.

I probably wouldn't send a gift, not to be spiteful just because I'm on a budget and it doesn't allow for me to buy others expensive gifts, but you could send a nice card

Wait. She lives in a different country? She expects people to fly to another country only for the ceremony? That's crazy pants!

I would go to the ceremony but empty handed! or with an empty cared. I'm petty!

I was once in the same scenario. I thought they weren't having a reception. To find out I just wasn't invited. I got the hint when my other friends were talking about dropping their cars off before they headed over to hall to designate a DD. Super offensive. I haven't spoken to that girl since.

So weird. I'm curious, how is the invitation phrased? "You're invited to the ceremony only"?

@FutureMrs.Davis that must've been such an awkward position to be in. I've always wondered how ceremony-only guests feel after the ceremony, when people are talking about the reception later that night. Must be a horrible feeling. I met up with the tacky bride mentioned in my post a couple of months ago and we were excitedly talking about weddings/fairy lights at receptions, and I told her I'd probably fly over and see her next at her wedding - I guess the fact that she knew I was willing to travel overseas and yet only invited me to the ceremony speaks volumes about her character and our 'friendship.' Oh well. Cya never.

ETA: the invite says nothing about a reception afterwards. Just the church ceremony.

Decline with no gift!

Holy fuck is she rude. I can't believe she expects you to buy a flight, pay for a hotel, maybe rent a car and all to see her gift grabby ass get married.....and not invite you to the reception. I would seriously reconsider this "friendship"

Lurkers who think this is okay. It's not. You think your guests won't find out or won't care because they just want "to see you on your special day" but guess what? They will. And they won't forget.

Are you sure you are specifically not invited to the reception or did they just forget to put "reception to follow" on the invite?

I'm wondering the same thing as OAB, maybe a reception card insert was accidentally left out or they just didn't put "Reception to follow" on the invitation because they thought it was assumed.

Ewwwwww. But yeah, how do you know you aren't invited to the reception also? Does it specifically say "ceremony-only"???

Thats rude AF...I wouldn't go and definitely wouldn't be sending a gift

She didn't/wouldn't forget to include info about the reception at night. I actually spoke to another friend who wasn't invited to the reception either, and she remarked that it's weird we aren't invited but expected to bring a gift. I know she's having a dinner because we talked abt reception planning/menus when I saw her a couple months back. The ceremony I'm invited to is at about 2pm and "gelato will be served after." It'll finish at 3 ish pm tops. I'm sure it wasn't an oversight as she's asked us to RSVP to let her know if we can make the ceremony. Probably needs to know how many tubs of gelato she has to get? Or how popular she'll look with the church full of pew-warmers.

I’m invited to a ceremony only wedding and I’m absolutely not offended given she’s my child’s dance teacher. We’re close but not that close and I feel privileged to even be invited to the ceremony. I don’t think she would expect a gift but I do feel like I want to contribute to their honeymoon. They’re young, saving up for a house and babies in the future. I think it’s a nice gesture and I can afford to throw in some $ for them.