How would you feel about being invited to a "just married" party?

I think thats a fantastic idea! its a refreshing change, but still a celebration for everyone

My cousin is getting married in March and having literally a 5 person destination wedding. Then he's having a reception back home in the summer. I think it's a really great idea!

I would attend but still feel obligated to bring a gift

Great idea!

How long after the wedding will you have the party? Is it the same day, the next day, the next week? What would you wear? Would you have a cake? Those are just my questions b/c I'm nosy.

I remember from your other posts that you were trying to work through budget issues. I think this sounds like a totally perfect solution for you guys! You have lots of options for the invitations too - you could keep it super casual like an Evite, or you could do a nice paper party invitation. Either way would work just fine.

I'd be thrilled to come over and celebrate with you, and I would totally bring you a gift b/c I want to, not b/c I'd feel obligated to. Don't say "no gifts please" or anything, just don't mention it and let people do what they want.

Yay!

I was thinking of putting something small on the invitation that said "Your present is the best present" ? That way people don't feel obligated to get a $200 blender, although, I'm sure some people may drop off $20 gift cards or something. Relatives will most likely just ignore it and buy the kitchen sink. :p Basically I just don't want anyone to feel obligated to get a fancy gift because it's not a formal wedding reception.

@Kris S.

I might wear just a reception dress, probably a short white dress, but not my actual wedding dress.

I'm not sure how long after the wedding. Perhaps a month later? We won't get back from the honeymoon about a week after. Then I'd want a couple weeks to relax and enjoy married life. Then the next week I suppose that's when we get everything together for the party. I also want enough time to get pictures and video in time for the party.

I didn't think about the cake. We might get a cheap cake and do a fun cake cutting for kicks. That might be fun

Are you sending the invites prior to your wedding or after you get back from the honeymoon? I am asking bc I think if you send them prior you can say you will be married in a private ceremony but wish to share in the celebration at an informal gathering ect. This way people aren't getting it afterwards feeling hurt bc they weren't included in your ceremony.Love all your ideas but I am with Kris- don't mention anything gift wise, let people do what they wish.

I was thinking of doing something along those lines when i was planning a DW. I dont see any problem with it!

@Ginny - I think we'll be sending the invitations a day or two before the wedding so it will arrive shortly after we're married. We are also considering e-vites for tech savvy friends and phone calls for non-techy relatives.

So far, some friends already know that I want a family-only ceremony so they don't really expect to be at the wedding. I haven't designed the invitation yet, but I think it will say something like "Just Married" at the top. I did plan on saying something along the lines of "____ married at a private ceremony.... We'd love for you to celebrate with us at _____."

I will now skip mentioning gifts. I read somewhere that it's rude to expect people to bring gifts at a "reception only" event, but if we're not asking for any I guess that's the same thing as not expecting.

Great advice, thanks!

This is what I wanted to do but it blew up into a full reception when we get home. I loved this idea and no one in my family is offended by it. It went over way better than I thought it would!

"Your presence is present enough" Great idea!

"Your presence is present enough" Great idea!

What an excellent idea! Mind if I use it? :-) I have been trying to figure out how to have a nice intimate ceremony and reception w/o offending any of our friends /c I truly onlhy want family and extended family. This is the perfect solution! It helps trim the budget and include everyone we want to include

Oohhh!! I didn't think about this, and love the idea! I was wondering how not to offend everyone that probably wanted to be invited, but due to our budget restraints, can't be invited to our wedding cruise. It is a FABULOUS idea and hope you don't mind that I just might steal it!!

Please steal away! I saw this idea somewhere, I don't remember where, so it's not original, lol. I'd be happy to see other's doing the same thing so we're not the only ones

I like this idea we are doing the exact same thing this year.

I love the idea! We were all about a totally laid back wedding. It's why we did a DW.

I would not mention gifts at all in your invitations. Imho, doing so is prumptuous. If asked, you should say, "Your prescence is present enough."

Sounds really cool! I would love to go to something like that!

I think that's an amazing idea and something we would have done had we gone with a courthouse wedding

We are doing something similar. I'm from Minnesota, FH is from Ohio and we met in Chicago. We are having a small, immediate family/wedding party only ceremony and reception in Indiana, about an hour outside Chicago. The following weekend we are having a bbq in Ohio with his friends and family and in August we're having a bbq in Minnesota for mine. For my family at least (since we have time to send something out) we're going to send out invites that say "We're Married! Come celebrate with us!" with a few of our wedding pictures. It's going to be informal and fun and I absolutely don't expect any gifts (though with as many aunts and uncles as we have I can't imagine they would listen to us). I think it would be fun! Nobody has to sit through the boring ceremony then hahaha!