Intimate ceremony, big reception?

If you literally keep it to immediate family only, this is fine. When you start including extended family and friends, it becomes rude.

Thank you, I wasn't sure. By family I did mean immediate only, I just wanted to make sure it wouldn't be terribly rude to do so.

How would you recommend wording that on invitations?

Explain what you mean about spouses?

Jacks, I believe what she means is that her extended family, friends and their significant others can attend the celebration after the fact but just have just immediate family present for the ceremony.

I'd also send two invites.

You can totally invite just your immediate family and spouses to the ceremony and open it up to friends and family for the party.

I think that if you have less than 10-15 people at the ceremony, it's okay. Just don't invite more than that or it'll start to look like a tiered wedding, which is very rude.

As for the reception, you should invite everyone's significant other, whether they're a spouse or not. You may already know that, but some brides here don't, so I thought I'd let you know since you mentioned spouses.

My first wedding ceremony was parents and grandparents only and was followed by a big reception.

Oh I see, OK yes. Thanks MstoMrsArmstrong. I'd send two invites as well, I think. I think you can do either word of mouth or two sets of invitations.

Sorry, had to adult for a minute. Blah. What I mean is we would have immediate family (which would be 12 people) only for ceremony. Reception would be everyone, including extended family and our closest friends, and their respective SOs (not just spouses, sorry, wrong wording).

I agree with everyone else, it's ok to do an immediate family only ceremony them a bigger reception.

You can word the reception only like "Please join us for the wedding reception of so and so" or "Please join us in celebrating the marriage of so and so" or "Please join us in celebration at our wedding reception following a private ceremony..." Then you lay out the info just as you would in a normal wedding invitation with the time the reception starts and reception venue location

Thank y'all! I will be sure it's clear that invites are to celebrate our marriage after the private ceremony.