Intimate ceremony, dinner, family celebration a month later - help!

I know someone that did this. I wasn't a close friend of theirs so I didn't care but I know some of my friends that were close to the bride were a little hurt they weren't invited to the wedding. Then again, she got engaged and then married in a two week span! I wouldn't consider it necessarily normal but it's not like it hasn't been done.

We are doing something similar. Getting married at the courthouse on a Friday with just our parents and siblings. Then the next day my dad rented a hall and we are having all of our friends and family there to celebrate.

We did it this way for two reasons. I really don't want to be the center of attention... I am shy and honestly still freaking out that about 10 people will see us get married.. Lol!! The other reason was money. We were able to save on all the costs of a ceremony and we are making our reception the next day a casual bbq style event. It's exactly what I wanted and I think you should do whatever makes you happy!!

My friends and family are over 1000 miles away so the small reception after the ceremony is in essence celebrating with our parents and local friends and then the larger celebration a few months later will capture those that live further away.

I've helped plan something like this for a girlfriend of mine. We did a small ceremony, dinner reception with family/ friends. Then we did a bigger, more open house style reception for a lot of friends and extended family later. We did dessert and champagne-- people could come and drop by whenever they wanted, and we just had a cute dessert bar, italian soda bar, and champagne for everyone. It was casual, easy, and a great way to accommodate such a large group. Since most of those people weren't there for the wedding, it was a nice way to celebrate with people.

I will do something similar. We are having small intimate wedding in September with just family of ours .Ceremony and nice dinner with 6 people. A week after we will host a dinner for other family/friends. They live 4 hours drive and we found easier to come there and have a dinner in their town.

The son of a friend got married & had a reception out-of-state.

Then his parents hosted a reception here and we were invited to it. The bride wore her gown and the groom wore a tux. They did not re-enact the ceremony.

We do very small ceremonies all the time, but I don't really get the 10 to the ceremony, 30 to the dinner, 100 to the party thing. First, it seems like way too much work and expense. Is there a reason all 30 can't come to the ceremony? That would sorta make sense.

Left to my own devices, I'd do a tiny teeny ceremony with all of those people invited to dinner, then a casual celebration later on, with no ceremony and no tux/gown.