Intimate wedding and dinner reception

I'd love to do something like this....

Soooooooo happy for you!

So glad you found a way to cut out the stress and the drama! I don't have experience with intimate weddings, but I would ask your officiant if they typically come to receptions; ours does not and we cleared that up in our first meeting. I hope all goes well, can't wait to see your BAM!

Glad you figured all this out, MrsVoegs!

We are inviting our officiant for dinner but he is also friends with some of the guests at the wedding so it's not going to be too awkward for him.

@Sonia, we were having so many issues with our budget and guest list that we decided this was the best route, and I'm so happy with our decision. Not only are we going to be within our budget, but we will be saving money that we can use towards our honeymoon, and the most important people to us will be there.

@Mrs., no, we do not know her outside of her being our officiant.

@Nonna, thanks!! I'm so happy too and feel so much less stressed!

I had something similar to this- except we actually rented a venue and had a catering company- I had a hard time finding the right restaurant that could host 30 people. it was like 15 was enough- and 30 was too small- and 75 was the next jump up for food/beverage minimums.

this was mine- we had 29 guests and 26 stayed for dinner.

The story is long and dreary- but I needed to sort of get it off my chest- so you don't have to read it. but the pictures show a fair bit.

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/bam-bishes-bam/eab6641a4ef685dd.html

I think it wasn't "perfect" but it was perfect for us- and it was a beautiful event.

@Jo, I looked through your BAM just a few minutes ago, and it looked incredible! You looked so beautiful and I love that your dress was black. Also, my mom is a huge Alice in Chains fan so that picture with the light bulbs is pretty cool to see!

ETA: We are inviting immediate family: parents, sibs, and grandparents, and then the 8 people in our bridal party (all but 2 are couples), so there would be two plus 1s added to that. Is it okay to have a bridal party with a small intimate wedding? We're closer w/our friends than the majority of our family, and we couldn't imagine the day w/out them and want them to be a part of our big day.

This sounds so fun! I'm so happy for you!

It's completely fine to have a bridal party with an intimate wedding. Unless the extra expenses of a bridal party or the "look" will bother you, I don't see why it wouldn't be a good idea. If that's what you want, do it.

Yay! Glad you decided this route and are happy with it!!!

We are doing a very small ceremony. Us, our kids, our siblings their so and children, our parents and grandparents. Thats it. Still deciding on the reception plans.

Fantastic! What a relief! I'm glad this worked out for you, and I know it will be lovely.

We do a lot of weddings for groups between 15-50 guests. (I have a great list of venues for anyone in NJ or NY.) Some of them have small wedding parties, some couples don't. Most have a photographer, most have some kind of music (non-dj music), pretty dresses and nice suits and personal flowers. I love them!

@Celia, thanks! I am SO relieved and excited.

On top of it, I just talked with the florist at a grocery store in town and I can get all of my flowers done for under $150, including bouquets, bouts, and a few extra flowers to decorate the ceremony with. So happy!

We are doing the same except doing an earlier ceremony and having a 55 person lunch reception at our favorite restaurant. The stress is minimal, the ceremony and reception will be intimate, and I CAN'T tell you how many people have said they wished they did it like this.

@Carissa, sounds lovely! Lucky us, we will be two of those people who don't have to wish we did it like this.

We are having a small wedding ~75 or less depending on who RSVP

Having a small 30 (only 20 adults, 10 kiddos - immediate families and 4 of our closest friends) person wedding. Ceremony and luncheon afterwards. Private room at a historic fun place that only had an F&B min, no site fee.

No wedding party. Photographer.

Working on flowers - it's tricky because I"m in FL and we are getting married in Nashville.

Bought tix to the Grand Ol Opry as our "after party" for 8 of us that evening.

Debating on whether I'll keep my dress on all eve

We're doing something very similar - 35 invited guests, 35 minute city hall ceremony (the room can fit all of our guests comfortably - that's it in my avatar photo), very nice lunch in a private dining room at a trendy restaurant in East London, then moving on to a few other venues throughout the day (transport will be provided) including a British tea room and a Mexican restaurant (that does upscale "steet" food). The guests are our immediate families and closest friends who are all really excited to just spend a day eating (and drinking!) across London.

Because we're doing it at a city hall, the two officials will be there all day doing other weddings after ours, so we don't need to invite them. The only vendor we need to feed is our photographer (and her second shooter) but they will be with us pretty much all day, plus all day for our engagement shoot, so they won't be total strangers.

ETA - The part of my post got cut off!