Invitation and website wording for reception

If it’s at the same location, isn’t it easier to invite everyone to both? You don’t pay per person for the ceremony and you have enough space anyway.

I have no clue how you would word that honestly for the above reasons. Best of luck!

I would make the main invitation for the reception, and the wording can be "Please join us for the reception celebrating the marriage of _ and _" or something like that! It will be clear to your guests that they are being invited to come celebrate with you, but that it is not a ceremony. If guests ask you about it or seem to not get it, you can politely say that you're having very intimate ceremony but you can't wait to celebrate with them at the reception!

Then I would include an insert just for the guests invited to the ceremony with the ceremony details.

I personally think inviting them to the reception, but not the ceremony is rather rude and like Michelle pointed out you don't pay per person for guests to attend the ceremony so I have no idea why you wouldn't include everyone. I also don't know of a nice way to word that they can attend one, but not the other. If you still proceed with this plan, I would send separate invites and I wouldn't mention it on your website otherwise it is going to make it even more obvious that some guests you consider important enough to actually witness your union, but others you don't.

View Quoted Comment Thank you ladies. This was really my FH and my mom's idea. I don't mind either way since the majority of my side of the guest list is family anyway

View Quoted Comment

Is there a reason they want to exclude people? I know my husband had originally wanted to get married at a location that only about 10 people would've been able to attend the ceremony then he wanted to do a larger reception, but a lot of our friends and family were extremely hurt by this idea.

View Quoted Comment I really don't know. His brother did the same for his wedding. And I'm really not sure why my mom suggested it as well. Lol

View Quoted Comment Well I hope if you decide to proceed with this plan which I strongly advise against that you don't end up hurting or offending anyone in the process.

View Quoted Comment Right! Gotta think about this more

View Quoted Comment Either way I hope it all works out and you have a beautiful wedding ☺️

This seems super complicated if they’re at the same place. I’ve heard of a small private ceremony elsewhere, but if it’s all at the same location, you run the risk of guests arriving early, which is likely to lead to a lot of confusion on their part (they may think they were late, or they may be upset about having been excluded) or an interruption if they walk right in

If you go that route, please make it clear to the guests who are reception only, that they’re only invited to the reception. It’s been horribly awkward to roll up for a wedding and realize you’re not actually there for the whole thing, just the party part.