No reception after wedding invitation wording?

If you aren't having a formal reception and are just hosting a dinner to thank your guests for attending you merely write "Dinner/Lunch/Cake&Punch to follow"

Are you inviting people to the ceremony? If so you must host them in a reception of sorts afterward. You could do cake and punch if its not at a mealtime. It kind of depends on what you're planning.

First budget, then guest list, then figure out venue. From there you'll know what to put on your invitation.

At least some sort of reception, even if at the church with cookies or punch or something. Do you not want to see the people coming to see you get married?

The reception is a thank-you to your guests for coming to the ceremony. You don't have to go all-out, but a short gathering for cake and punch or SOMETHING to say thank you to the people who took time out of their day for you is important IMO. "Cake and punch to follow" or "Light hors'douvres to follow" or something similar would be appropriate.

View Quoted Comment It's barely even been discussed as an option. But we have many people in our lives knocking down any and every decision we make in regards to what we want to do so it's just an option we have on the table right now. Plus, if it so happens that we can't afford a full reception, I'd rather know ahead of time how to word everything

Ashley, we're trying to say that it's rude to invite someone to a ceremony and then not host anything afterward. If you're short on funds, you could have cake and punch, a small dinner with limited guest list, or elope.

You won't be able to find the wording you want on Google because it's rude.

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I highly recommend keeping your wedding plans between you and your FS only.

I got a lot of negative feedback from family and friends as well. Generally, if you have a shortened, non-meal time reception, you would just say "Cake and punch reception to follow"

If you're inviting guests to the ceremony, then host something small and light right afterwards. Definitely don't have to spend a crapton of money to have an nice event.

This isn't helpful in terms of your actual question but I highly suggest keeping your wedding plans between you and your FH. There seems to always be those people who have their own opinion on someone else's wedding and frankly you can't please everyone.

Definitely host some sort of reception afterward. Sorry, but no reception at all is out of the question because it’s deemed rude. I like the suggestions above, if budget is too small for a formal reception than maybe choose a non meal time and have cake and punch. Or do a morning ceremony, followed by a brunch reception (much cheaper!). Think outside the box. If budget is tight go off season, a Sunday, do morning/afternoon etc. but do not have nothing afterward. If you can’t afford any of these suggestions then I suggest you guys elope .

I would at least do a short cake and punch reception afterwards

People are going to run their mouths off at anything and everything in your life, not just your wedding. Best to ignore them. As long as you are hosting properly, the problem is theirs. They don't have to attend if they don't like it.

You do need to offer a reception of some kind. The reception serves to thank the people that attended the ceremony. "Reception" doesn't mean $50k with a DJ and crystal servingware and filet mignon. It could be dinner and drinks at a nice restaurant, cake and punch at a non-meal time, etc. Again, host properly and the people that talk crap about you don't deserve an invite in the first place.

cake of positivity

There really isn’t a great way to word that because it’s not appropriate etiquette. Normally, the bride and groom host the guests in some form after the wedding whether it’s cake and punch at the church, dinner at a restaurant, a formal reception, or even for some food at their own home. It’s not polite not to offer something to the guests. If you truly do not want to host properly, then I wouldn’t send out formal invitations. You should just ask the church to put it in their bulletin and that’s the end of it. Invite others by word of mouth and explain to them that it’s just a ceremony. People will always assume there’s some sort of reception.

View Quoted Comment Light refreshments to follow, or elope.

You must host something as PP have stated. If you have guests, you have a reception. Cut your guest list, push back the wedding date, or elope.

You need to something after your ceremony. Even if it just a short cake and punch reception at a non-meal time. However, personally if you are having a large guestlist (150+) a cake and punch reception can be perceived as gift grabby. It can look like you are trying to invite as many people as possible for super cheap in order to get lots a gifts, when you could have cut your guestlist a properly host your guests.

You won't find what you're looking for because it's rude.

The ceremony is for you and your spouse. The reception is to thank your guests for coming. You MUST have something for your guests. If you have cake and punch, then your ceremony needs to be at 2 p.m. and everything over by 4 p.m. You can't serve cake and punch at 5 or 6 or even 7 p.m. because it's meal time.

If you can't afford to host people to some type of reception, then you should elope, just the two of you. Or have a wedding with just immediate family and spring for a restaurant afterwards. Either way, every person invited to the ceremony must be hosted afterwards to something.

Everyone else pretty much covered everything. Not having money for a reception is fine, but then you should elope. If you don't want to elope then start thinking about doing a cake/punch reception, it'll be short and sweet and still meets the rules of etiquette.

You won't find anything online because no one does this. Do not discuss wedding plans with people, if they are helping you pay for it either accept it and still keep your plans to yourself or politely decline. Either way, thank your guests. Have a 1pm wedding and a cake and punch reception afterwards. If you can't afford ATLEAST cake and punch, cut your guest list. Have the wedding you can afford.

Ceremony = for you

Reception = for your guests

If you invite even one person to watch you get married it stops being about you and starts being about being a proper host and treating your guests well, which means to a reception after your ceremony. You aren't finding what you want on google because what you are proposing is incredibly rude.

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As PPs have said, you shouldn't invite people to any type of ceremony without at least treating them to dinner afterwards. There's no way to word an invitation with this because it's considered inconsiderate and rude.

HOWEVER, if you're getting a lot of backlash, you could invite your closest friends and family to a small ceremony, and then have some cake and punch at your or someone's house afterwards. It doesn't need to be a whole expensive ordeal with a hall and a DJ and a photobooth and all that stuff. It's perfectly ok to scale WAY back and host something affordable!