Reception only invites - help with wording please

Thanks for the input Jennifer but this is both my and my fiance's second marriages and it's what we want. I was hoping for helpful suggestions and not to be told that what I want for MY wedding is rude.

Could you write something like, "Please join us for cocktails and dancing to celebrate our marriage"? Substituting "dinner and dancing", or "a party", of course. I've never been early to a wedding by more than 15 minutes, so if you write the time that the reception begins on the invites, maybe you'll be ok.

This is a regional thing. It is very common where I live. Jennifer, it's not helpful to be rude yourself. Emily, a few we've been invited to have the invite say something like:

"Bride and Groom invite you to celebrate their marriage

With Cocktails, Dessert and Dancing"

(followed by the date, time, location etc)

I think I would do regular invitations and just word it something similar to "....invite you to the reception celebrating our marriage..." And then on the bottom have something like this "A private wedding will precede the reception."

Thank you ladies very much for the helpful suggestions and the validation ;-) I like your suggestion Miss S about putting that a private wedding will precede the reception. I believe that most people will understand this anyways as they all know that this is my second marriage.

To give a little more background on our desires is we are looking to have a small intimate ceremony with immediate family only (my sons who are 5 and 9 will be giving me away and they are SOOOOOOO EXCITED about doing that!!! They absolutely adore my fiance!!) and we simply want all of our friends to come and have a wonderful party with us with great food, some tasty beverages and WONDERFUL company...we are going to absolutely insist on no gifts as well...we don't need anything or want anything other than the presence of our wonderful friends to help celebrate our very special day...the day I get to marry the man of my dreams!!

Thanks again so much ladies!!

<3,

Emily ;-)

Hi Emily,

Evening receptions are common in the UK (where you invite reception guests who don't come to your ceremony) so my reception invitations are as follows:

Evening Reception

Brides name

&

Grooms name

Request the pleasure of your company in the celebration of their marriage

Name of venue

Friday 23 May 2014

At 7.30pm

RSVP

This is different to my ceremony invites which 'request the honour of your presence at their wedding'

Thanks Shannon!! Another great suggestion!

Best,

E ;-)

Inviting people to the ceremony and not the reception is rude. What you're doing is perfectly acceptable - but you knew that already :-)

I would call it a celebration of your marriage.

Good luck!

Thanks Paris!! ;-) I like that suggestion as well!! You ladies rock!!! ;-)

How far apart are the wedding and ceremony? My only worry would be that a guest would arrive a half hour early and then have to wait around until the ceremony ends.

I'm actually thinking of spreading out the ceremony and reception a bit more...so we'll have the ceremony at say 4 (should only take tops maybe 20 minutes) then start the reception at say 6...that would give us plenty of time to get pics done as well and we'll be ready to receive our guests as soon as the reception starts and not be distracted by anything else...good plan?

Sounds like a great plan. That way there will be no confusion with early folks arriving during the ceremony too.