Skip to main content

Post content has been hidden

To unblock this content, please click here

Pancakes
Master October 2015

Same location for Ceremony & Reception - Invitation Question

Pancakes, on July 23, 2014 at 8:19 AM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 20

Our ceremony will be in the same location at the reception. It is a party center. The staff sets up the tables but puts the chairs on the dance floor for the ceremony. Then, the guests go outside for the receiving line or whatnot (I'm told this is very normal because I thought it was a little strange for guests to walk outside. I guess this part will be the equivalent of the rice/bubbles after leaving the church) and it takes under 15 minutes for all the staff to move the 200 chairs back to the tables. Then, guests come back in and start "cocktail hour" while we take family pictures (we are taking most pictures before).

So my question is - Do I include a reception card in my invitation? Normally it just has the church info on the invite, and a separate card in the envelope for reception information. Do we just put our location and say "reception to follow immediately" or something like that? Please tell me the wording you used if you had a similar situation! Thanks!

20 Comments

Latest activity by Futuremrsw, on July 24, 2014 at 6:55 AM
  • Maltese
    Master June 2015
    Maltese ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    I think you could get away with saying "reception immediately to follow." It tells your guests that they don't have to travel to another location and saves you a couple bucks on not having to buy the cards!

    • Reply
  • Nay
    Master August 2014
    Nay ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception are also in one place in three different rooms. On the bottom of our invitation we put "Adult reception to follow".

    • Reply
  • WalkerGirl
    Super August 2014
    WalkerGirl ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We did "Reception to follow immediately", and on the website made sure to indicate that they're at the same location.

    • Reply
  • Pancakes
    Master October 2015
    Pancakes ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Okay. Thanks. I was just trying to figure out what to say without writing a paragraph on the invite! We will definitely explain in detail on the website. We will probably get calls from some saying we left out our ceremony location card Smiley smile Plus since the name of our venue has "Party Center" in the name, they should get the hint! All of our friends and 80% of my family already knows the situation. But his family is scattered across the country so we don't see them. Hopefully they use the website.

    • Reply
  • RequiresSnacks
    Devoted October 2014
    RequiresSnacks ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    I put "dinner and dancing to follow". I hope people will get it!

    • Reply
  • Shamika
    VIP August 2014
    Shamika ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    On our invites we put

    ceremony and reception would be held at XYZ

    and we put the start time for each

    • Reply
  • A&G
    Master August 2014
    A&G ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    I am in the same situation. I just had the one invitation (no reception card or anything) and on the invitation I put "reception to follow" after I listed the ceremony time.

    EDIT: No one said to me "You forgot about the reception!" I guess people either checked our website, talk to our parents or are just going to show up for the ceremony and see what happens from there. You won't get that comment.

    • Reply
  • *Mrs_D*
    Master October 2014
    *Mrs_D* ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We did do a reception card, even though our ceremony and reception are at the same location. On the front of the card we put: "Reception- please join us for drinks, dinner, and dancing in the historic courthouse immediately following the ceremony." On the back of the card we listed the accommodations. We actually bought postcards from VP to use for these and they worked perfect (and were SUPER cheap!)

    Edited to add picture- The accommodation card in the bottom right corner is the one that, on the other side, lists reception information. Sorry, no picture of that side!


    • Reply
  • Jennifer
    Dedicated October 2014
    Jennifer ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    You are 100% fine either way. What I've come to realize is that 99% of the people who get invitations have no idea about wedding "etiquette" and what is "right" versus "wrong".

    I ended up doing a reception card (even though its at the same venue) because I was playing with a design and ended up falling in love with the card I made. So, that is the only reason I even have one! Smiley laugh

    • Reply
  • THE Mrs. Russell
    VIP June 2014
    THE Mrs. Russell ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    For my invites we put:

    "Ceremony will be followed by dinner, drinks, and awkward but enthusiastic dancing"

    .....yes our invites were awesome.

    • Reply
  • Lauren
    Super October 2014
    Lauren ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We just put "Reception to follow" at the bottom of our invitations. Our website has ceremony and reception location details as well. Reception to follow tells your guests that the reception and ceremony are in the same location and further details for the reception aren't needed.

    • Reply
  • Kylene
    VIP October 2014
    Kylene ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We just did "reception to follow".

    • Reply
  • Northern MN
    Master November 2014
    Northern MN ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    @Future_Mrs_D pretty invites!!

    We just put cocktail hour and reception to follow. (but as Lauren said I also have a wedding website that has most of the info on it).

    Also during the ceremony my officiant at the end is going to announce things and on the programs we are handing out it has a (sort timeline of the big events).

    • Reply
  • Emma
    Master October 2024
    Emma ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We're having everything in the same location. We just wrote down the location of the entire wedding.

    • Reply
  • Mrs2B
    VIP September 2016
    Mrs2B ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Honestly, you could put "Reception to Follow" on the bottom of your invite and that would be fine.

    • Reply
  • Kate
    Master May 2012
    Kate ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We just put the name of the church, address, and time, then next line: reception to follow.

    • Reply
  • Mrs. Holmes
    Expert November 2014
    Mrs. Holmes ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We put "Dinner reception to follow."

    • Reply
  • Munkos
    VIP September 2014
    Munkos ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    We put. "Cocktails at 4pm. Dinner and reception to follow."

    • Reply
  • E
    Dedicated May 2016
    Emily ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Reception cards are generally used when your wedding and reception is going to place at different places.You can simply mention "Reception to follow immediately" in your invite to inform guests that reception will be at the same location.

    • Reply
  • Futuremrsw
    Super October 2015
    Futuremrsw ·
    • Flag
    • Hide content

    Lol @THE Mrs. Russell!

    I havent done the invitations yet but when I do, I will probably do the same as the other posters about reception to immediately follow.

    • Reply

You voted for . Add a comment 👇

×


WeddingWire celebrates love ...and so does everyone on our site! Learn more

Rockstars

  • D
    Getting married in 07/03/2025

Groups

WeddingWire article topics