Smallest wedding I can have without it being tacky?

Yeah elope. $800 is nothing for 32 people.

There is nothing wrong with have a small wedding ceremony and then taking everyone who attends out to dinner at a restaurant - where you pay for the meal and drinks.

I would limit it to just immediate family and a few friends. But 32 people at a restaurant is fine. If people are flying in from other states I would suggest this over a cake and punch reception.

ETA: Is 800$ your budget? or the price of the reception package the restaurant is offering you?

Elope in Europe! Just make sure to take a lot of photos for family!

Have a wedding you can afford and host it well. Elope and take your immediate family for a nice dinner. Plan a bigger wedding with real food and push the honeymoon. If your honeymoon is more important than hosting your guests with food and alcohol then you've already made up your mind.

$800? That's $25 a person. That's not bad.

If you're going to be selfish and want all the money for your honeymoon, why are you planning a wedding and inviting people at all? Just elope and then go to Europe.

You answered your own question.

I do think it's a little tasteless to not at least feed OOT guests, but it's not the end of the world. I'm always team food, though. Cake and punch is totally fine, but I do decline traveling to cake and punch weddings. Could you add some appetizers and not just cake?

Maybe you could take them out to dinner the night before. I find it odd to want guests, but not the financial commitment that's involved with hosting. I guess I mean to say that if you don't want to host, save yourself the hassle and elope, then go on a stellar honeymoon.

Yes, it is rude to invite OOT guests and not serve a meal. If you want to spend the money on Europe, then that is fine. But elope. If you invite guests and they are traveling in, a full meal is expected.

Cake and punch would include appetizers and beer and wine. But it sounds like we should spring for the restaurant.

We don't want to elope, we do want our families there, so it looks like we need to take the restaurant route. Thank you all!

I don't think $800 will provide food and drink for 32 people at a nice restaurant. I think you need to up your budget or elope too.

Megan, that's $25 a person, 3 different entrees, 3 sides, and appetizers delivered to our venue. I didn't include drinks or a cake in that though.

You can do four people in nj....you and two witnesses.

You need to include drinks, desert, and gratuity...I don't know your location, which is a factor, but if the budget is truly $800, then you can't do it at $25 per plate.

That's not our "budget" per se, that's just what the restaurant quoted us, which is why I didn't include alcohol and dessert, since they wouldn't be providing that.

If it is important to have your family there, you should feed them a meal. Asking them to travel and then saying you don't want to spend money on them because you would rather splurge on a vacation is rude. If no one was traveling I think your cake and punch reception could work.

800 dollars is NOTHING for 32 guests. Wow that's crazy cheap! I would either elope in Europe or just fork over the 800 bucks to host your guests well. Cake and punch won't cut it in my opinion for guests traveling out of town.

I honestly don't like cake and punch receptions anyways, I think they're okay but you can cater bbq or pasta for really cheap.

M.Hand, you sister's wedding sounds like it was lovely! A museum would be really cool.

Elope. Take the family out to dinner. Go runaway to Europe