Two receptions?

I think if you offer both receptions to your guests, you will have a logistical nightmare. People may not understand why two receptions, may RSVP for two but show up for one, not understand the difference in formality...

It seems to me that most brides who do something of this kind decide to have dinner with family, WP and whoever else you'd like on Wednesday, and then just invite everyone else on Saturday. Obviously Wed. people will join you on Sat., but I think both you and your guests will have an easier time keeping everything straight.

That's actually a very old tradition (only slightly modified). The wedding reception proper is the one following the Wednesday ceremony, and it is mentioned on the wedding invitation itself.

The second is an "At Home Reception". Ladies used to hold "At Homes" regularly, once a week or once a month. Lady's often carried "At Home" cards, which were like visiting cards but intended to invite people to drop in at their home during certain hours. An "At Home" card had the lady's (or couple's) names centred on it with the words "At Home" printed below her name, the address in one lower corner and the times for the At Home in the other corner. At Homes, being informal drop-in type events, did not require an R.s.v.p.

Naturally, the the very first At Home of a lady's married life was rather special; and an "At Home" card would be slipped into the wedding envelope along with the invitation.

So the invitation would read something like:

Ms Jolene Kay

requests the honour of the company of

Mr and Mrs Guest

at her marriage to

Mr Todd Wonderful

seven o'clock on Wednesday the twelfth of December

two thousand and twelve

at Villa Tuscana

1915 W. Guadalupe Rd

reception immediately following the ceremony

Then on a separate smaller card, slightly larger than a business card but no bigger than a

Mr Todd Wonderful and Mrs Jolene Wonderful

AT HOME

Saturday the fifteenth of December

two o'clock until six o'clock

1234 Main Street 555-123-4567

The At Home card has the additional advantage that it tells people what you want to be called after you are married.

I love the "at home" tradition but I'm not sure a lot of people will understand it unless you have a very traditional crowd.

I would make your invitation for just the Wednesday affair.

Then maybe 2 weeks prior, send an Evite or something similar for the casual bbq/house party on Saturday.

That way people know they're separate events and you're clearly communicating the formality level of both. If you lump Saturday's house party on the Wednesday invitation, I think it's going to seem less important.

I am having a wedding reception on the day of my wedding in November with "adult reception to follow" on the invitation card. I live in GA and grew up in OH so I have a lot of guests that cannot travel to GA for the wedding so we are having a second reception in March. My FH is finishing up his degree so we have to work around his school breaks. My second cards says, " A wedding Celebration will be held on March 2nd, 2013 at 4pm XYZ venue and address. My RSVP says, " City, GA: ___ Accepts ___ Declines; City, Ohio: ___ Accepts ___ Declines." That's how I'm keeps count.

I hate my mouse. Double post. Sorry.

I think that is the best way to go. Include the reception immediately following the ceremony on the main invitation, as you have indicated. Make sure the RSVP for the main reception is perfectly clear.

Please join us for an evening of cocktails, dinner and dancing immediately following the ceremony on ___________ at ______________.

" M_____________________

_____ will delightfully attend(or something like that).

_____sadly decline.

Add another insert card that invites everyone to the Saturday shindig.

"Please join us for a casual evening of additional celebrating at_________________.

M________________________________________

_____ will be there in my casual best.

_____ sadly decline.

We did two insert cards. One was for the welcome dinner on Friday and one was for the reception on Saturday.

Thank you for all the great advice. Who knew I was so old fashioned?

Thank you Carole M. I really like that.

In the state I was just living it it was quite common for people to have a private luncheon, as they would call it, right after the ceremony. Then an open house style reception later. People do not need to rsvp for the open house. The way they did the invites was to put, "sixth and Joe are to be married on July 9th in Salt Lake City. A reception will be held in theory honor on July 12th from 5-8 pm at this address."

If people were invited to the temple/ luncheon a separate card was put in saying so. Though there normally where not rsvp card, you did that by word of mouth/online.

I think this way works only because people don't rsvp for the open boise reception

Shellie are you on your phone? I think you have some really funny autocorrect moments in there.