Ok. So my soon to be husband is active duty military. We're set to PCS in April. We're going to elope in January to get all the "paperwork" stuff taken care of before the move; it's a nightmare moving as just a girlfriend and it will benefit us both greatly to be legally wed when we go through that process. Anyway. We understand, obviously, that this January courthouse event will be our official wedding. I'll have a dress, a maid of honor, a few pictures. However, we're keeping it very small. Both sets of parents know and aren't even flying out for it as we're really seeing it more as "admin" stuff due to the military circumstances. What we are focusing on is an actual big time exchange of vows with all our family and friends in June in our new location. We'll have much more personalized and romantic vows to exchange at that point in a much prettier location with all our family members making the trek for the event. I know that many, many people dislike the idea of a ceremony after the ceremony but this is what it is.
What I'm looking for is advice on the wording of the invitation to the vow exchange or vow renewal or marriage celebration - whatever we should call it.
Everyone on both sides knows of the elopement, so that's not a secret, I just want to somehow make it clear on the invite that we're not doing this to piss anyone off but that we're doing this because the USAF denies benefits during a duty change to anyone who isn't a legal dependent. Ugh.
Anyway. Advice?
Maybe something like A and J were legally wed in January but will be exchanging vows with the support of their families and friends in June? I don't know. I'm not eloquent with words. Please help! Thanks!