Getting married then having a party at a later date

I'm a bit puzzled as to how this would keep the price down. The price is surely dictated by the number of people you host and the cost of the meal provided, so there should be no reason why you can't have your ceremony and celebration on the same day, you just need to find an affordable venue.

A lot of couples who got married during Covid had their ceremony and reception on separate days - although not necessarily by choice! - including us. If anything, it cost more because it involved two lots of travel. And if you are providing a meal for family who attend your wedding, then you are buying two lots of food for them too. Perhaps your friend is thinking that you could have a simpler celebration if it were separate from the wedding, but there is no reason why anyone HAS to have an elaborate reception. One of the nicest wedding receptions I ever went to was a simple buffet in a village hall followed by an evening bbq in the couple's own garden!

Another thing to consider is that if you have the wedding ceremony and reception separate, you may find some people view it as less of a priority to attend the later event, since you're already married and it's 'just a party'.

I'd just get married, have the meal with family and then call it a day. You're keeping costs down completely then, You run the risk of people not attending the party and wasting money. Just keep it small.

This is exactly what I want to do - only got engaged last week so still very early days in my planning journey. My reasoning has nothing to do with cost saving - more being able to enjoy the day more, I’m a real stress head so so would not enjoy being rushed and having it all on one day. A couple of my friends did the same thing a couple of years ago and it worked great - they had such big families it just worked a lot better!

Sounds like a lovely idea to me!

Hey!!


This is an amazing idea, you certainly get the best of both worlds with a smaller registery office wedding and a big party later on!
However, in terms of costs - My brother and Sister in law did this 10 years ago and there was a significant difference in price to recognise there party an an event rather than a wedding reception. However, nowadays - venues have cottoned on the this and call them twilight weddings or just have a set price to hire the venue (despite the type of event) depending on the day.
Myself and my partner were going to do the same thing but when we researched it, it really didn't make the significant saving we hope for so have ended up just having everything on the same day.
Saying that, there are deffinalty savings to be made of your are just having an evening event as you'll save ££££'s on wedding party outfits, flowers, food, staff, Drinks etc. But if you still want that wedding day vibe, just without the legal bit, I'd definitely do the research to see if it saves costs for you xx

View quoted message Ah thank you thats really helpful! Yeah we thought it might save a bit of money but if its just going to be about the same price as a day then I would rather have a day event x

View quoted message You're welcome! 😀

You might be better off just looking at what you can cut from the day event then. There are so many things we are told we 'have' to have for a wedding, but you don't really need anything other than the bare minimum to be legally married. So it would be worth spending some time thinking through what you really want your wedding day to look like and then be ruthless about cutting out anything that isn't meaningful for you. (I'd suggest keeping your planning a secret from everyone else though, or you'll get an avalanche of "oh, you MUST have"! Just tell people that you are keeping the details secret so it's more of a surprise on the day - very hard to argue with that one!) As long as your guests are comfortable and have enough to eat and drink, they honestly aren't going to care about the flowers or the menus or the signs or the wedding favours or the wedding car or...

Totally agree—focusing on what truly matters to you makes the day more personal and less stressful. If you're doing any creative projects like decor or wedding invites, tools like this pixelize image instantly feature can add a fun, retro touch without costing a lot. Small DIY details often end up being the most memorable

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That sounds like a fun and meaningful way to celebrate your special moment! If you're planning ahead for the big day and want to stay on top of your fitness or dietary goals, a helpful tool like a Fitness Calorie Calculator can really keep things balanced. It's great for managing routines during hectic event planning. Wishing you all the best for both the wedding and the party!

Love this idea getting married first then throwing the party later means you can focus on the ceremony and celebrate stress free with friends and family

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That sounds like a great plan—spreading out the celebration can make it even more memorable! While you're prepping for the big day, it might be fun to explore something unique together, like fictional languages. I recently came across this English Valyrian Converter that offers a creative twist for fans of fantasy culture—could even be a cool idea for party themes or vows!

Get married by doing a statuary appointment where you just do the legal vowles at an office, then have a wedding party later on and get a friend to deliver the vowles all over again in front of friends and family so you can have your ceremony and nobody needs to be any the wiser that you are already married.

I am doing exactly this! Our wedding is on the 6th, then reception is on the 15th ❤️ We've managed to do everything for around £2800!! xxx

Hi Erin

We just did exactly that, although we ended up spending quite a bit on the party, but it was worth every penny. We got married in Gretna Green in January with 15 family and friends. Then we just celebrated our marriage with a blessing on the 21st June with 100 guests. I don't think it will be any cheaper to do the two separately though.

Hi Erin 👋

That actually sounds like a lovely and practical idea! A small, intimate ceremony followed by a bigger celebration later can be a great way to reduce stress and costs while still celebrating with all your loved ones. I've seen a few friends do this, and it allowed them to focus on what really mattered without all the pressure of a huge wedding day.

If you go this route, one fun option for the later party could be something like Chipotle Catering. It's affordable, crowd-pleasing, and super easy to manage—plus it gives a laid-back, festive vibe to the event. Whatever you decide, hope your celebration turns out beautiful and memorable!

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Hi we are doing exactly this marrying well eloping then throwing a party for everyone after. We don’t want the fuss on the big day so intimate ceremony and then a party for everyone else. One thing I have found yes we have to pay 2 hair 2 make up I even have 2 dresses, etc but because we’ve booked our event as an engagement party which technically everyone thinks it is we have actually saved a lot of money even with the food, dj, venue etc. No wedding tax! Sure people might be annoyed they didn’t get to come to the “Big Day” but we are getting married for us and no one else. I can’t wait to announce it and say we are already wed! No family drama people not turning up on the day. This is my second marriage and I had the “big day” and I can honestly say this time round planning has been so much more pleasant not worrying about everyone else. Hope you have a lovely day whatever you decide! X

Hi dear how are you doing

I like the idea of having the legal ceremony first and then celebrating later because it gives more space to plan everything without pressure. When the party is on a separate date you can really think about the atmosphere you want for the celebration. Some couples go for relaxed gatherings while others choose places with a stronger sense of occasion. That is one of the reasons I often look at historic wedding venues , since locations like Ashridge House offer beautiful gardens elegant rooms and a setting that makes the day feel special. Whatever format you choose it should reflect what feels right for you both

That sounds like a brilliant idea! We actually did something similar - intimate ceremony with close family, then a bigger celebration later. It really helped with costs and stress levels.On a side note, my fiancé and I met on https://primedating.com/ two years ago! Never thought I'd find someone special online, but here we are planning our wedding. The site's matching system really worked for us. Best decision I ever made was joining!

Welcome to the forums!
A lot of couples I know did a small ceremony first, then planned the celebration later when schedules and budgets were easier. The waiting period can feel long though, so having little ways to unwind together helps. We actually passed time watching short dramas in the evenings, quick episodes that don’t need a big time commitment. I found some good info about that kind of content here https://dramawavemodapks.com.

Getting married first and hosting a celebration later is a meaningful and flexible way to honor your love on your own timeline. Couples choosing Willowbrook Weddings Delaware can enjoy a beautifully planned reception that reflects their style without the pressure of a same-day event. With elegant spaces and thoughtful coordination, Willowbrook Weddings Delaware makes delayed wedding celebrations seamless and memorable. Whether intimate or grand, celebrating later at Willowbrook Weddings Delaware allows couples to focus on what matters most family, joy, and lasting memories.