Party Only Wedding

This was our plan originally in 2020, we were having an evening "engagement party" and we were going to do a buffet which we would prepare and set up earlier in the day, then we were going to marry at 4pm with close family at registry office and have a meal together then at the party announce we had got married that day, then Covid hit 5 weeks before so was scrapped! It is your day and no one should feel a sense of entitlement to be involved in your ceremony. If you kept the ceremony to immediate family only then it will be easier for you to explain, not that you have to, that you just wanted a small intimate ceremony. We have now gone the other way and are having the big wedding as we have saved so much in the last 2 years but honestly the stress!! I sometimes wish we had gone back to the original plan! You do what you want, and do not feel pressure from anyone else's opinions. The main thing for the party is to have everyone together to celebrate with you and I am sure everyone will be pleased to be part of that

Some of our friends are doing this and we're really excited about it! They're planning a 70s disco style party so there's a fun theme that's not too overkill as well (and we know it'll be great music as a result!) which gives us as guests something to look forward to and they are going to put on some form of buffet/help yourself food so people won't be starving which is a really good shout. Think the bride and groom are still planning on dressing "weddingy" but doing away with all the traditions. I think as a guest when you know this is "the main event" you're just as excited as you would be for a traditional event