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Beginner July 2023 Monmouthshire

Small wedding ceremony, large wedding breakfast?

Natasha, 18 of August of 2022 at 13:01 Posted on Etiquette and Advice 0 6
Hello!


We are planning a wedding and have booked our dream venue - an estate with a large banqueting hall for the wedding breakfast and eveningreception, pretty grounds for our photos, and a cute church on-site for the ceremony.
The only issue is that the church will only hold 80 guests and we have 120 day guests on our list that we really can’t reduce any further. 80 is too many guests for us to use the excuse of having an intimate ceremony, but we’re going to have to split day guests into ceremony and non-ceremony somehow, whilst being careful to not offend those friends/relatives who we cannot fit in the church (even though we will be paying for their meal afterwards ). We have a third group of reception guests who will be joining in the evening and we are happy with this guest list. Our options for the 120 day guests are:
1) Move to the ceremony to a (larger) local church which is near the venue but off site. All 120 guests can be involved in the ceremony but would then require travel to the venue for the breakfast and reception, and part of why we fell in love with the venue was the ability to have the whole day in different areas of the one site.
2) Ask some day guests to miss the ceremony but offer them a place to wait it out (ie the wedding breakfast hall or private terrace/bar area - or literally wait outside the church (service should be 30 mins or so). This means they can see the bridal party arrival and also get involved in the post ceremony receiving line. But is this rude asking them to be there but not participate in the ceremony? We can also consider live streaming if this helps dampen the blow.
3) Split the day guests so that the 80 ceremony guests are invited before the ceremony begins, and the remaining 40/50 who we cannot fit are given an arrival time of after the ceremony. Ie to arrive during the 90min drinks reception, before the wedding breakfast.
Wondering if anyone has thoughts on the above options or a new one :-)

6 replies

Latest activity by Kimberley, 22 of August of 2022 at 23:57
  • A
    Expert July 2023 Cornwall
    Anonbride ·
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    I think 1 or 3 is your best option here, for 2 I think that would come across quite rude and make them feel obviously left out - the only way I could see 2 working is if all the people in this group were very clearly in the same category of guest e.g. all OHs or all cousins or something (so not to get the awkwardness of so and so's BF is in the ceremony room but mine isn't) and you paid for their drinks and nibbles during the ceremony.

    Personally, I'd go for 3 because I agree with you that it's nice to have everything at the same site Smiley smile

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  • Charlotte
    VIP April 2022 Wiltshire
    Charlotte ·
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    Fo me to it would be option 1, or you have to cut your day list down to 80. It is hard but really consider your list, could you cut certain groups like cousins or distant relatives, work colleagues or kids? That way it is less likely you are offending, we didn't have cousins as for us that was 30 people that we are not that close too and really was too high a cost, but appreciate I don't know your situation in terms of who is on your list. As a guest I personally would find it odd not attending the ceremony but going to a breakfast. I get you are paying for them but I would likely just go to the evening part as it costs a lot to attend a wedding as a guest and if I wasn't going to witness the actual marriage I don't see the point in going to the breakfast, but that is my personal opinion. Good luck in whatever you decide
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  • R
    VIP July 2020 Monmouthshire
    RomanticGreenStationery27135 ·
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    I would go with option 1. I agree with Charlotte - if I'm not invited to see the actual ceremony, then I couldn't see much point in attending the wedding breakfast.

    If you go with an option that involves guests turning up to a meal but not to the actual ceremony, I would make it clear what you are inviting them too though. You don't want people turning up excited to think of seeing you get married, only to find out it's already happened!

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  • A
    Dedicated March 2024 Essex
    Alison ·
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    I was invited to a wedding like this once and it didn’t offend me at all. It was my FH friend so he was invited to the ceremony and I was invited to the breakfast and party afterwards so going against the grain here but I honestly think you can just explain to people that unfortunately the ceremony venue only holds 80 people and ask partners/children/more distant relatives to please join you at x o’clock for the reception.


    I would do two separate invitations to make it clear (this is what the wedding I went to did). One invitation for people invited to ceremony + breakfast/reception and one breakfast/reception only. No one has the right to be invited to your wedding and you should get to do it where/when you like!
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  • Jane
    Dedicated June 2022 Bristol
    Jane ·
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    I went to a wedding once where the chapel was tiny - they put the rest of us in another room and live streamed the ceremony. No one minded at all and it was nice to be part of it given the spatial restrictions! We were all staying on site though so inviting us to arrive after the ceremony wasn’t really an option. Whatever you decide, people will understand but I agree you need to make it clear if they are not invited to the ceremony (or a stream of it).
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  • K
    Beginner August 2022 South West London
    Kimberley ·
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    I would do 3 as it’s what we’re doing except on a smaller scale. We have 70 day guests but having our ceremony at a nearby registry office with only immediate family, one grandparent, and best man/bridesmaids (only 2). This was my FHs preference and although I didn’t mind either way I’m glad we’ll have a small intimate ceremony. We explained on our website that it will be a very short no frills ceremony with only immediate family and we see it as just a formality really, so we’re kicking off the day at our reception venue (with drinks/canapés followed by meal, party etc.) because celebrating with everyone is the important bit to us and what we really see a wedding as. I was worried about peoples views but no one has said anything and good friends who I’ve shared worries with reminded me it’s about us and the day we want and those that truly care about us will completely understand, respect and support us!
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