Wedding Abroad.. UK Reception

I haven't myself, but I have been to a couple of UK receptions. I think 1 did a first dance, 1 did not. They were both like parties really, so didn't have cars or entrance music or anything. I know one definitely didn't have a cake, can't remember the other. I suppose really you can have whatever you like though. I like the idea of. Cake and first dance as it makes everyone feel like they were part of something. I'm planning on doing mine during my evening reception so just the same.

My cousin did this. He and his wife wore their wedding outfits and had a first dance, which was lovely. There was a simple but tasty buffet and a couple of speeches. They also cut the cake there, but that was because they didn't have a cake in Cyprus when they got married. They also gave out flowers and gifts to the wedding party.

It was like a fairly normal reception, and it was great to celebrate with them as I couldn't make it to the wedding.

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A friend of mine is doing this - they are having their ceremony filmed and then have a friend who is a film maker who will make the video 'vintage' and then'll have it projected on the wall for the first dance.

I'm doing this to a certain degree letting married in Wales, then two weeks later having a big party in our home town for all our friends and wider family. I'll be wearing my dress as will the bridesmaids and we are planning on the grooms men all wearing their suits too. Likely to have cupcakes for this rather than another full cake, not decided on a dj or an iPod playlist but there won't be a first dance as we'll have done that. Planning on having a guest book and a small case for cards etc. we booked the venue and catering yesterday. Having a mixed buffet of hot and cold foodstuffs. We're putting some beer and fizz on for everyone too as if they were at the full event. Doing a sweetie table too. Hth x

OMG how gorgeous does this sound?! tugged at my heart strings just reading that!

We did this last year. We got married in Jamaica, just the two of us and had an evening reception back in the uk.We had some formal aspects to make it feel like a wedding, especially for my hubbies parents who were upset about us marrying abroad on our own. We had a seating plan & also had speaches. We asked everyone to arrive at 7pm & we arrived at 7.30pm. I let mt daughter know we had arrived & she asked the dj to play out entrance music. We had a bit of mingling time then had the speaches. We had a singer & did our first dance to one of the tracks. Food was a buffet for the main course & we had desert served to the table. Then it was party time. It all worked really well & we struck a formal/informal balance. I think you need some formal aspects so people get the feeling of it being a wedding not just a party. We didnt have a cake, but had individual cupcakes which also served as favours. We had table centrepieces as well.

we utilised the TV at the venue & had our official wedding pics from Jamaica on a slide show, we decided not to show our dvd as its 15 mins long & didnt want to put peope in the position of sitting watching it for 15 mins.

If you want to know anything else just ask x

We're marrying in New York with 4 guests & have booked a lovely evening dinner cruise after the ceremony. Obviously there are lots of guests that can't make it so we're planning a bit of a do back in the UK.

No bridesmaids, speeches, first dances or cars at either. My family are putting together a buffet for the UK 'reception', and I've heard rumours of a cake. I really wanted it to be very simple but my mum is waffling on about sending invitations and thinking about an NYC theme/ colours/ DJ etc... We just wanted something very simple with our close family, so will need to sit down and have words!

Having said that, I will be wearing my dress again so that my nan can see it (any excuse!)

We're getting married just the two of us abroad, and having a pub reception 6 weeks after we get back. But we're not having a first dance or anything like that, maybe speeches but it will just be a little get together for family and friends.

We're doing this. Having our main wedding in Italy with 70 guests. 2 weeks later having a rugby club party. There'll be a buffet and music but it'll definitely be more of a party than anything. We're having a cake at both (mainly because I love cake!!).

Ceremony pictures will be projected on to the wall throughout.

We will have a first dance and be in our wedding day outfits but won't get wedding cars there or make an entrance or anything.

I've shot the reception for several couples who did this. They didn't have any entrance music and treated the reception as a party/a bit like the canapes and drinks part of a wedding, although they did a short speech. In terms of cars etc. I think it's up to you and your budget and how important it is to you.

We're kind of doing this except that we're not getting married abroad. We are having our wedding on a monday and then having our evening reception on the following Saturday. We're having our first dance and we're cutting the cake at the reception, not at the wedding. We aren't having wedding cars for the evening though as it's literally 2 minutes from our house so would be a bit pointless! Like someone else said, we're planning on showing the video of the wedding at the reception - if we can find someone to video it for us!!!!

Thank You all for your replies! Theres some lovely ideas. Got so much to think about!! Think we were just planning it really as a huge party for all that cant make the wedding abroad, so I think the cars etc wont really matter. Would rather spend more on my dress. Really appreciate you all taking the time to reply. I shall let you know how I get on!

Emma

Hello, we're getting married abroad and having a uk reception. We're going to a restaurant after the wedding with close family and friends and we are having a cake at both the restaurant and uk reception. We're going to have a slides how of some photos of the wedding at our reception and were going to do the first dance and have some speeches in the uk. Were going more relaxed for our reception with no sitting plan and buffet food. We wanted to give the people that cannot attend our wedding a fantastic time as well as having everything we want both abroad and back home.

We are kind of doing this, we are eloping down to Bournemouth and not telling anyone we are taking our kids and my parents, no one else, we are going to get married and then send out the invites to the after wedding reception the day we get married for 2 weeks later back home, I know a lot of people will be upset but we would upset more if we had my brother come to our wedding and my sister not as she couldn't get weekdays of work. We are having a first dance at after wedding reception back home as we don't plan on having one in Bournemouth also another cake at home to. We aren't having wedding cars as don't see the point and I would rather spend the money on something else. My sister in law got married in Cyprus and had first dance at both and wedding cake at both and only wedding cars in Cyprus. I suppose it depends on where your venue is and where you think it is wise spending the money on that instead of something else

Janey

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