Invitation Wording: Reception-Only Invitation

My fiance and I have decided we don’t want a big ceremony (if any) and only want to have a reception with family and friends. We are unsure of what type of invitation to send out and if we should register anywhere or to even expect gifts. Any advice on what we should or shoudn’t do would help out a great deal.

Sue of Hobart’s Fine Florals

This is what i wanted to do too…One word of advise. Do not tell anyone that might want to give you a shower. My Mom made the big announcement and suddenly this wonderful friend (who was one of a family with 5 kids and a couple million other connections to my family )announced that she was giving me a shower…You can’t not invite someone who gives you a shower….and all their big Irish Catholic Family….I love them all so much but…You get the idea…So much for me and My Hubby walking to the the top of a mountain or anything like that to get married…It was out of my hands at that point. Keep your secret.
I think a more casual style of invitation would be good. Perhaps something like We did it!! Come and help us celebrate. Then have any type of party that suits your style…I would suggest having a few pictures or a video of the ceremony to show..doesn’t have to be anything fancy…Just a way of sharing. As far as registering goes???I would have to defer to the etiquette experts. You will probably still recieve gifts from your friends.

See Also

• Best Wedding Invitation Websites
• Ultimate Guide to Wedding Invitations
• Example Invitation Wording for Every Situation

Rebecca Black, Etiquette By Rebecca

Dear No Ceremony,

This is very common these days, especially with the popularity of the destination wedding. You would send reception invitations to your guests. You can do this before your wedding. There won’t be any confusion. They will know that you are getting married and want them to share in the ‘party’.

Registering is a great idea because some people will still want to give you gifts. Please do not mention this in your reception invitation though.

Also, as the former moderator pointed out (thank you), only those invited to the wedding can be invited to your shower. So, please discourage well-meaning friends from hosting a shower for you.

Bride Next Door

Here are some examples of wording you could use for wedding invitations where there is a reception only and no ceremony:

Example 1

Barry and Karen
invite you to join us at our
reception
celebrating our marriage.

Example 2

Please come
get down with us at
8pm on Saturday, the 31th of July
Small Hallworth Conservatory
Sydney, NSW

Example 3

Michael and Elisabeth
together with their parents
invite you to celebrate their love and commitment
at a reception following their ceremony

Join us for hors d’oeuvres, drinks, dessert and dancing.”

Example 4

Finally, here is another example

Mr. and Mrs. ____________
and
Mr. and Mrs. __________________

would like to invite you to the
reception celebrating the marriage of their children

_____________
and
_______________

on

Saturday, August 2, 2014 at 5:30pm

Guy Next Door

Don’t overthink this, just focus on what you need to communicate. Reception only invitates don’t need too much information, just the basics about the  reception and where it takes place.

• Host’s name
• Engaged couple
• Day, date of month and time
• Name of the reception venue
• Reception venue address

Many newlyweds use wedding reception invitations to celebrate nuptials after a destination wedding or an elopement. It is common for reception only invitations to include where and when the wedding took place if it occurred on a separate date.

You will also want to include some method for your guests to R.S.V.P. to recognize their attendance and to plan the reception accordingly. Always include the name and phone number of the person hosting the event.