Everyone knows that there are pros and cons with hosting a destination wedding. Here are mine!
via Ruby Press {source}
Top Pros
1.) Amazing Location
2.) You have an excuse to have that intimate wedding you’ve always dreamed off
3.) You have the opportunity to focus on more of the special details since you have a smaller guest list
Top Cons
1.) Added costs for your guests that may have to travel a great distance
2.) Many of the people you hold dear to you will not be able to come
3.) It will be difficult coordinating your vendors since most likely you will not be able to meet with them in person prior to booking them
Our wedding will truly be a destination wedding for most everyone. My family is mainly from the Pittsburgh area, New York and Ohio while Ger’s family is scattered all over Europe. Luckily his immediate family is from Ireland!
We are anticipating around 30-40 people with the majority of the guest list being from Ger’s side.
via Ruby Press {source}
My mom suggested that I host a second reception back in my hometown for those people who were not able to attend the wedding. At first I decided against this idea. I didn’t want feel like I was “reenacting” my wedding. After thinking about it, I decided that I didn’t want a full reception but maybe just a casual get together at my parents house.
Then reality hit me, with all the traveling for the wedding and honeymoon, I doubt I would be able to take more time off work for my “second reception.”
My next thought was “why don’t we have an anniversary party?” This way, we can have plenty of time to recover from tending to all of the wedding details and have an opportunity to really celebrate our anniversary with people we care about.
So what do you think? Does anyone have any suggestions as to different ways we can include family that isn’t able to attend our wedding?
I don’t think that you would need to take more time off to have a second reception in your hometown. Just do it on the weekend. Think relaxed barbecue, picnic or potluck. Have your mother help you with the planning. I don’t think that it would at all seem like you were “reenacting” your wedding.
It would give your friends and family (that couldn’t make it to Ireland) a chance to congratulate you and wish you well, and for you to recognize them as a special part of your life. I think those people would like that opportunity ASAP after the ceremony, not a year out.
We had an informal dinner at a restaurant (private room) about 3 weeks after we got back from St. Lucia. It was perfect :)
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My husband and I eloped last year and we planned to celebrate our anniversary this year. We didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money and we had a hard time finding a place to accomodate everyone. So we decided to have a small party with friends at our home and slightly larger party with family later in the year.
Our party with friends was fabulous. We did a Friday night dessert party, with lots of sweets, served chilled frappuccino and coke in the old fashioned bottles. We decided to go with Big Band Jazz for the music and everyone loved it – as well as the DIY photo booth that I set up in our laundry room.
The party with family is something that my parents wanted to help with, so it’s more of a dinner party. It’s going to be on Labor Day weekend and it’s at my parent’s home so I have a lot of work to do.
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Wow! What great ideas! I especially love the idea of a dessert party!
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