Q&A: What is a good wedding reception invitation headline for a reception days after the wedding ceremony?
Question by ☆LoveNLife☆: What is a good wedding reception invitation headline for a reception days after the wedding ceremony?
My fiance and I are planning to have a courthouse wedding ceremony this May with close family and friends. Then a few days later we are planning to have a huge wedding reception for everyone to come and celebrate our union.
The problem is, I don't know that "correct" words or phrase to use on the wedding reception invitations without sounding offensive to those who may have not been invited to the ceremony.
So, what is a good way to word my wedding reception invitations?
Best answer:
Answer by Rae
My suggestion would be something like "Please join us for a celebration of the (recent) marriage/union of [insert names]."
Here's an excerpt from the about.com website about reception invitation wording -
Invitation to Reception Only
It is becoming more common for a couple who eloped or had a destination wedding to have a reception later in their hometown. Be careful in the phrasing - don't make it look like there was a local wedding to which they weren't invited, or that you only want more gifts.
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Fielding
Invite you to join us
In celebrating the recent marriage of our daughter
Alice Pearson Fielding
To
Arjun Gangadharan
Which took place March 25, 2005 in Dubai, India
Come toast the happy couple
Saturday, August 19, 2005
Grovers Country Club
Plano, Texas
Or
Mr. and Mrs. Jackson Fielding
Invite you to join them for a dinner honoring
Mr. and Mrs. Arjun and Alice Fielding Gangadharan
Saturday, August 19, 2005
Etc.
This example makes it clear that their daughter is married, yet doesn't make it look like a second wedding, thus gifts are not expected.
http://weddings.about.com/od/weddinginvitations/a/invitationwordi.htm
By the way, my fiance and I are planning to do much the same thing, so I know exactly how delicate the situation can be!
Give your answer to this question below!
Invite Detail
Image by nettsu
Sorry for the bad photo this doesn't show the colours as they are. But it does give you the words which are just as important 
Category: Weddings
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Our past has made memories
we’ll hold onto forever,
We’ve now made the future
our newest endeavor
We
BRIDE
and
GROOM
were married DATE
CITY, STATE
Please join us at a wedding
reception
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
CITY, STATE
or
BRIDE
and
GROOM
are happy to announce
their marriage
on DAY
YEAR
CITY, STATE
Please join them
for a celebration
on DAY
YEAR
TIME
LOCATION
CITY, STATE
My sister did this in August 2008. Only our immediate family was there for the ceremony, on a Thursday afternoon (their 8th anniversary) and then they had 40 people for a traditional Saturday night dinner reception.
The invite was worded something like this:
Join us in celebrating the marriage of
Bride
and
Groom
with a reception celebrating their marriage that will take place on August 14, 2008 in Toronto.
The reception will be held
Saturday, August 16th at 5:00 p.m.
at Brant Inn Hotel,
Hotel Address
Brantford, Ontario
There are also some great samples for receptions after the ceremony with more poetic wording at this site:
http://www.invitationconsultants.com/samplewording.aspx?p_subcategory=206
Hope that helps!
YOU cannot have A RECEPTION two days or two weeks or two months after your wedding day, you can only have A RECEPTION on the day you are married. You can have A PARTY or you can have A CELEBRATION but you cannot have A RECEPTION.
Your invitation can read . . A celebration in honor of Mary and Jim’s wedding on May 1, 21010
Answered by: A Certified wedding specialist / A Professional bridal consultant / A Wedding ceremony officiant
This is sometimes not a popular answer, but I’m just the messenger. Per wedding etiquette, this is a no-no. Part of it is the reason you mentioned yourself – that you’re inviting people to a wedding reception who were not considered A List enough to be invited to the most important part of the wedding – the actual ceremony – but from whom you’ll happily accept gifts. Even if you don’t mean it that way, that’s what it is. Also, a wedding reception, by definition, is hosted by the bride and groom (or their parents) to thank those who participated in their big moment.
You’ll find places online that say this is ok (like about.com) and you’re obviously free to do it if you want. But it’s not wedding etiquette and that part is fact, not opinion.