A Reception Before the Wedding?
1. Cindy C. wrote:
We are looking for places for a rehearsal dinner for our Son and his Bride for about 75 guests. Do you have a list of possible locations?
The best place to search for your perfect location would be in the Banquet & Reception Sites area on this web site. Most places that do receptions also do rehearsal dinners.
2. Annette wrote:
Rebecca, I was wondering about ring ceremonies. I am planning on doing one and then having a dinner. However, I have only been to one and am not familiar with how they should run. If you could give me a simple outline of how a ring ceremony should be, that would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
The main purpose of a ring ceremony is to help those close to you - that were not able to attend your wedding ceremony - feel a part of it. Most ceremonies are not very long. You will want some sort of officiator to preside over this. The officiator tells about the wedding ceremony that took place earlier and then the two of you exchange rings. Before deciding anything, I would first settle on who is going to be the officiator. It should be someone who attended the actual wedding. It can be a Bishop, Stake President, father, brother, uncle or anyone that you are close to. After this is decided, ask them what they feel is appropriate. They may have some guidelines. Some ask that you keep it simple and that you not try to reenact the actually ceremony, while some are okay with you doing this. You can go as formal as having an aisle way for attendants, flower girls, a ring bearer and having the father give away the Bride. Or you may want to keep it simple and have just the Bride & Groom come in together. Some have added special toasts, musical numbers and/or readings after you exchange rings, but most wedding parties transition right into the dinner or the event they are having.
3. Misty wrote:
Both of our families are prone to overloading the schedule, so we want to have our reception on a day other than the wedding day. How soon before/after the wedding day would you recommend having the reception? Are these receptions any less successful than the traditional reception on the day of the wedding?
Receptions that are held before a wedding have not been as comfortable for the couple. I find that couples are more relaxed if the reception is held on the day of the wedding or after. Waiting a week or two after your wedding day is just as successful as on the wedding day. But there are a few things to keep in mind. Think about family and friends that may be coming into town or missing work for the wedding. They may miss out on the reception if it is later. Though this day and time is about the two of you, it is also about your loved ones. They are just as excited and they want to celebrate with you. Also look at the budget. There will be things you may need to have twice such as a wedding bouquet, Boutonnières, other flowers, tuxedo rentals and cleaning of the wedding dress. Also keep in mind if you will be going on your honeymoon and then coming back for the reception. You will want to be extremely organized and ready before going. Otherwise it can feel just as overloaded as if it was on the day of the wedding.
