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Help!! Getting Married a few days before the reception.

What date should I use on favors, napkins etc.? The actual wedding date? or the date of the reception?

Re: Help!! Getting Married a few days before the reception.

  • I would use the actual wedding date.

    P.S.  I assume, giving you the benefit of the etiquette doubt, that you're having a private or extremely intimate ceremony, and, several days later, a celebration of your marriage (NOT a reception- a reception is a party at which you receive guests immediately after a ceremony to thank them for coming). 
  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 Exit 21 (Jersey!) member
    5000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary 5 Answers
    Ditto PP.  If you're having the party a few days after the ceremony, it's not a reception anymore. 
  • Why would you do that? The reception is given to thank the guests for attending the wedding.
  • OP can you explain why you're doing it this way? It wouldn't really be a reception anymore, since a reception is immediately after the ceremony as a "thank you" to the guests who attended your ceremony. Who are on the guest lists for both of these events?

    To answer your original question, I agree with Stage. I think I would just skip putting dates on anything.

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  • Don't put dates on anything.  Have the reception the same day as the ceremony. 
  • A friend of mine did this a few weeks ago.  I'll spare you my true feelings about it but I went anyway.  She didn't put the wedding date on anything.
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  • I've been to receptions that have happened on a different day and they were for 2 reasons.

    1. the couple had a destination wedding and then had a formal reception when they returned. In that scenario, the couple wore their wedding attire and showed a video of the ceremony before they made their entrance.

    2. the couple got married at the court house and due to size constraints only had a few witnesses. This, however, was an informal backyard affair that ended up lasting the whole weekend. Everyone wore regular clothes and save for a few toasts, and a cake, it was more of a party/picnic than anything else.

    3. The couple bumped up the ceremony date due to specific circumstances (pregnancy, military, legal things) and the reception was held at the original date. At this one, the couple had a pastor come and renew their vows in front of their guests so they could have a more "traditional" wedding.

    In each of those instances I knew the couple and the situation and found them all to be perfectly fitting and acceptable. However, I think instances like those are probably the only time you can get away with doing something like this. If your ceremony isn't on the same day and it's not because of something like that, I would re think calling it a reception.
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