At Home Reception after Disney wedding Questions?

[FlowerJ723]

Hi everyone....I'm trying to find the "guidelines" on the whole reception at home after a Disney wedding. I'm getting married on 11/16/2007 @ SBP and was thinking of having the reception in December at a small place for about 100 ppl. My first question...should I wear my dress for a little while?? Secondly I want to give out some kind of favors but should I put the date of my wedding or the date of the reception on the favors?? Or should I try to avoid putting a date at all. Can I still have our "first" dance? I'm asking b/c although I say its a reception its more of just a celebration....a okay hall(obviously not this fantastic place b/c if I were doing that then I might as well have gotten married at home) w/an open bar and food and some sort of cake but I'm undecided if I'll do a traditional wedding cake. I have many questions w/no answers...if anyone had done or will be doing this and if you could share your plans that would be GREAT!!!

 

[JJClemson]

Hi! We had our at-home reception a little over a week ago, one week after our Disney wedding.

I don't think there are any guidelines for an at-home reception. If you want to do your first dance again, do it Wear your dress if you want too! As far as the date goes, I would put your real wedding date or just avoid the date issue at all, but that's JMO.

Our reception was for 60 people at a Southern-stlye mansion in NJ. We had it in the gardens so we referred to this reception as the "garden party". We incorporated flowers into everything, the invitations, cake, and our favors were potted orange gerber daisies. We stuck to our original wedding theme color of orange. I just wore a white sundress w/ an orange sash and DH wore his seersucker suit he wore to the rehearsal. We did have a full wedding cake, but no official dances or announcements. My brother did something cool and blew up some wedding pictures he took and made a collage. We also displayed our programs, favors, bubbles, Mickey and Minnie wedding stuffed animals and statues, and other things from the Disney wedding. We used the same guest book too.

We're another at-home reception in Sept. in SC at DH's parents' lake house for all of our college friends. That will just be a catered bbq. Much more laid back and informal. We'll play our wedding video there though. OH and I'll still have another formal wedding cake. Any excuse for me to have more cake

 

[TinkerFairy]

Our wedding at Disney is Oct. 24, and our at home reception is Nov.2.

We're doing all the normal reception stuff back at home, first dance, cake cutting ect. We are keeping they guys tuxes for a extra week, I think it was a extra $30, they're from After Hours. I'm also wearing my dress for the entire time.

By all means ours is a traditional reception.
From the get go, we wanted a huge reception back here.
The ceremony we wanted intimate and private for our close family only.

I really don't think there are any guidelines for what you can and cannot do. As long as you and your new husband have a great time with your guests, that is what counts.

Also, it helps extend the magic and prolong the Disney depression I'm sure we'll get after the trip home, and the huge calm after all the planning has paid off.

 

[lurkyloo]

If we do an at-home reception, it will be at least 2 months after our wedding and it will be as cheap as we can possibly make it! What we're thinking is a picnic in a park, with food from my favorite cafe brought in (not as spendy as catering cuz they just drop it off) and a cupcake tower instead of a cake. Or maybe we'll just do a potluck. If we have a wedding video, we'll try to figure out how to show it, and I hope our pictures would be back by then. I would love to wear my dress again, but I'd probably look ridiculous!

I just like the idea of the at-home reception being totally no-pressure, since I'm kinda obsessed with making my wedding day perfect. By then I'll need a break!

 

[figmentfan814]

We're having ours almost two months after our wedding. We wanted to have our pictures and video back to share with everyone. I will be wearing my dress and my DF is going to wear a nice suit instead of getting another tux. We are doing it more laid back than our wedding. A cupcake tower instead of a cake (although we are going to get a top layer to save as our anniversary layer.)

My DF's dad got us the hall through a club that he is involved with and we are doing more casual food. We are continuing our garden theme from the wedding, but on a much smaller scale. We are doing favors, but are undecided at this point- I am leaning towards doing the candy buffet option where people fill small favor boxes.

 

[jhk1206]

We were married in December 2006 at WDW, but did our at home reception in late February 2007 at home. It was really a 'normal' wedding reception at home. I did wear my dress - actually, I wasn't planning to, and many of my guests that couldn't make it to Florida for the wedding were disappointed that I wasn't going to, so I changed my mind.

It really 'operated' like any reception I've been to - just no one had to endure the ceremony to get to the fun!

We did favors (personalized candy bars), but didn't list a date. Also, we showed the video montage from the Disney wedding, as well as a slide show of our pro pics during the cocktail hour.

It's all a matter of personal preference, I think... Good luck!

 

[Glorydaz]

hi there! we are getting married on Halloween , a small intimate affair at a B&B on the Jersey shore. Then 4 days later , we are having a post celebration luncheon for about 50 people. It is at a nice small catering place where my DF's famliy has held many affairs. We are having a DJ - our favors have our wedding date on them. We are also doing a first dance and I am definitely wearing my gown - it's too pretty not to!!

I don't think there are any definite do's and don'ts - just go with what feels most comfortable to you. We have a whole separate set of invitations and a different theme for our luncheon. I can't wait!!!

let us know how your plans come along!

Michelle

 

[D&R love Disney]

Our at home reception was about 6 weeks after we got home from the wedding. We used a hall, had a catered buffet, had a DJ and Mom and I did the decorating. I wore my dress but DH wore just comfortable dress clothes. We put out our wedding pictures for people to enjoy. No cake but Mom and I decorated cookies (her specialty) and the buffet also had desserts.

 

[MistressOfAllEvil]

I'm soooo happy to see that some of you are doing your at home receptions a little longer after your Disney wedding.

DF and I are getting married at SBP on February 4th, but it's sooo cold at home (in MI) that time of year that we're actually waiting until mid to late June to have our outdoor "celebration-party" (that's what I keep calling it.) DF's parents own acres and acres of beautiful land and I'm just going to have a very, very casual party. Probably have vollyball and bocci ball and horseshoes. Probably have BBQ brought in but not "catered" depending on costs. And even though I LOOOOOOOOOVE my dress, I will not be wearing it again. I'll probably buy a cute new sundress form J.Crew or something, lol.

 

[figmentfan814]

I'm soooo happy to see that some of you are doing your at home receptions a little longer after your Disney wedding.

DF and I are getting married at SBP on February 4th, but it's sooo cold at home (in MI) that time of year that we're actually waiting until mid to late June to have our outdoor "celebration-party" (that's what I keep calling it.) DF's parents own acres and acres of beautiful land and I'm just going to have a very, very casual party. Probably have vollyball and bocci ball and horseshoes. Probably have BBQ brought in but not "catered" depending on costs. And even though I LOOOOOOOOOVE my dress, I will not be wearing it again. I'll probably buy a cute new sundress form J.Crew or something, lol.

We're from Michigan too, so that's why we're waiting until June.... we want to make sure that there isn't going to be any snow still lingering!

 

[orangetiggs]

we are flying back to the uk on 19th sept 2008 from our honeymoon and our at home reception is on the 20th!! we are doing the whole reception thing with my dress and first dance and speeches as well for those who could not come to WDW with us

 

[FlowerJ723]

Thank you all for sharing your ideas with me! I'm thinking of doing my reception soon after I get back...I'm getting married on 11/16/07 and will be coming home on 11/20/07 then we have Thanksgiving that Thursday so I was hoping to have my reception on 11/30/2007. If that's not available I was hoping early December. One of my bf's is getting married on 1/4/2008 so I don't want to step on her toes w/my planning. I was also thinking of wearing my dress at least for an hour and also getting a small wedding cake...but I'm not going to go all out on flowers and what not for the reception. Thanks again for listening to my plans.....sometimes I just need someone to listen...haha!!