Should you have an AHR - my thoughts

[kate.com]

I feel the same way.

I am glad we had it... for everyone else. But our wedding was in Mexico and was fabulous! Nothing can touch that.

 

PS... it is easy to get caught up and it ends up being a full blown reception. Save your money, keep it simple. Same effect.

And I recommend wearing your dress again!

[dst10spr97]

I am having an AHR two weeks after we get back from Jamaica. We are the only two that would be in Jamaica and I wanted to have something for my family and friends when we get back. Especially since I have a close, tight knit family. But it has blown up into a full blown reception. I will be glad when the entire month of October is over really. You should have seen the looks on my mom and aunts face when I told them I didn't want a garter/bouquet toss. They were like "but its tradition". Whatev!

[nsbride2010]

We are having an AHR, mostly for our family and friends that couldn't go to the Dominican Republic... it always ends up being just like a reception if you had a wedding here, and you would have to be ready for that! But the more important part (the wedding) is going to be more intimate, the exact reason we are having a DW!

[VallieR]

Thank you this is very helpful!

[SillyGirl]

Thank you, Fi and I have been considering it, but were not showy ppl. I think were starting to lean toward not having one.

[candicemarie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SillyGirl Thank you, Fi and I have been considering it, but were not showy ppl. I think were starting to lean toward not having one.

I'm feeling you there! We're kinda counting our engagement party as an AHR-type thing, if that makes sense. Also, I know I would be one of those who would regret an AHR for the money reason. Both of us have quite a few family members coming to the DW, though, (18ppl out of the total 25) so that's prob another reason we're not gonna do one.

[SusieQ]

We are planning on having a AHR as well.

We are getting married on my FI Godparents wedding anniversary Feb. 2 they will have been married 50 years the day we get married. they are not able to make it to our wedding due to their age. We have planned to do a pool party here at the house and have it beachy when we return. We are thinking about 4 months later.

[caribbeanLover]

I'll try not make this long. We got engaged, I ask to do a destination wedding, the FI said no he wants to celebrate with his friends and family. So we started planning this whole thing all while telling him how much it would cost.I told him if we were doing AHR we were doing it in a church and having a reception hall dinner/dance party. We put deposit down for the reception, our photographer. When he finaly realized how much it was going to cost. How our family's don't have allot of money. We would never have come even close to even for the money we would have spent.He said let's do destination!

Yaaah, my dream comes true. But who's the most disapointed?! My mom. as I'm an older child, she feels she'll never get to show me off in the dress and all. So now we have planned a supper cheap reception at the legion, just so the family and friends who couldn't make will still feel included, and still see me in my dress. To sum it up, It's more for family then for the two of us, i just wanted my beach ceremony and a vacation in a tropical place!

[wsarah2107]

Thanks for starting this thread!! I have mixed feelings about having an AHR. Like everyone's saying, it seems more like for everyone else, which is great, but at the same time...has anyone had anyone complain or give negative feedback about AHR? With destination weddings being a relatively new and not so common concept, do people seem to understand and get excited about it? I just wouldn't want people talking and saying how many parties are we trying to have, we're just trying to get gifts, whatever. Ya know what I'm trying to say??

Also for those who wore their dress again--did you wear it the dress the entire time or for just part of the party?

 

Thanks guys!!

[Jacilynda]

I can't believe I haven't noticed this thread yet!

 

An AHR is almost, if not, entirely for others. We are having our AHR in a couple weeks. Nothing will even come close to DW and I don't even want to try and make an AHR even close.

 

We did not even invite friends to our DW. We found out in the beginning that my BF and DH's BF wouldn't be able to come. Also we knew many of our friends simply couldnt afford to make it. We didn't like the idea of only having a few of our friends make it, and not even our best and closest friends, so we decided to just do a private family ceremony. We didn't have an engagement party, so our AHR is something for our friends to feel included really.

 

I'm not wearing my dress again, not to mention I trashed it and my train is ripped, I accidentally ripped out my bustle while dancing, etc. We're doing a big taco bar, nacho bar, some kegs, cupcake towers, a band, we'll show pics, but we're also doing it over our local university football game and we're using a projector and playing the game outside. So its a get together w/ family and friends to eat, share pics and stories, drink and root on our beloved Griz!

 

We have everything ordered, we're spending $600 for 100 of us, so we didn't break the bank. Its very laid back not give me gifts, etc.

 

I don't have a problem doing our AHR, cause I knew from the beginning this is going to be for our friends because we chose to do a wedding that they couldn't be a part of.