2013 At Home Receptions (AHR's)

[Billandstina]

I think you're right! Keep the money lol! You're lucking out having the craft store next store! Lol! Hopefully...if all goes according to plan...I'll be bringing back all the centerpieces from Mexico and setting them up. I guess where I worry a WC could be useful is when we transition from our party to the public dancing at 10:30. A WC would make sure the party atmosphere isn't interrupted for our group while clearing out the things that need to be cleaned before the public join us. Lol

[LKocelko]

We're getting married May 11 and doing an AHR brunch at a restaurant near our house - low key and relaxing (and cheap!). We were initially wanting to have it in July, since that'd put it about 2 months after. However we have found out 3 of my FI's friends are getting married in July so that's a no. We're now planning on doing it the first Saturday in August, but is that too far after the actual wedding? I didn't want to really do it in June since we'll be in Mexico until May 17th and I wanted some space in between, but if we have to I guess we could do end of june? Thanks ladies!

[justine416]

Originally Posted by LKocelko 

 

We're getting married May 11 and doing an AHR brunch at a restaurant near our house - low key and relaxing (and cheap!). We were initially wanting to have it in July, since that'd put it about 2 months after. However we have found out 3 of my FI's friends are getting married in July so that's a no. We're now planning on doing it the first Saturday in August, but is that too far after the actual wedding? I didn't want to really do it in June since we'll be in Mexico until May 17th and I wanted some space in between, but if we have to I guess we could do end of june? Thanks ladies!

We got married Jan 4th in Jamaica and aren't having our AHR until June 1st. We booked an old barn and we want to take advantage of the outside. I was happy that we didn't do it right away because only now am I starting to get back into planning...I was planned out after Jamaica!!

 

My issue is day or night time? Night would be more of a party but the day time would be easier...

[EVKnowsitall]

We got married Jan 4th in Jamaica and aren't having our AHR until June 1st. We booked an old barn and we want to take advantage of the outside. I was happy that we didn't do it right away because only now am I starting to get back into planning...I was planned out after Jamaica!! My issue is day or night time? Night would be more of a party but the day time would be easier...

How about early evening? Like gather around 5 so you can enjoy the outside for a bit and then party it up! Is that an option? Ours starts at 8 but only because we are having it on a Thursday and want to make sure people have time between work if they can't take off.

[Lydia1120]

There are some great suggestions in this thread!

 

I'm still very confused.  So far we have 78 guests attending our wedding in Cuba in November 2013.  We are having a Jack and Jill in September, 2013 with games and prizes to raise money to help pay for the excursion for our destination guests (we rented a catamaran and going snorkelling and swimming with the dolphins).  We will be inviting everyone that was invited to the wedding to this Jack/Jill so my FI is totally against the AHR.  He thinks that everyone who isn't going to the wedding will have the opportunity to come celebrate with us at the Jack/Jill and also, most of our closest friends/family will be at the wedding.  However, my parents will not be able to attend the DW (they are not travellors) and his sisters (teachers) will also not be able to attend the DW, but otherwise, he is correct...all our other close family and friends will be there.  Just not sure if we should have a AHR or not?  I would love to hear some suggestions/opinions.

[LKocelko]

Originally Posted by Lydia1120 

 

There are some great suggestions in this thread!

 

I'm still very confused.  So far we have 78 guests attending our wedding in Cuba in November 2013.  We are having a Jack and Jill in September, 2013 with games and prizes to raise money to help pay for the excursion for our destination guests (we rented a catamaran and going snorkelling and swimming with the dolphins).  We will be inviting everyone that was invited to the wedding to this Jack/Jill so my FI is totally against the AHR.  He thinks that everyone who isn't going to the wedding will have the opportunity to come celebrate with us at the Jack/Jill and also, most of our closest friends/family will be at the wedding.  However, my parents will not be able to attend the DW (they are not travellors) and his sisters (teachers) will also not be able to attend the DW, but otherwise, he is correct...all our other close family and friends will be there.  Just not sure if we should have a AHR or not?  I would love to hear some suggestions/opinions.

Sorry, what is a "jack and jill?"

[Peach]

Originally Posted by Lydia1120 

 

There are some great suggestions in this thread!

 

I'm still very confused.  So far we have 78 guests attending our wedding in Cuba in November 2013.  We are having a Jack and Jill in September, 2013 with games and prizes to raise money to help pay for the excursion for our destination guests (we rented a catamaran and going snorkelling and swimming with the dolphins).  We will be inviting everyone that was invited to the wedding to this Jack/Jill so my FI is totally against the AHR.  He thinks that everyone who isn't going to the wedding will have the opportunity to come celebrate with us at the Jack/Jill and also, most of our closest friends/family will be at the wedding.  However, my parents will not be able to attend the DW (they are not travellors) and his sisters (teachers) will also not be able to attend the DW, but otherwise, he is correct...all our other close family and friends will be there.  Just not sure if we should have a AHR or not?  I would love to hear some suggestions/opinions.

 

What about a laid-back celebration instead of an all-out AHR with just your families, especially the ones that could not come - parents and siblings, for example. You could just meet for dinner and look at pictures or something like that.

[EVKnowsitall]

Originally Posted by LKocelko 

 

Sorry, what is a "jack and jill?"

 

Jack and Jill iis a bridal shower for both the bride and groom- or its used for any activity in which both are present. I tried to get my fiance to agree to a jack and jill bachelor/bachelorette party and that didn't go too swell haha. It's because his best buds- were my best buds first! I met them in college and introduced him and he became friends with them but I'd love to celebrate with them too! I suggested we pick a mutual location and eat our dinners together and spend the day on the beach or doing excursions but not sleep in the same room and party at different venues. I thought it was a clever idea! But he hated it haha

 

Lydia- I agree with your fiance on this one unless you take Peach's advice. I think it would just be an unnecessary expense for you. Kudos on having that many guests go to Cuba! That's amazing! Some of my guests guilted me for choosing DR and I did not appreciate that. 

 

If you wanted to do an AHR solely for the people who can't make it- have a picnic, barbecue, or potluck dinner. It doesn't sound like there are many! We are having an AHR because only 40 people could make it to our wedding and we have many friends and family members who cannot attend at all so the AHR is for them. 

[Lydia1120]

Originally Posted by EVKnowsitall 

 

 

Jack and Jill iis a bridal shower for both the bride and groom- or its used for any activity in which both are present. I tried to get my fiance to agree to a jack and jill bachelor/bachelorette party and that didn't go too swell haha. It's because his best buds- were my best buds first! I met them in college and introduced him and he became friends with them but I'd love to celebrate with them too! I suggested we pick a mutual location and eat our dinners together and spend the day on the beach or doing excursions but not sleep in the same room and party at different venues. I thought it was a clever idea! But he hated it haha

 

Lydia- I agree with your fiance on this one unless you take Peach's advice. I think it would just be an unnecessary expense for you. Kudos on having that many guests go to Cuba! That's amazing! Some of my guests guilted me for choosing DR and I did not appreciate that. 

 

If you wanted to do an AHR solely for the people who can't make it- have a picnic, barbecue, or potluck dinner. It doesn't sound like there are many! We are having an AHR because only 40 people could make it to our wedding and we have many friends and family members who cannot attend at all so the AHR is for them.

Thanks ....we have about another 25 people who RSVP'd that they plan on attending but were not able to commit to the "group booking".  So we are expecting about 100 in total...which really surprises me (I had anticipated and budgeted for 40 people).  I am literally moved by everyone wanting to be part of our special day.  That being said, I know that my fiance and I have been through so much together in the last 17 years and had such great support from our friends.  He has a daughter from his first marriage, I have a son from my first marriage and then we had a daughter together.  Shortly after she was born, my sister was killed in a car accident and we adopted her 3 children.  So we've been soooo busy raising the 6 children that we didn't make the time to get married (nor did we have the money with all the kids to feed, lol).  Along the way, we learned the Art of Marriage and we know that we can get through anything, as long as we are together.  We love eachother more each passing day!  I can't wait to marry my best friend and celebrate with 100 of my closest friends!  

 

BTW,  I really like the idea about having a dinner with just the family members that were not able to attend.

[JMK923]

Hi ladies! This forum has so much great information about AHR, I'm so glad I found this! We are in the process of planning a casual AHR down at the shore, 3 months after we return from our DW - we're getting married February 2014 in Mexico and are hoping to have the AHR in June in New Jersey. We are looking into various restaurants for pricing on an open bar for a few hours and hor d'oeuvres or a small buffet. However, I'm still confused how to go about inviting guests to the AHR - which is really just a casual party for everyone who coudn't make it to the DW that we wish could have been there. We are inviting all our close friends and family to the DW which is 190 people. So, I guess my question is when sending out the formal invitations to the DW, do I give guests the option to choose between attending the DW or AHR DW? Would doing this cause confusion? Or, do I send out the invitations to the DW first and then later send out invitations to the AHR? Do I invite everyone that was invited to the DW to the AHR, or only those that couldn't make the DW (since I'm pretty much having it for those people)? Sorry this is so long, I'm just at a loss on the proper way to handle this Thanks!!