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Ashley
Curious August 2021 Alberta

Separate ceremony and reception dates

Ashley, on December 11, 2020 at 15:44 Posted in Plan a wedding 0 9
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Hi All!

We have been together for 8 years, engaged for one and planned for August 7, 2021 to get married. Our thought is we want to be married but also want to have bigger celebration with family and friends. We are now thinking of eloping on our original date and having a reception the following year. I'm just curious what people have done before or are planning. Would you still wear your wedding dress a year later at the reception? How about having a bridal party? Speeches? I'm just curious what others have done. These are some of the things we want to keep as part of our celebration but I wonder if it is weird to do so a year later? Thank you!

9 Comments

Latest activity by Ashley, on December 27, 2020 at 19:17
  • Ashley
    Curious August 2021 Alberta
    Ashley ·
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    I love that idea! I think we have decided to do something similar Smiley smile

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  • Ashley
    Curious August 2021 Alberta
    Ashley ·
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    I love the idea of renewing vows on the anniversary Smiley smile

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  • Colleen
    Curious April 2022 Ontario
    Colleen ·
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    I’m planning on wearing my dress when I get married in May and then if we have the reception a year later wearing it again. We also plan to still do speeches, bridal party and everything, just on our 1st anniversary instead of the actual day. The only thing we won’t do is a ceremony again. We’ll probably stream that for every this May when it happens
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  • Vinod
    Top August 2017 Ontario
    Vinod ·
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    Ot os possible to do since the guest list won't be full and the outfits can be worn again for guests to see.
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  • Amelia
    Master October 2020 New Brunswick
    Amelia ·
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    We had a small ceremony and reception with our close family and wedding party (about 20) this year and plan to have our reception on our anniversary.


    Because so many people missed our wedding we are going to wear the dress and suit and renew our vows and have all the traditional elements of a wedding reception.
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  • Ashley
    Curious August 2021 Alberta
    Ashley ·
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    Thank you! I think I just wanted to hear it from someone else! Congratulations on your wedding!
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  • Christiana
    Super November 2020 British Columbia
    Christiana ·
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    This is exactly what we did. We originally planned for a November 2020 wedding but when it became clear we couldn't have a "normal" wedding we decided to go ahead with the ceremony and we've postponed the reception to a later date.

    We both still wore our full wedding outfits and did photographs. We had a very small ceremony and streamed it for any immediate family that couldn't be there. We were never going to have a wedding party so that didn't change. Overall the ceremony was exactly what we would have done originally except the location changed to outdoors for safety reasons and we had less people attend. We had dinner by ourselves at our apartment but we zoomed with our families over a cocktail hour and cake/more drinks. My dad gave a small speech but otherwise there wasn't anything too formal.

    When we have our reception I want it to be everything we were originally planning to have at our wedding reception. An entrance by us, cocktail/mingling sort of hour, dinner with speeches, cake, dancing, etc. We'll also wear our wedding outfits again because why not wear them twice!

    If you're looking for a way to incorporate your wedding party for the later reception you could also do a vow renewal and basically recreate your ceremony, if that's something you're into. If you don't want to recreate the ceremony you could still have your wedding party give speeches and sit with you at dinner.

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  • Ashley
    Curious August 2021 Alberta
    Ashley ·
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    Thank you!
    That's how I'm feeling about my dress too!
    Our bridal party will hopefully understand that we are having a small ceremony, it's just both my sisters were going to be standing up with me so I'm undecided on how to include them at a later date for a reception. Congratulations on your engagement!
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  • A
    Newbie May 2022 British Columbia
    Ashley ·
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    This isn't really the same situation but we're from Ontario, getting married in BC and we are also planning to have a small celebration here in our backyard for family who can't make it to BC. I am definitely thinking I'll wear my dress again (because why not?!) but we won't be having a bridal party for that because it's more of a casual reception. Haven't yet decided on speeches.

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