What to include in just the ceremony

This sounds like a great idea. I love Tori's suggestion of adding the garter and bouquet toss, I remember these being later in a traditional reception so they could be your send off moment to wrap up the party. You could also have some of the speeches during breaks in the ceremony to make that run a little longer.


For dessert cupcakes would be easy to serve and you could have them already packed in to go boxes or on cute paper plates if you don't want people sticking around talking and eating for hours. If the two of you hand them out it gives you a chance to quickly see and thank each of your guests too.

The ceremony will be held outdoors so it will make things a bit easier if the weather cooperates. My idea is to do the ceremony followed by first dance, speeches and maybe some sort of dessert.

We are having a ceremony followed by our first dance then we are going back to our house and having cake in our backyard; no dinner. The place we had booked for dinner only must opened their patio and it's six to a table max so it didnt make sense since we all couldn't sit together. It's just our parents and kids attending to keep it under our ten person max. We are looking at doing a reception next year where we will dance and party

Is the ceremony outside? can you just do all of that right after the ceremony?

View quoted message Do what you have planned as you would ask everyone to srick around for some time to do the speeches and dessert of any choice being served. An announcement is a the best way to have it done once the ceremony is done or have a sign to indicate to not leave after the ceremony.

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At my wedding it was super short and fun (one of my DH's best men and one of my bridesmaids who have been dating for YEARS caught them and it made for a pretty funny scene ).

LOTL = Love Of Their Life

View quoted message So you think we should skip any sort of speeches? I'm not sure if we will have a cake or if it will just be cupcakes as we are doing all outdoors with no tables

View quoted message I do like the idea of garter toss and bouquet toss as well! Would be fun to add in and super short. I'm not sure what LOTL means? Haha

The ceremony can be done and when you are announced officially, make an announcement to stay back for some time as the first dance and cake will be served. This way you can include the toss if wanted before the cake cutting. Once its all done, your guests can leave at their discretion.

I would say to include (like you said) the speeches, first dance, and then also maybe the cake cutting if you are having one? And since you aren't doing a reception you could keep the ceremony a bit longer and include (if you weren't already) a Unity ceremony with either the sand, paint, tie a rope, etc.?

The possibly include the garter toss and bouquet toss to see if by the time you have your reception - did they find the LOTL??? lol