Big Ceremony...quick Reception...private Dinner??

Personally, I think this is fine. You're hosting everyone who is included in the ceremony with apps and drinks. That's all that's necessary. I'd just try to keep the dinner very small and try to make sure no one mentions it at the big reception.

I think as long as the ceremony and cocktails aren't at a meal time, this would be ok. If this was all being held at a meal time, I would wonder about dinner.

I think this would be perfectly acceptable.

View Quoted Comment I agree with this. If you’re doing a morning ceremony followed by the cake and punch reception I think it would be fine. I would have the cake and punch reception go for longer than an hour and half (that seems really short).

Your evening dinner should be kept very initimate and should not be consider part of the reception.

Also, specify on the invitations that a cake and punch reception is to follow the ceremony, to manage expectations. That way, no on will expect a meal.

I think it depends on when your ceremony is. At a nonmeal time this would be acceptable.

I haven't heard of this, but I think it'd be okay. You are still hosting some sort of gathering after the ceremony for everyone.

Sounds great to me

This sounds like a great idea! However, I would make sure your giving your self plenty of time with your 300 guests at the cocktail hour. At least two hours is needed, I would also put a start and end time example: (3:00pm till 5:00pm). Then your guests will understand its not an open time till everyone wonders away but a set done time. Then you don't feel bad leaving with guests still hanging out to go to dinner.

This would be awkward. What would the timing of the open ceremony be? The only way it would work would be the open ceremony would have to be during a nonmeal time, so 10AM-11AM or 2PM-3PM. And some people may not get the hint to leave and hang out, so your dinner would be delayed. Plus some people may find out about the dinner and think it's pretty rude they aren't invited.

Eh, I don’t know about this. It sounds rude and like a gift-grab.(300 guests?) What you’re doing is a “tiered” wedding where you invite only certain guests to one part and not others. I would invite the number of guests you can afford to both ceremony and dinner.

I was thinking of doing something similar. Splitting up the day and only having certain people at certain things... it was more of a financial reason for me, and the more I looked into it the more costly it actually became to have separate parts. I also started thinking about how I would feel if someone didn't invite me to their entire wedding? Just dont want people to have upset feelings... If it was a different day maybe it would be a different story, but all on the same day I feel like everyone should be invited... just my opinion.

Yup! I've gone to one like this before. I'd include out of towners (people who flew in) in your dinner, but that's still fine

View Quoted Comment I agree with this, especially as it pertains to timeline. I would keep both things very separate (ie, don’t leave the party to go straight to dinner while there may still be guests hanging out)— but having a morning or early afternoon cake and punch reception is totally fine. Space it out, take a breather; and later go to your private dinner. (What would end up awkward is you have a bunch of people hanging out at this little reception and suddenly that hour and a half is up and people are still hanging out, but suddenly you and all your close family are rushing out the door!)

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I agree with this. I would err on the side of caution. If I may ask, why are you being selective? Is it a budget concern? If it is, then you should only invite those to the ceremony and reception that you can afford. I mean to cut down from 300 to I'm assuming maybe 25-30 people who get properly fed seems avaricious to me. If I were one of the cut guests and I found out about dinner, I'd take my gift back.

I think this is fine at a non-meal time. I would probably give the reception around 2 hours though so you get a chance to thank so many people for coming. I’d also take the advice of spacing things out, so if you have an early ceremony and then the cake and punch reception I’d give plenty of time to say goodbye to people and really end the reception before going out for dinner. I don’t think it’s rude to continue the celebration with just immediate family and bridal party after your reception has ended by having dinner.

I think this idea is very different and because it is your day you have a right to do things however you want. But just look at it from the other side cause you don't want any of your guest to feel some type of way. I def think you should expand the time longer than an hour. 300 guest and only an hour an half to speak, take pics, laugh that's a lot. And afterwards make a clean break maybe go home relax a little, change out your wedding dress.. def separate the two occasions. Even though most ppl should know how to be considerate that it is your day and you may want some alone time with some close friends and family some people will just feel some type of way. But don't stress do what makes you happy in the end it is all about you and the future FH