Casual Receptions...anyone?

[goldengirl]

I REALLY don''t want (to have to plan, lol) a giant, formal reception where I have to rent chairs and pay $60 for linens and arrange flowers that cost more than my car and will be dead in two days....ugh, gives me the financial heebie-jeebies just thinking about it. Maybe if I was rolling in dough, but definitely not anytime soon!

Is it totally uncouth to have a backyard party and say, barbeque ribs? Anybody here have a totally "cas" reception? How did it go? What did you like, what didn''t you like, what would you have done differently, and what should I know to plan for in advance?

 

[Hest88]

I didn't, but my ex-boss--who is very casual--had a backyard BBQ to celebrate their wedding. I certainly don't think you need to spend much money or do anything too formal if it's not your style. Everyone will be there just to celebrate, so it shouldn't matter what kind of reception you throw.

 

[hannah]

One of my co-workers is having a very casual wedding.

The entire day will be spent on a friend's farm -- ceremony in an open field, and the reception in the barn (it's been cleaned out) with lots of picnic benches. She even managed to find a caterer who specializes in BBQs (I believe he generally does pinics and sporting events). Flowers will be freshly picked from her mom's garden. Bridesmaids are wearing sundresses and Birkenstocks sandles. I think that only "big" expense was getting portable toilets and sinks.

I remember her saying that she wants it to be very casual and laid back to reflect both her and her fiancee.

 

[aljdewey]

My wedding was very small, and it was in the hottest time of the year here in New England (mid-July!).

We decided to have our wedding in the garden of a public park, and to take our guests on a harbor cruise. We chartered a schooner and had our meal there catered.

It was EXTREMELY casual....all the guests were told to wear light, comfortable, casual clothing (appropriate for a HOT summer day...no suits, no ties, no nylons!

) and shoes that were practical for a sunset cruise.

It's been my experience that weddings like this....casual, informal, promoting fun and people being themselves....are much more memorable than the run-of-the-mill, hotel-ballroom venue.

Your idea sounds GREAT. If we hadn't done the cruise, our second choice was a bbq. In fact, our rehearsal dinner WAS an outdoor BBQ.

It's been nearly 8 weeks since our wedding, and our guests are STILL talking about how awesome our RD/wedding was....they really had a great time. Couldn't ask for more than that!

 

[chialea]

My fiance and I are tentatively planning BBQ (with a veggie-friendly choice, of course) and a small ceremony in my parents' backyard with close family and friends. It seems a good way to strip away the things which we find unimportant (and happen to be expensvie enough to give me financial panic attacks -- I think he appreciates my frugality, though!

)

Granted, my parents have a really wonderful backyard, but it also has tradition behind it -- my parents were married in my mom's parents' backyard

Don't forget: lawns and spike heels do NOT go together.

 

[goldengirl]

lol....no worries there! If I can get away with it (ie, my mother doesn't find out!) I will get married in flip flops!!

 

[goldengirl]

well, odds are we'll get married near his family (Louisville, KY)...all very casual, warm-hearted Southern folks who, I think, enjoy a good potluck more than anything...so a bbq would just hit the mark.

 

[kkeen15]

I also want a casual affair. I've wanted to get married at my favorite public park for as long as I've been dreaming of a wedding! Its a small, under-the-radar park that is just gorgeous. They have a lot of rules regarding events, which I believe are meant to deter people from having events there at all. Anyway, I want to have a short outdoor ceremony followed by finger foods like fruit, veggies, sandwiches, cheeses, etc. I don't want tables, only a few chairs along with the benches that are already there. I don't want the event to take much longer than a few hours, and my one splurge will be a string quartet. During the reception, I hope people will just explore the park and its gardens. I'm still shaping the details to make the core of the vision a reality, but these are my initial thoughts.

 

[goldengirl]

I suggested getting married in his parents' backyard, but he vetoed that, saying it would give his poor mother an ulcer. I guess I could understand that.

We'll probably have the reception in his aunt's backyard (she's the original hostess with the mostess, she throws a GREAT party and she's got a beautiful place!) and for the wedding itself, he suggested (and I'm perfectly okay with!) here.

I dig outdoor weddings!

 

[innerkitten]

I feel the same golden girl. I'm trying to figure out how to have a party to celebrate my wedding thats not to formal.

 

[fire&ice]

If you want something in between, contact your local garden club. Some localities have lovely private gardens open to members for parties.

 

[goldengirl]

F&I, that's a great idea! I didn't know there were such things as garden clubs, but I bet there's one in Louisville!

 

[abradabra]

My fiance's sister is getting married in the Caribbean this Christmas. Since she won't have a real wedding reception, they made her engagement party the wedding reception. Anyway, it was a pig roast and such a fantastic time. The food was great and the feel was kind of kitchy. The only problem would be if you had vegetarian friends who would freak out at the sight of a whole roasted pig.

Also, you should try searching for those flips flops with the little kitten heel that were all the rage this summer. I'm sure you could slip them past your mom...

 

[aljdewey]

KKeen.....I seem to recall you being from the same area I am......are you talking about Lynch Park?




I married there.....it was positively beautiful!