How Do You Host A Reception After Being Legally Married? – Ask The Expert Answer

Question from Lori:

I’m a Canadian bride-to-be moving to the US to live with my American husband-to-be. Because of immigration requirements, our civil ceremony will take place relatively soon after the move and will only include the required witnesses as we sign our license in front of a judge. It’s not feasible for our family to attend, so we plan on hosting a reception for our family and friends at a later date (within a couple of months).

What is the proper etiquette for hosting a reception after the marriage license has already been signed? When inviting guests to a reception, do we need to inform everyone that a private ceremony has already taken place? It is my understanding we cannot do a ceremony-type exchange of vows for our guests,
so what elements may we include in a reception, and which are considered poor etiquette? As we are planning this reception for the enjoyment of our
friends and family, we hope to avoid offending anyone or doing things awkwardly. Any suggestions?

Answer from Bridal Expert Angela:

Hi Lori, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage.  Although you will already be married, you CAN have a traditional wedding if you so choose.  This is more and more common these days for a variety of reasons, and you can even have a church wedding if you choose.  The only difference is you won’t sign another marriage certificate–so it is more like a Renewal of Vows.  The clergy needs to know you are legally married, and the church wedding is to bless the union before God in front of family and friends. 

When you send out the wedding invitations, you can change the wording to ……invite you to attend a reception in honour of the recent marriage of……   It is very common with destination weddings, and more and more people marrying someone from another country, to have multiple receptions in different parts of the world so all family can celebrate the marriage and for the bride and groom to get to know the extended family.

If you have any other questions, please feel free to email again.

Angela Fiebelkorn, Ask The Expert