What is Protocol at Your Church?

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

What happend to the good old days when you could just serve punch and cake?

LOL!!!!

Don't forget the mints and nuts.

I was thinking the same thing.

[dizzyde]

Originally Posted by lisafitzh2o

Hey, hey...
Leave us out of it, okay?

j/k

I know, I chose to ignore that!! LOL! We are good people, us mountain folk!!

[Tawanda]

Originally Posted by Blue Waters

Our daughter will be getting married and our extended family size is small. The groom's family is larger.

Due to budget constraints on our part the reception needs to be around 200 people which would be the number of both sides of the family and a few friends.

The groom's parents are on the pastoral staff of the church our daughter attends and they want to extend the invitation to everyone. A large number attending the ceremony would be acceptable, however a large reception is out of the question.

Here is the dilemma. What is the protocol these days for inviting the whole church to the wedding/reception?

Hon, you just tell your little wife not to fret. Get the mothers in the church to bake some bundt cakes and go to Sam's and buy a few bags of them baby winers and put them in BBQ sauce.

You can have a fabulous reception so everyone can come.

[Margies3]

Maybe I'm the only here who thinks this way - but it was much more important to me just to have ALL of my friends and family share our special day with us than it was for a few of a few of us to be able to eat steak and lobster. I was very good with "potluck" food. No, we didn't ask others to bring things (altho you have to know my aunts and cousins - everyone DID bring, even tho they were told not to). My mom and I and my sisters cooked for a week ahead of time.

And it turns out it was a good thing they did. We invited 200 to our wedding reception and ended up with around 500. But hey! they all brought gifts - NICE gifts!! So who's complaining? And we all had a great time. And all these years later we have fabulous memories of people who loved us so much they were willing to risk crashing our party just to celebrate with us.

My point is that PEOPLE are much more important than food. If all you can afford to feed a large crowd is cake and punch, then if they love the couple, they will be happy with cake and punch. Invite them. Let your kids soak up the love and support from all of them. It will good for them.

[rgcraig]

Margie,

I agree with you.

What I'm running into is finding a place large enough for the reception - no matter what food we are going to serve. We have to rent a venue and you can't just rent space w/o having to use their caterers which is ridiculously expensive.

I know ours will all turn out just fine.

[Esther]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Margie,

I agree with you.

What I'm running into is finding a place large enough for the reception - no matter what food we are going to serve. We have to rent a venue and you can't just rent space w/o having to use their caterers which is ridiculously expensive.

I know ours will all turn out just fine.

To rent a place in Houston is outrageous!

[pelathais]

I've heard of a little white wedding chapel in Las Vegas. For the reception, you could go to one of those free buffets that people rave about.

[RandyWayne]

Most of the chapels there have deals with various restaurants and buffets.

[Margies3]

Originally Posted by rgcraig

Margie,

I agree with you.

What I'm running into is finding a place large enough for the reception - no matter what food we are going to serve. We have to rent a venue and you can't just rent space w/o having to use their caterers which is ridiculously expensive.

I know ours will all turn out just fine.

Is this a summer wedding? or late spring maybe? If so, have you checked to see if there are any local parks that have beautiful shelters they rent out? I know we have several around here.

Also, you might look into any state parks in your area. We have a couple here who have fabulous facilities. And you are not required to use their caterers

[nwlife]

I think for myself, I will just elope if the time comes that I should marry...It should save alot of $$$$$! Though it might get me shot at since I live in Oklahoma!