Planning an ‘At Home Reception’ following your Destination Wedding
Destination Weddings are proving increasingly popular – what could be better than getting married at a spectacular location and inviting the people you love most to join you? While these weddings are romantic, unique and memorable, the travel and time commitment involved in attending may well mean that some of your nearest and dearest won’t be able to join you. How do you celebrate your marriage with the friends and family members who couldn’t be there on the big day itself? Here’s our guide to ‘At Home Receptions’…
An Introduction
‘At Home Receptions’, or AHRs, following a destination wedding are increasing in popularity with couples who want to celebrate their nuptials with beautiful scenery and picture perfect weather, without having to sacrifice the chance to let all of their circle share in their joy. If you plan on hosting such a celebration, timing is key: some couples host their ‘home’ wedding reception as soon as they get back from honeymoon, others may wait a couple of months so they can better manage the costs involved. Generally, it’s a good idea to wait no longer than six months after your ceremony, as by this point your guests may no longer be as excited to come and celebrate with you.
Should I include elements from our Destination Wedding?
With destination wedding locations ranging from Ireland to Hawaii, some couples may wish to incorporate aspects from their wedding in their AHR, while others may feel that it’s inappropriate to remind your guests that they weren’t there for the actual ceremony. You will be able to judge this based on your own friends and family, but if you don’t want to go overboard, there are also more subtle nods you can include, from choosing particular colours or motifs in your décor, to offering a themed cocktail.
Which Wedding Traditions should I include?
Typically, an AHR will be shorter than a traditional wedding – more akin to an evening reception than a full day’s celebration – but which elements you choose to include is entirely up to you and your partner! You may choose to forgo traditional wedding aspects, such as a vow-exchange or tossing the bouquet, but still opt to wear a white dress, have a live band and cake-cutting. Similarly, you could simply choose to host a party with dinner and dancing. By breaking with tradition in having a destination wedding followed by an AHR, you are free to make decisions based on what feels appropriate for you and your partner, and host a celebration that suits your marriage.
What about gift-giving?
Some couples may feel a big uncomfortable about hosting an AHR, in case people consider it gift-grabby of them, but if this is the case for you, then it’s quite acceptable to let your guests know through word of mouth that gifts are not required or expected. On the other hand, many of your guests will choose to give you a guest regardless! In this instance, they may well choose to get you something personalised, so it may be worth letting them know the date that you got married on with your invitation. Should they choose to get something engraved for you, they’ll be able the correct date to include: the one you’ll come to think of as your anniversary.
Ultimately, an ‘at home reception’ should offer your friends and family the opportunity to join you in celebrating your marriage and serve as a thank you to them for being part of your lives together. The National Piping Centre is the perfect venue for such a celebration, and you can find out more about our offering for such receptions here. Our management team would also be happy to tailor-make your own perfect celebration: request a chat with one of our wedding team by filling in this enquiry form, contacting us on 0141 353 5551 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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