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Aisle Style . Reception

(page 4 of 5)

Marry Now, Party Later

Couples choose to separate their ceremonies from their receptions for a host of reasons: to spend quality time with their families and celebrate with friends, to accommodate a destination wedding, to make grandparents feel special, or to include friends who live far away. Sometimes it just doesn’t make sense to start partying right after the nuptials.
Susan Wright and Jesse Kegley of Townsend chose to wed at Sandals in Jamaica. Only their parents and siblings attended, so they followed up later with a beach-themed reception at home. “We wanted to keep the ceremony small and really intimate,” Wright says.
Tiffany and Aaron Downey married at Hershey Gardens in Pennsylvania. They had their reception the next day at Klondike Kate’s restaurant in Newark. “We struggled with the fact that our family and friends are scattered all over the country,” says Tiffany. “To simplify planning, we decided to have a small wedding with only immediate family and very few close friends.”
Hershey Gardens was convenient for Aaron’s grandfather, who was unable to travel very far from his Central Pennsylvania home. Tiffany says a side benefit of having her party the next day was how well-rested she felt. “We were able to enjoy each part of the wedding experience without the feeling of rushing.”
Katrina and Matt Holloway of Wilmington were living in California when they married at the chapel of Sanford School in Hockessin. They celebrated at Delcastle Inn, then Matt’s family threw a casual reception on the West Coast for those who couldn’t travel to Delaware. The advantage? “We got to show the wedding video and all our pictures to the guests in California,” says Katrina.   —Katie Ginder-Vogel