Our committment ceremony... does this sound a bit budget?

You should hang your head in shame - Greece?? I'm JEALOUS!
See, I don't think it's the cost thing in this thread - just what the money is usually spent on with weddings that cost heaps :) I, too, think that kind of money is best spent on a bloody good holiday and an occasion that lasts for longer than a few hours!
I've been looking into an offshore wedding, too - but for far less than 30 heads, mind you...still want that farm!
Back to OT, really, a committment ceremony is not about a 'big day' - it's about sharing a moment and celebrating it in a non-traditional way...so break with the tradition of paying for everyone, by all means ;)

Good point Maya - our wedding cost wasn't just for one day - the celebrations went on for about 3 weeks!!!

Amy, if I could afford to go to Canada and do it we would. We'd still have the same low-key, casusl wedding. I did mean that I cant understand people spending so much on things like chandeliers and table clothes etc, just seems so frivilous!

Maya is right, we'd rather ride bareback on a brumby, not side-saddle on throughbred. ;)

Leash i think its perfectly fine! i agree, some crafty wording so that people know not to buy a present, and be prepared to pay for their dinner. i dont think anyone would have a problem with that at all.

its your day, you chose how you want to celebrate!!!!!!!!

congratulations again :)

I think it is a great idea- I have a friend who is looking to get married this year and she doesnt want to spend lots of money- and they would prefer not to have gifts, so I have suggested the same thing to her.
I always try and spend as much on a gift as a nice night out would cost DH and I, so it wouldnt bother me at all to pay for my meal/drinks instead of purchasing a gift.

Leasha,

Just rang DH to get the wording I used I have a few other ideas we had too if you want them to keep the costs down. Also mine was put togther in 6 weeks beacuse we were moving to QLD.


Dear ..........


We would like you to share in our specail day with us on

Date
Venue
Etc

Your prence is the only present we need however if you would like to give us the gift of your presnece at dinner please join us at the xxxxx with the gift of the cost of your meal.

I arranged with the restranunt a specail deal of about 40 a head with 3 choices and everyone RSVP'd with thier menu choice so the venue could have all the meals ready and it also made paying the bill easy for everyone. We attached the menu to the invite with a RSVP card for Cermoney and Dinner and then dinner options hope this helps

Thank you so much :hug: :hug:

Good to know we aren't the only ones 'cutting costs'. ;)

My philosophy with these sorts of things is 'Your day, your way'. I don't mean to sound rude in saying that but I think if anyone expects to go to a commitment ceremony/wedding wanting it to be about them (as in the guest and being provided with food and wine) then they have the entirely wrong attitude.

At the end of the day you both want to be able to look back on your special day and tell Jazz how great it was and how much it meant to you. I say do what means the most to you but also lets you enjoy your day (I ended up serving drinks at one stage during my wedding....last thing I had wanted to do :lol:).

Best of luck and lets us know how you fair with your invites etc.

.. and if you need a cheap make up artist to make you look even more beautiful on the day leash... I'm available ;)

(ie - cheap meaning FREE.. I don't charge for friends ;))

Hi Leash, congrats on the ceremony!
I just did a bit of research and did a google search on wedding invite no gifts. It came up with a few links that may be helpful. Also try a search on wedding invitations. This may come up with heaps of wording ideas.

If your ceremony is going to be 'low key' then I wouldn't stress too much with ettiquete and proper wording. Just say it like it is.

I love wedding and party planning so I will keep searching and hopefully find stuff for you!

PS- Just a quick story. On the day of our wedding my DD (then 3) just had her hair braided beautifully. I was getting photos taken and the limo had just pulled up when she came in with red lippy all over her face, her hair cut and nail polish all over her dress! Lucky your little girl is too young to get into any mischeif - hopfully.

gosh no not at all.. Friends of ours.. His mum got remarried.. and thats exactly what they did..

very very low key service and then dinner at the pub afterwards lol.. it suited them and was very casual.. they said no presents pay for your own dinner and drinks :D

Everyone had a great time

Sounds like a great day to me! I know we would happily pay for our meal and be super happy if we got to chose what we could have! Recently DP and I went to a wedding and the bride and groom had spent heaps and on the way home we felt so bad for them because the food was terrible - I know we didn't go for that but I know it wasn't cheap for them.
Goodluck its your day do it which ever way makes you both happy!

Congratulations on your commitment ceremony!!
Your plans sound like a combination of my wedding and my friend's wedding, I don't think there is anything at all wrong with wanting to do things your way, the way it suits you and the way your loved ones will know made you two happy on your special day.
My husband and I invited only our immediate families to our wedding, as we were so flat broke we had to hock a few bits and pieces from around the house just to afford our wedding rings!! We had a courthouse ceremony in front of our families and then went to dinner at a restaurant afterwards, it was hilarious explaining to the staff when we made the booking that, 'No, we don't want the function room, just a table for ten... yes, I did say 'wedding reception', it's going to be a very small one'.
And at my friend's wedding, she and her husband requested very politely on the invites that, because they had lived together for three years and had two kids together, there really wasn't much in the way of gifts that would be handy to them now, but if their friends and family could send them a money order/cheque with their RSVP for the $30 cost of the meal at the reception, that and their attendance on the day would be more than enough 'gift' for them. It went swimmingly, everyone enjoyed themselves (even me when my husband got hold of the open bar and ended up with his tie wrapped around his head Karate-Kid style), and a lovely time was had by all - and I think a lot of the not-so-well-off among us appreciated the fact that we only had to spend $30pp on dinner rather than trying to scrape together $100+ for a fancy gift.

There are some cute poems getting around on wedding invites these days about how the couple already has everything to make their house a home, so a small 'donation' to their 'honeymoon/house deposit/baby savings fund' would be more helpful to them, so maybe have a Google and see if you can find anything relevant to your situation??
Otherwise, just do what my friends did and say that your attendance and paying for your own meal/drinks is more than enough of a 'present' to you and your beloved. There's nothing impolite about wording it like that and people will probably be grateful that they are pretty much getting a cheaper deal than having to buy gifts (or, at least, they know they can choose something other than 'chicken or fish'!!).

I went to a very similar ceremony a couple of years ago ... they too mentioned 'no gift required as our being there to help celebrate & share their special day was our gift to them' ... and on the invitation was how much $$ per head which helped as a Guest so much as then i knew how much to expect to pay at the end of the night ... and it worked out cheaper than i would have normally have spent on a gift :dance:

On their invite after the per head mentioned cost was what was included eg, beer, white & red wine, soft drinks, entree & main meal & dessert (which was the cake) ... Which made the per head sound such great value as you knew what you were getting ;)

Our commitment ceremony was part of the FEAST festival in Adelaide. It was a group event with 17 couples taking part, funded by FEAST. There was a wedding cake competition (which we came 2nd - but to a store bought cake lol), the decorations were giant paper flowers that the feast committee had made, and the reception was a big picnic event that all guests bought something to share. It was just a great relaxed day.

I just couldn't see us being all stiff and proper - if we were like that we would have each married a bloke instead of each other LMAO!

I think you have it sussed Leash :)

Just wanted to mention this though, after your comment on set menus...How many people are you expecting to attend the dinner? Did you have any ideas on the type of restaurant? I ask this because many restaurants will supply only a limited or set menu to large parties of people. Just make sure you check this out before committing to a particular restaurant :)

I think it's fine too- wouldn't bother me at all.

I just had to write as you mentioned not liking the set menu idea but I think you need to negotiate a fixed range of dinner choices at the same price per person so everyone pays the same. It would be horrible to have the hassle of working out the bill at such a special dinner.

Then make sure guests have to get their own drinks at the bar so they are paid for up front- no nasty surprises on the bill at the end!

I don't think what you want is out of line. I wouldn't be paying for alcohol for everyone at my wedding either as I am not a big drinker myself.