ELOPEMENT/Celebration afterwards query. Very confused. PLEASE HELP!!!!? URGENT URGENT?

Question

Ok, so it's a little complicated but on Dec 20th this year me and my partner are having a secret wedding, just the two of us. On the same day we are planning to send out announcement cards saying "just to say that GROOMS NAME and BRIDES NAME were joined in marriage on December 20th 2008, please join us at The Oaks, Norwich on December 27th for to celebrate."

We wish to pay for all our family to come and have a meal with us and we wish to do it at this restaurant called The Oaks from their festive, 3 courses for £15 menu. The only problem is, we need to give The Oaks our preorders 5 days before the meal so we cannot have the meal on sat 27th Dec as planned as all the orders wont be back from the announcement cards which we plan to send out menus with.

So we therefore want to have the meal on January 5th BUT The Oaks do not run their festive feast menu past 31st Dec! It's a chain restaurant so they can't just change it for one person. I don't wish to buy off of the usual menu because it's too expensive.

I have tried looking at other restaurants that DO run their festive menus past christmas but their set menus are more expensive and they don't have a Kids Option, The Oaks do a kids festive menu for £7.

Other than moving the wedding back so we can get the annoucement cards and menus out ealier, and be in time for the festive menu I cannot see what we can do! Any ideas?

Answer 1

Here is a very old-fashioned idea: you are the hosts, you chose the menu, and people all eat the same thing. People with special needs eat the dishes that they can eat and leave the others. No orders come back from your guests at all.

All of which is perfectly proper -- actually moreso than deferring such choices to your guests.

Answer 2

you could do the meal on the 31st of december, and get all responses by the 24th to let the oaks know what meals to have? or you could pick a set 3 course meal for everyone? so everyone has same starter, same main and same dessert? if its family and friends, you should know whether people are veggie / have allergies....

if not, you may well have to let people know a little before the wedding if you want the deal..

Answer 3

Can you send out the invites a few days before the wedding and put on the invites to promply respond by Dec. 22nd? I know it's cutting it close but that's really all you can do besides pushing the wedding back a week or so. Good luck!

~MLF~

Answer 4

Use this invitation:

BRIDE

and

GROOM

will be married in a private ceremony

on DAY

YEAR

CITY, STATE

Please join them

for a celebration

on DAY

YEAR

TIME

LOCATION

CITY, STATE

Using "will be married" means your invitations can be sent out well before December 20th.  And so . . . you can include RSVP cards.

By sending the invitations and response cards well in advance of the Dec 20th wedding, you can still have your celebration on December 27th . . . as you originally wanted.

And yes, you lose some of the element of secrecy.  But you still get the festive holiday meal you desired.  And folks are aware the ceremony is private, so they will not expect to be invited.  (Please note that a location and a time for the ceremony are NOT included on your invitation.)