How can I best word my wedding invitations?

Question

My partner and I live in California. We had a wedding last October, but now that we can get legally married (we're a same s*x couple) we want to legalize our marriage in a small, informal ceremony on our one year anniversary. We would like to gather at a restaurant afterwards, but can't pay for everyone's meals. below is my attempt at the wording.

H___ and M___ invite you to join them for a small ceremony to renew their vows and make their marriage legal in the state of California. The informal ceremony will be held at the home of their friend, Joan, at (address here) at three-thirty in the afternoon on Tuesday, October 7 2008. Please also join us for dinner at __________Please RSVP by September 22nd (phone number)

Answer 1

Maybe something like "the wedding party will be attending dinner following the cerimony at ______, please feel free to join us there as well, however be advised that dinner will not be provided by the wedding party."

or something less horrible then that, that warns people they're gonna have to pay. If it's a small close group of people, they shouldn't mind any trippy wording that tells them all the details they need rather than pure poetry that misleads them.  

Answer 2

First of all: YAYYYY!!!!!!!!!

*throws confetti*

I'm so happy for you!!!!

Now: I would write, You are cordially invited to celebrate as H and M renew their wedding vows and make their marriage legal in the state of California. The ceremony will be held at the home of a friend, Joan, at (adress here) on (date/time) We invite you to join us afterwards at ____, although dinner will not be provided.

RSVP (the phrase in French already includes a "please") by September 22nd by calling (name) at (number).

Answer 3

If you ask them to join you for dinner it implies you intend to pay, that's how I interprut it. I don't know how I'd reword that part exactly. It's too bad you can't speak the eatery and arrange for a buffet or something. Or maybe find an outdoor venue and a little catering. But if you can't you can't. Maybe you're just going to have to write it out clearly that you can't pay for it.

You ask hard questions, that's one for Dear Abby.

Answer 4

Change it to:

Please also join us for a no-host dinner at _______

This lets the invitee know that he/she/they are responsible for their own meal. Just like a "no host" bar means people buy their own drinks.

Congratulations and good luck!