For ****'s sake. She's almost 60 and the husband is no better. He's +70. That guy got a date with the grim reaper. Nobody even knows if he's gonna make it to the wedding. Why do people marry at that age?

I want a church wedding with just mine and my soon to be husbands parents, our siblings, and my neice. We both decided we didnt want gifts or a reception. Is it bad to not have one? His parents keep saying might as well go to the courthouse..

Can you have a wedding ceremony but not a reception?

Long version: We are finally getting married on our ten year anniversary. We ve always planned on waiting this long and of course we haven t actually planned anything yet... and as much as I love a big expensive wedding it just isn t for us. We want to host a, family only, private wedding brunch for about 20-25 people. I basically envision the ceremony (about 30 minutes) and then a lovely brunch reception after. Just basically an enjoyable get together for 25 ppl so they can share our joy in our brief ceremony. I would do it at our home but there is not enough room for 25 people to sit and eat. My budget is around 5000 for everything. It may be cheap to some but for us its just what we want. I ve done a ton of research and I m still coming up empty on a location. A lot of venues trap you into using their caterers which end up being thousands. I want more of a relaxed but lovely DIY feel. I have seen a lot of beautiful diy weddings that are usually held at a friend or family members house. That s what I want, but I don t have a friend or family with the space that is willing to let us use. Any suggestions? I ve been considering renting a large house for a day, so if any one has done this, please let me know your experience. I ve also considered renting a space at a park or national park. Benicia clock tower seems kind of neat too! Please share your cali wedding experiences with me, tell me what you thought of the day! Please be kind in your responses! Thank you.