invitation wording, WHOA!

WARNING: this is a long an boring post about a very specific topic: how to word and arrange invitations when you are having two receptions. You are completely excused and forgiven if you ignore this post altogether...I just hope it helps someone out!

I posted this in response to this thread, and this one on wedding bee.

I have been very frustrated and dissapointed with the availability of etiquette and wording information for people holding two receptions for a couple whose family lives on opposite ends of the country. (i.e. not a destination wedding or a small private ceremony)

This seems like something that is very common...to have a normal sized wedding/reception in bride's hometown, but groom's friends and family lives on the other side of the country(or out of the country), thus requiring a second reception.

I've by no means made a decision on wording for our invitations yet, but here's what I've got so far.

"...We're having a big wedding here and then a smaller reception out in California just for those who can't travel out. I am finding it so hard to find advice and wording for this because most 2-reception couples have tiny private ceremony or destination weddings and then invite family and friends to the "real party"; where we're having the big reception after the wedding, and just a small dinner party in california.

We have an even stickier situation, because there are about 50 people we are sending both the Chicago wedding/reception invitation and the Southern California reception invitation. In this case, we are inserting an envelope into the Chicago wedding invitations with an invitationto the SoCal reception WITHOUT the announcement (no need for an announcement inside a wedding invitation) . The announcement will go to the other 50 people who were not invited to the wedding.

Also, my parents are hosting my wedding, and his parents are hosting the reception...so I don't think we'll be putting our names first in either the announcement or the orginal invitation...but here are some ideas we're looking at for wording:

Mr and Mrs. Grooms' Parents
are happy to announce the marriage of their son
Groom's Name
toBride's name
daughter of Bride's Parents
on June X, 2009
Please join with us in celebrating their marriage at a dinner party
to be held in XX, CA
on July X, 2009.

OR

Bride's name
and
groom's name
are pleased to announce
they will be marriedon Saturday, june X
with family and friends during ceremonyin Chicago
Please join us for acelebration dinner party
in California
Friday, July Xat 8:00 p.m

OR

The pleasure of your companyis requested
at the wedding reception of Bride&Groom
who were married on June X in Chicago
Friday, the XX of July
at three o'clockLocation

OR

We are delighted to announce our marriage.
Groom and bride exchanged vows
on July 22, 2008 in a ceremony in Chicago
We wish to share our joy with you.
Please join us at XXX for a celebration
Saturday, September 13 Starting at 2pm.

OR for a more caual feel:

Bride and Groom were/will be wed on june X in Chicago.
Please join with them and their families at a reception to celebrate.
Date: April 1, 2005 Time: 7:00 pm for dinner and drinks.Where:The Grooms' houseContact: thehappycouple@wedding.com
RSVP by March 20. We'd love to see you there.


Some links or resources:

http://www.topweddingquestions.com/forum/Wedding_Invitations_C23/Wedding_Announcement_Etiquette_F47/
http://www.lcipaper.com/wording/weddingreception.shtml"