LDS Wedding invite question

[JTsMom]

I'm just curious if I'm understanding this correctly...

If you get married in the Temple, only certain people (sorry, I don't know what the correct term is) are allowed to attend, right? So is it the norm to send out invites to those who wouldn't be allowed to attend? If so, what would happen if one of the people who weren't supposed to attend showed up anyway (not knowing they weren't supposed to go of course).

Thanks for any insight!

[shelikesmorningglories]

You would send out marriage announcements:)

[ha98ed14]

I asked this question in another thread before and was told that Mormons don't send out invites to non-Mormons for the ceremony, but they have a cake and punch reception where the non-Mormons can greet the new couple and say congrats, etc. So basically its like you get invited to a mini- reception but not the ceremony. HTH

[mom2binsd]

Usually the invitation will list the time that the couple is being married in the Temple...and often close family only attend (and only those who currently hold a "Temple Recommend" may enter the Temple...meaning they have met with their Bishop and are in good standing...for lack of a better term...no offense meant to any LDS members...not all Mormons are allowed in the Temple...)

So, if you get an invitation...what I learned after living in Utah and consulting with my LDS friends was you can go to the reception and bring a gift...or just not go..and don't feel obligated to send a gift....there aren't usually RVSP's either so they just estimate how much punch, cake is needed.... of course for a formal dinner reception it's more typical...just don't expect an open bar (just kidding...but I can tell you that we went to our nanny's reception, he husband had just converted and they could not have a Temple wedding until a year later...so their reception was at a gorgeous restaurant...his family is not Mormon and they all got drinks from the bar...we didn't it just felt funny and we weren't staying too late...there were no speeches etc and everyone ate as they arrived (all 400 guests) and the wedding party stood in a line for about 2 hours...also no dancing or toasts...

Now ask me about attending a Baptism....whole new thread

I loved living in Utah and learning all of the different aspects of Mormon religion..myself I'm not terribly devout but found my friends and neighbors respected that and never pushed me...but others have had different experiences...anyway...sort of hijacked this thread.

[JTsMom]

Thanks for all of the info everyone. :)

DH's close friend (who is the only Mormon in our circle- even her family is not) is getting married next month. We got 2 invites in the mail yesterday- one for the ceremony, one for the reception, and it just kind of threw me for a loop b/c I knew we couldn't go to the ceremony. Maybe b/c she didn't want her family/friends to feel left out-since basically NOBODY can go, she thought she'd send the invite to the ceremony as a token or something? She's really sweet, so I could see her doing something like that.

Poor DH didn't realize he wouldn't be able to attend the ceremony- don't know where he's been, we all had a huge convo about it last year. I was just thinking if he'd been single, and not known not to show up, it would be weird.

[schums]

Is she being married in a temple or a LDS "church" building? The reason I ask is that the people who lived across the street from us in Indy were LDS, but there wasn't a Temple in the area. They had a "church" (not sure that's the right term, but I don't know what it was really called) that I don't think had the same restrictions as the Temples do. Her husband did not have a "Temple Recommend" but attended services every Sunday with the family. So maybe DH's friend is being married in a "church" and will later have a Temple ceremony?

[mom2binsd]

Sarah makes a great point...the church buildings or "ward houses" are open to all, we attended a baptism there too...often the receptions are held at the ward house too...but I'm assuming Atlanta has a Temple.

[JTsMom]

Yes, it is a temple. It's in CA though, not here.

[BeachBum]

I think I'd just call and ask her.

[american_mama]

One of my closest friends is Mormon and for her wedding at the Salt Lake Temple, she arranged a tour of the grounds during the ceremony for the non-Mormon guests who she thought would be interested. Her invitations were just for her reception and she told us verbally about the tour. The guide finished the tour at the spot where many wedding couples posed for photos, so we were there when my friend came out, newly married, and we watched as she posed for photos. It felt very normal. Her reception was a sit down luncheon at a nice hotel, which she said was an unusual choice for a Mormon reception.

As for what would happen if someone showed up to go inside the temple, I suspect the temple staff handle that multiple times a day, especially at the busier temples. On my two or three tourist visits to the Salt Lake Temple, the missionaries working there have been unfailingly polite and well-trained, and I am sure they have a courteous response to anyone who unknowingly thinks they can tour the temple.