Mormon wedding open house

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A Mormon wedding open house is a common element of marriage celebrations for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, especially for weddings held in areas with established LDS populations. One reason for a Mormon open house is for family, friends and guests to gather in celebration of the marriage without the costs normally associated with a formal wedding reception. It is also a way for guests to share in the joy of the event without taking up their whole day.

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[edit] Background

Weddings for worthy members of the LDS church commonly take place in a Sealing Room of a LDS temple. The temple ceremony can only be attended by worthy church members, and is usually limited to immediate family and close friends; sealing rooms often can only accommodate groups of 60 people or less. Because of this, Latter-day Saints often hold either a traditional wedding reception, or an open house as a more casual and less expensive alternative.

Church members married outside of LDS temples may also follow this social tradition, though the open house or reception may occur at the same location as the wedding, and will often take place directly after the marriage ceremony.

[edit] Characteristics

In weddings where the bride and groom are married in an LDS Temple, an intimate luncheon is usually held immediately following the temple ceremony for family and close friends. This serves as a form of "reception" that both enables guests of any faith or religious standing to attend and affords the wedding party a less-expensive option to a formal reception. The luncheon is then followed by the open house later that evening.

The open house is typically held in the evening and guests are welcome at any time during the event. A common duration is three to four hours long, with guests coming and going as they please. It is normally a semi-formal to business casual event held at a local meetinghouse ("church" building), though other locations may include parks, gardens, and backyards.

Just as wedding receptions differ in style and formality, open houses vary according to budget, personal preference and circumstance. Food may include anything from light refreshments – fruit punch, cookies, table mints and Jell-O (see Jell-O Belt) – to catered buffets. While attempts are made to accommodate all guests, the common adage holds true: first come, first served.

Guests are welcome to bring gifts, which are commonly in the form of household items. It is common for the couple to list items of special interest in a bridal registry. With the increase in general mobility in recent years, young married couples may live farther from their parents. In such cases, monetary contributions are not uncommon instead of house wares, as transportation of a large quantity of gifts may be more of a burden than a blessing.

As in many close-knit communities, the open house acts as an informal location that is conducive for catching up on family affairs, social networking and celebrating the coming together of two fellow community members.

[edit] Attendance

While the ability to attend temple wedding ceremonies is severely limited, and the afternoon intimate luncheon is by special invitation only, the open house is commonly considered general admittance for all well-wishers who have some connection to the couple or their family. Formal invitations similar to wedding invitations are commonly sent, but the receipt of such an invitation is not necessarily a prerequisite for attending. For example, it is not uncommon to invite the entire membership of the local ward (congregation) where the couple and/or their parents attend through an announcement during Sunday meetings.

More than one open house may sometimes occur when there are at least two large groups of interested parties that are separated by a great distance. Invariably the second open house will happen at some point after the wedding day, and will be held in the location that is more distant from the temple where the marriage was performed.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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