I probably wouldn't choose a ball, as I'd want the occasion to be more intimate, but if I did, I'd pay for the tickets. The hosts entertain the guests. Depending on how much the tickets cost, it might be comparable to buying dinner at a nice restaurant for everyone.

Jamie_MT - you can search on her name - just had a wedding about your size with the reception at a restaurant.

You could also have your reception at home, with the food catered or prepared ahead of time. You could probably even get frozen casseroles, fresh salad, etc. and do it yourself.

Best of luck.

If I were doing that on New Years I would check with local places to see what they have to offer, or I would have a small intimate party at my house and try to have the wedding around 11:30. If it needs to be at a local venue then I would have an early evening wedding, with maybe dinner after then on to the party. Hope that helps!!

For 10 people I think a catered party at home (yours or a friend's) would be really nice. Definitely you'd want it catered because you don't want to deal with the mess yourself. But if your budget is tight you could just hire someone to help out with serving and cleaning, and buy and/or prepare a lot of the food yourself. You could easily have a self-service bar.

New years eve is a great night for parties at home - the xmas tree is still up if you had one, the house already looks nice, it is warm and cozy, and 10 people is a perfect size.

I agree that you'd want to pay for the tickets for your guests if you decide to go to some kind of admission-charging party, or pay for dinner if you go out to dinner.

If you go to a party or restaurant, one in a hotel would be nice so you can stay the night. Whatever you do, make sure that you help your guests make plans to stay off the roads as much as possible and definitely avoid driving drunk. Cabs are hard to come by on new years eve so you could arrange with a driver from a car company in advance - or even a limo service if you are into that.

Around here, a New Years eve dinner/party in a nice restaurant is 50 to 100 dollars a person. That's a night when people may have other plans, be recuperating from the holidays or not wanting to be out on the streets with all the drunk drivers. Of course, it may be completely different where you live. Weather could play a big part, too. Anyway, good luck!

I generally am not a fan of weddings held over holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, 4th of July - etc. because it feels like I am using vacation time to travel to and from the wedding. However, I would welcome a New Year's Eve celebration if it did not involve travelling out of town. I'm with the others - if you can swing a low key catered affair at home - go for it.

Hello everyone,
The wedding will actually be held in Ottawa, ON Canada - this is where my brother lives which is why I will be keeping it very small. As of right now there are only 4 people; but I am hoping a friend or two that do not have New Year's plans yet will come and celebrate also. I am not that into having a wedding having had a big one when I was 21, I am 32 now. I also read that a second wedding when you are over 30 should be small and intimate, not that it matters too much as I really only need two people for witnesses. Mainly we (my fiance and I) would like to spend New Years with my brother and his girlfriend so we figured we would get married at the same time rather than just going to Justice of the Peace here in Michigan. However with some of your input I am beginning to think that maybe I should do a little more and have a catered dinner or reserve a special table for 10 - 12 people somewhere fancy.
Thanks for all your input.. it has the wheels in my head turning now. :)

I agree with the idea of having the wedding at a private home. For the number of guests that you plan to invite, it will be intimate and personal, much nicer than being part of a larger crowd.

Our wedding was nine people - that includes myself and DH. That was really as big as we would have wanted it - small, casual, and not much to "plan". The hardest thing about it was choosing a restaurant that everyone was happy with - a local buffet won. ;-)

Do you want to get married close to midnight, or before? That would make a difference in what you do, I'd think. If you wanted to get married before, I'd highly suggest a short wedding at home (around 7pm, maybe?), and then either the party or dinner afterwards (you pay for those costs - your wedding). You'll have to book things far in advance though - new years is a *crazy* night to try to eat out pretty much anywhere, I think. But might be well-worth it...ready-made party atmosphere for your "reception". :-)

Really though, I think it would be really nice to have the wedding around 11:30pm at home, as suggested, followed by a champagne toast at midnight, and then an "appetizer" dish for anyone who cares to stick around...finger foods and drinks. It would be your own "new year's eve" party, with the wedding as the "main event" right before the new year. That would be fun, I think, and laid-back. :-)

Congrats and good luck - don't forget the announcements afterwards! ;-)

When hubby & I got married almost 3 years ago, we were going to have a small informal wedding, maybe Vegas. We'd both been married before (me twice, him once) but the more we thought about it, the more we realized what was really important to us. We both agreed that we wanted nice photos to hang & show off. Neither of us had a real wedding- Justice of the peace. Photos meant dressing up & since I'd never had a gown before went with a nice beaded wedding gown without a train. It was beautiful but fairly simple. We both decided we wanted really nice scenery & to be married in a garden. We decided on Cypress Gardens in FL in Nov during the mum festival. We brought no family with us but invited his son & wife (they didn't make it- she was afraid to fly after 911) plus a family friend that lived there as well as an internet friend of mine & her hubby. It was low key, inexpensive but was a day we will never forget. I think since it was just the 2 of us it meant more to us. I felt like a princess walking around the park for pictures with my gown on. Afterwards we treated everyone to dinner.

I just looked up Ottawa, looks like a really pretty state. If you click on visit Ottawa, it will bring you to another site with attractions etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ottawa

I know you've probably already considered this, but if you and your finance are American, make sure your marriage will be recognized in the US if you get married in Canada. If you are Canadian living in the US (like me), no problem.

I like the idea of a small, intimate wedding. Something that allows you and your guests to focus in on you and not the "event". I would stick to a dinner at someone's home or reserving a small party room at a local restaurant.

I agree with others who have said that that a small wedding like you are describing is best in an intimate setting, such as a home. You might consider renting out an entire B&B and having the wedding in the parlor, and then having a reception there. You can then all stay the night, if you're inclined to share your honeymoon with your guests!

Another issue to consider is taxes. You should run the numbers and make sure that by marrying one day later you wouldn't save some money. New Years' Day is a great day for a wedding - new beginnings and all that.

I usually hang out on the Kitchen Forum, but I like to stop by here to read all of the wedding chatter.

We live in a tiny "vacation" community where a "personal chef" will come to your home or vacation cabin and cook a wonderful meal. I would think Ottowa is large enough to offer something like that. Then you can have restaurant quality food in the safety (New Year's Eve) of a home.

jerri