Aaah, i see what you mean. You used the word 'ceremonies', which i took to mean just the religious/traditional bit, vows etc. In the UK, we tend to separate the 'ceremony' with the 'reception', which is the afterparty.
The party bit doesn't have to be a big spectacle if you don't want it to be, nor does it have to be expensive. I do think that having your friends and family there is important though...