These days weddings have become something of a two or three day affair with many couples having intimate dinners the day before the ceremony and hosting something more casual for close family and friends the day after the ‘I do’s too. It’s a great way to keep the party going in a laid back less formal setting and indeed it’s perfect for catching up with those you might only have had a fleeting moment to chat to on the wedding day, which is hectic.
However, while it’s nice to extend the celebrations beyond just one day, there are certainly things to consider, first being the cost and your budget. Second, it can also be a stretch for some guests to stay an extra day or night and you’ll need to take this into account when organising something. Finally, remember you don’t have to organise something for the following day, so don’t feel under pressure if you just want to relax as a newly married couple.
If you do want to organise a special day after the wedding event, then feel free to get in touch to chat about this or any other aspect of your wedding day plans or décor.
Keep it Casual
The key word for the day after the wedding is casual! Guests will be tired from the night before and a sit down affair is something to be avoided. Also many people may need to hit the road early enough and may unable to stay for an evening meal, so think about having a casual brunch, late lunch or early dinner where people can pop in and out without feeling tied down. Forget seating plans, suits, centrepieces and cake cutting and instead just sit, chat and enjoy the day after.
Who to invite?
Generally speaking the day after the wedding celebrations are for close friends and immediate family, but there’s no hard and fast rule on this. If you do want to make the event something for everyone who’s coming to the wedding, then make sure to have this information on the invitation as you’ll need to confirm numbers in advance. Otherwise often just word of mouth is enough.
Venue
Your venue will probably have plenty of options available if you want to do something on site, from BBQ areas, to private dining or even small function rooms. If not though, why not think about heading to a local pub for some casual food and drinks, or you could always arrange a caterer to offer some food and drinks in your own home
Food and Drinks
If you’re budget allows then you might want to push the boat out and hire in a food truck or host a buffet BBQ or even a pig on a spit, but don’t feel you have to foot the bill for everything, you can cover the food but let the guests order any drinks themselves; many will be driving home so it’s likely to be a non-issue. You could always ask your close family and friends to head to the local pub for some laid back food and drinks instead and you can ask for the pub to throw in some complimentary finger food if the numbers allow.
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