Hello, we are looking to have our wedding at the red maple vineyard outside Poughkeepsie. Poughkeepsie is really the closest place with lodging, and nearly 100% of our guests will need it (I am from Long Island, he is from MA, we live in Brooklyn).
We're wondering where people have their after parties on Saturday nights. The only hotel close to bars in walkable distance is the poughkeepsie grand, but they won't allow for wedding blocks of greater than 10 rooms. We know many people will be staying at the courtyard marriott, holiday inn, etc which are further away and in strip malls, not near nightlife. What do people typically do? It seems very expensive to have our shuttle going from 4 PM before the ceremony to 2 AM+ to get people back to their hotels.
Alternatively, the vineyard offers an 'after party' where they keep the venue open for a fee/hr, but it would be cash bar for our friends, which seems a little odd to ask of them if at the same venue. If we were at a bar, everyone would be responsible for their own drinks, but I feel it's strange to not cover drinks if it's an extension of the reception. Or is that not strange? We wouldn't have the finances to continue covering drinks during the after party, and there doesn't seem to be some kind of package.
Thoughts on either? Appreciate it!