Flowers, rehearsals, after parties, and brunch - oh my!

knottiea2c8c86fa4503b6d

hi ya’ll!

complete destination bride here. Flying down to NOLA on 10/3-10/6 to visit all our wedding locations, but need a bit of advice. Small wedding, small budget.

wedding and reception will be brunch time at Chateau Lemoyne on 2/23/19. Second line after, but need advice on where it should go to. Do I need to call ahead and host the after party or is it ok to just have the second line end there and people are out to party on their own? Thinking pat o’s? Do I buy to go cups for the party to fill up on the reception champagne bar to take on the parade?

rehearsal dinner/welcome party- thinking of B.B. Kings. Hors d”oeuvres and maybe 2 drink tickets. Think that is ok? Should I still do welcome bags?

sunday brunch- thinking of doing a non hosted (unhosted?) event at house of blues- gospel brunch. Is that ok? We would put something on the website or invitation like “if you would like to join us for the world famous house of blues gospel brunch, tickets are $45 and can be reserved under our party code xxx”

also- just looking for two pillar arrangements for the ceremony and some loose petals. No florist seems to want a job that small-
any ideas? 

short+sassy

Hello!  I live in NOLA.  I hope you all have a great DW down here.

I don't think you need to host anything for the second line through the FQ.  To me, that's really the beginning of the after party.  Pat O's would probably be a nice place for it to end, since that's a standard place people like to visit when they are in town anyway.  Yeah, definitely have go cups for people to grab on their way out.  They don't even have to be the "typical" plastic ones.  Even something like Red Solo cups would be fine.  As it seems like you know, open containers are fine as long as they are not glass.  No glass, that's a biggie.  Cops will stop you all and make you throw glass containers away.

You don't have to do a rehearsal dinner if you are not having a rehearsal.  But I can understand if you want one, especially since I'm assuming all of the guests are coming from out of town.  But don't do drink tickets, because your guests should not have to take their wallet out.  Though, you can limit the drink menu with the venue.  Like only a few selections of beer and wine.  Also, make sure people are given a full meal or appetizers enough to be a full meal.  It doesn't even have to be fancy.  You all can go out for pizza and get pitchers of beer and soda.  That kind of thing.  A lot of the pizza places even have "Cajun" type ingredients for a bit more of a NOLA flare.  "Slice" on St. Charles comes to mind.  You all can take the street car there and back from the FQ.

For a beer choice, may I suggest Abita Amber.  Abita is a brewery across Lake Ponchartrain.  But they are a LARGE localish company and you will find their beers everywhere.  I'm an amber beer drinker anyway and theirs is both great and that type is one of their most popular choices.

Welcome bags are never necessary, but they are a nice touch and typically not very expensive to put them together.

Don't put the brunch info on the invitation, if it is not being hosted by you all.  But on the website and/or word of mouth is perfect.  Just the way you worded it.  That makes it clear it is not being hosted.

I don't know much about florists here.  But, maybe if you all are willing to go pick up the flowers and loose petals yourselves, I'd think a florist would accommodate that.

If you have any more questions, just PM me.  I actually rarely check this board and it was unusual I saw your post!