Wedding after party?

NMac2010

How many of you went out after the reception, with friends? To a bar, or local place to keep partying?

Or, how many of you plan to do that?

Our reception is going to end between 10:30-11, and we had thought about continuing the party elsewhere afterwards, but the more I think about it....that's going to be a LONG day for FI and I. I may just be ready to go back to the hotel and crash!

Thoughts? Experiences?

bobbileighb

I am not planning on doing this as ours is ending at midnight and that is plenty late for me.  I have been to one wedding where they had about 15 close people come back to their house (which was nearby) and just brought home some of the extra alcohol that they had purchased already for the wedding.  It was fun but it was almost overkill even as a guest.  I am not a huge partier so maybe thats what impacts my opinion.

angieandjames

Last summer, I went to a wedding where the wedding party planned an afterparty... the reception ended about 9.30, and the bride and groom went back to the hotel, but the wedding party and some close friends (probably 30 people total) went to a karaoke bar... it was a lot of fun, and nice that some of the in-town people let it be know that there was more to do for us out-of-towners. 

NMac2010

Good point.

FI had mentioned going back to one of the GM's houses who lives nearby, instead of a bar. Because there aren't really any bars in Justin. There's one, but, we wouldn't want to go there. And our hotel is in grapevine. I don't think anyone is going to want to drive all the way to grapevine to come out with us. That's a long drive.

I'm just wondering if I need to buy an outfit, and be prepared. I know some girls I've talked to have gone out, and just worn their dresses. But, I don't know if I want to go out in public in my big ol wedding gown! Talk about AW! I don't like that much attention. After a whole day being focused on me, I'm sure I will be done with people looking at me! hahah.

serlace

Natalie - I say buy the dress "just in case".  It's a great excuse to buy a dress.  Ha.

fallbride1109

You will be so tired.  It's a nice idea in theory but I don't know very many people that have later nighttime receptions that actually do it.

BanannaP

When I was MOH two years ago, they planned an after party at a nearby friends' house. The bride and groom showed up for a little while, but it was mostly for the guests. I didn't go, because I was way too exhausted and FI didn't want to go.

Our wedding will end around 11pm. We are planning something, mostly for FI's friends because they are big party/late night people. But nothing big, we're going to just spread by word of mouth that whoever wants to keep the party going can head over to whatever bar we choose. I have a feeling that I will be too tired but FI will want to go, so we may go for a little while. It's all very flexible at this point.

mseale

We have another suite at the hotel that we and our guests are staying at.  My brother and his fiance (both in the wedding party) are going to stay in that room, but host an after party there as well.  That way anyone who wants to can attend, and we can just walk down the hall to our room when we are done with the evening (as well as the guests). 

BanannaP

Oh, I just remembered that after my cousin's wedding, the groom's brothers and their wives came over to our house for a few drinks. It was small, but fun.

Also, the friend whose wedding I mentioned in my last post actually met her husband at the after party of a mutual friend's wedding!

llc2011

I doubt we will since we'll be staying the night at our venue and the reception will end around 11 pm.  We went to a wedding in College Station and people went out after the reception to the bars, but it was already midnight and after driving for 3+ hours and the whole wedding I was ready to call it a night.

I'm the MOH for my friend's wedding this September and they are thinking of an after party.  If they have it, I'll do my best to stay out and party for that.

Donnaaries

I say this is best done informally, don't make it into an official wedding event.  Have someone in the bridal party (say Best Man) kind of pass the word around that there will be an informal get together at ____________ after the reception.  That way, you and your FI have the opportunity to party or not party depending on if you're tired.

We did this with my MOH who passed the word around that there would be an after party in the hotel lobby.  Ironically, she actually passed out in her room before she made it to the party, but DH and I hung out for just an hour or so casually with the friends who showed up (most who were staying at the wedding hotel). Some of them continued the party afterwards onto some Uptown bars, but we were far too tired for that and went back to our room.

NMac2010

Yeah, we wouldn't plan anything formally. I just wanted opinions on whether after the day is said and done, you're just completely exhausted or not.

I am pretty sure I will be, but FI will probably not want to just go back to the hotel. So, we will just play it by ear.

Lacey-I'm trying to SAVE money at this point in the game! Hahahah..but it's a good idea in theory

SoonToBeMrsHoz

Our reception is officially going until 1AM and the majority of guests will still be there at that point, but I am sure that once we make our big exit, we will be done for the night.
As a guest at few other weddings, I have gone out the after party with other guests but the bride and groom were not present.

Terriniski

I've been to one wedding where the bride told close friends to meet at a nearby bar shortly after the reception.  She and her husband changed into casual clothes (I think she might have had a bride-themed t-shirt and jeans).

We did a sort of after party for ours - but our reception was over at 5pm and was hosted at my parents' house.  So we kept drinking and we ordered pizza, and then we left at 10pm to go to our hotel.

I'd say leave the option there if you don't feel the need to get right to the hotel and have your wedding night experience.  If you've got the energy to go out, then great.  If not, you can point friends in the right direction for continuing the party, and you can go relax.  No need for it to be an elaborate, planned ordeal.

MarieSD

We're leaving the option open to decide to go out afterward. We have a small wedding party - we'll probably just text them on our ride away from the reception and let them spread it around where we're headed. Honestly, I think we'll be too tired to go out, but I won't rule it out ... especially since our entire wedding party is from OOT. Since this might be our last chance to be with our best friends/close family before they head back to their own lives ... we might take the chance. But at a bar or somewhere we can easily/quickly leave if either of us suddenly gets tired.

I'm planning to buy a white summery dress in advance and keep it close by to change into. Just in case.

balfour00

Several weddings I've been to keep the party going at a local bar or hotel.  So much fun.

We're having our hotel reserve some tables at their lobby bar for us.  Then everyone can just head up to their rooms or get a room if needed.  I put a note of that on our wedding website that we printed on our STDs.

juliebug1997

I kind of wish that we had done something because our reception was over at 8:30 PM and it would have been nice to hang out with all the guests who were staying at the hotel. 

rhsdiplomanic25

Our reception is ending at 10:30... its in the stockyards so we will be heading over to Billy Bob's after. It's very informal, were not making a big deal out of it, whoever wants to come can but our wedding party will def. be there. We also have many rooms rented in the stockyards hotel and the FI and myself have rented the suite so it will be convient to walk from the hotel to BB's back to the hotel. My mom and sister tried to talk me into wearing my dress to BB's. But there is no way i would do that so i'm slipping into a fun cocktail dress to leave it! Here's a picture of it... I'm as excited about this dress as I am about my actual wedding dress lol!
http://www.modcloth.com/store/ModCloth/Womens/Dresses/Dandelion+Fluff+Dress