I am my only attendant at my friends wedding. I live in a different province than the bride. She is getting married in a different city than she lives in. It's a small wedding, about 36 guest. The guest live all over the Provence that she is friend.(Where I went to University and we were room-mates)
I visited my friend near Christmas and helped make the invitations and some decorations but I can't do a trip back until the wedding. Regardless if I could make the trip, there is only one other female wedding guest that lives in the same town as her.
From the information I've gotten most people won't be traveling for the wedding until two or three days before the wedding, which is on a Wednesday. The Rehearsal is on the Monday. So that leaves Tuesday, the day before the wedding, for some sort of girl's gathering.
The bride doesn't want a bachelorette party. She hasn't mentioned anything about a shower. I do think she will secretly be disappointed if there isn't anything.
My idea is to have a lunch with wine tasting the day before the wedding. I wouldn't call it a shower or anything else, because I wouldn't want to assume gifts as people will have wedding gifts for the day. Am I on the right track?
Can I get away with asking for people to pay for lunch? How to I word that on the invitation?
Any input appreciated, there might be an angle I haven't thought of.