Hi!
Please help me decide on whether to do this or not - some of my family/friends think I am crazy and taking on too much. I am hoping that there might be ladies out there that tried &/or been through something like this. Sorry in advance that this is so long.
Background: My daughter is getting married on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. Almost all of our guests (100 +) will be from out of state since my husband and I just relocated last summer due to a job transfer. So most guests will travel either Friday or Sat., and return home on Monday. Some close family and WP will be here earlier in week. Many of the guests, I haven't seen in months (even some friends that I talk to on the phone or email frequently, I haven't seen since last summer). My daughter is in another state in grad school and hasn't seen many relatives for even longer.
So, I'd like to get together with them while they are down here, outside of the actual wedding. The wedding itself will be so busy, and more formal. Since the rehearsal has to be at 10:00 am, due to the scheduling restrictions at the venue, the rehearsal dinner will really be a rehearsal luncheon.
So, that would leave me the rest of the afternoon and evening. I was thinking about asking people to come to an open-house type of event from either 3-5, for those who arrive early, or 7-9, for those who arrive later on Sat. It would be at my new home. I could put the informal invites in the Welcome Bags at the Hotels. I was thinking of only serving light snacks and drinks (wine/beer).
If roughly half come early, and the rest come later, it wouldn't be too crowded in the backyard. I'm guessing that some guests may be too tired from traveling to come at all. This would allow daughter and I to actually catch up with people and say more than just HI.
Does this sound workable?
Would it be enough to serve only snacks? I can't afford to feed everyone a full meal - plus that would mean formal invites to get head counts and I don't want to plan this out to that level!
Oh - my daughter has a wedding planner, so I shouldn't be rushing around doing too much on the day before, so that should help! (I know - famous last words - ha ha!)
Does this sound like I am taking on too much???
MOB - Relocated last summer. Daugher attending grad school out-of-state. So, it is a Destination Wedding for ALL but me and DH!