Etiquette for After Party

Re: Etiquette for After Party

• southernbelle0915 mod

  

  March 2015

  Are you planning to invite all guests to your house? If so, I would just include an insert in your invitations that gives details on this - e.g. Reception 1:30-5 at (venue name) / Dinner and After Party 5:15-8 at B&G's house.

  
  

  I wouldn't expect people to stay into the night. Some people may not even come to your house at all since it makes for a pretty long day with multiple, separate events. Even if you just went to 8pm, that's still 7+ hours of wedding stuff. 

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• lovegood90 member

  

  March 2015

  I think it's fine to include it as an insert in the invitations if it's being fully hosted (which it sounds like it is).

  However if I was a guest, I personally would skip going if I've already spent the whole afternoon at your ceremony/reception.

  Formerly martha1818

  

  
  

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• TrixieJess member

  

  March 2015

  southernbelle0915 said:

  Are you planning to invite all guests to your house? If so, I would just include an insert in your invitations that gives details on this - e.g. Reception 1:30-5 at (venue name) / Dinner and After Party 5:15-8 at B&G's house.

  
  

  I wouldn't expect people to stay into the night. Some people may not even come to your house at all since it makes for a pretty long day with multiple, separate events. Even if you just went to 8pm, that's still 7+ hours of wedding stuff. 

  Yes, we are inviting everyone. Yes, not everyone will come, we are aware. We just want to give people an opportunity to come, have a drink, maybe a burger and hang out in the backyard for a bit. Our wedding day is going to be very casual and this will be more a "here's a beer, cheers".

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• LondonLisa member

  

  March 2015

  I would have the invitation to the ceremony and the reception card in the same style and formality. 

  
  

  Then I would have just an inexpensive insert (maybe a vistaprint business card) and call it an "After party BBQ at B&G's House 5-8pm" this way you can make it more casual and let people know that it is optional. Plus with a separate insert, you are drawing the line that your ceremony/reception is the main event, and this is a casual/optional part. 

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• banana468 member

  

  March 2015

  I'd include it as an insert.
  
  IMO, this one is slightly more fluid with the gap. It's an after party but I wouldn't leave it too far after the end of the reception. I'd cater or do as much in advance as possible.
  
  In my family, this is standard for afternoon weddings. It's one of the reasons I wanted a wedding that ran into the evening. I love going to them as a guest and think it's great to party in something more comfortable - especially when I'm chasing kids.

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• MollyandD member

  

  March 2015 edited March 2015

  I didn't have my after party location secured (I had verbal confirmation but didn't have anything in writing) until after invitations went out. I told people by word of mouth first, then I made a Facebook event and invited guests that were on Facebook that way. Finally, I put the details again on the back of our programs. Including it in the invitation would have been so much better, but I didn't want to do that, just in case it fell through.

  
  

  We didn't have a gap. We went straight from the reception to the after party location. Well, my husband and I swung by our house to let the dog out and to let me change shoes, but guests were welcome immediately at the second location. Still, almost everyone went and changed clothes before they went there. They didn't need a gap as a chance to change. They just ran home or to a friend's house. 

  
  

  Less than half of the wedding guests actually showed up to the after party. The older family members on my husband's side chose to get together in one of their hotel rooms and talked all night. The family on my side either went on home or gathered at my mom's house to catch up and talk. Not even all of the bridal party went. Some were just "wedding-ed out" by the time the reception was over, and they wanted to go home. 

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