Getting Started with Your Wedding Welcome Party: What You Need to Know!
As a professional wedding planner, one of the first things I do with my couples is create a preliminary budget. This is when we start to decide what we will include in the wedding weekend. At this stage, we should at least determine which auxiliary events to have.
Most couples think about having a small, intimate rehearsal dinner. I usually advise keeping it to immediate family and very close friends (and +1s). After that, a brunch is often the next event that comes up in conversation. I don't have strong feelings about whether or not couples should have one. The truth is, many guests are often hungover, and while it's fun to talk about the previous day's adventures, it might not be worth the expense if everyone is leaving town right after. What I really want to emphasize is the importance of hosting a welcome drinks event the night before the wedding and inviting all the wedding guests.
It's easy to understand why couples might not want to allocate part of their budget to this, but I can't emphasize enough how important it is to include it in your plans. Without hosting a welcome drinks event, you'll likely spend your entire wedding day just saying 'hi' to everyone. This gives you and your guests a chance to say hello, break the ice, unwind, and then be able to truly enjoy the entire weekend.
Here are a few different options/approaches I suggest. One of these typically works best for anyone's budget or Vision.
Regardless of what you decide you should be planning to invite all of your wedding guests.
OPTION 1
most cost effective option
VENUE: Same location as your rehearsal dinner
FOOD: Offer something limited, maybe 1 food station with some simple offerings or a dessert station, some chips, dip, fruit and veggies, etc
DRINKS:
Tickets: You can speak with who ever is handling your bar about offering 2 tickets per guest. Each ticket can be any drink on the menu or any beer/wine option they have. After they use their tickets they would pay for their own beverages.
Beer & Wine OR Signature Drink: You can offer open beer/wine or just a signature drink people can have if they would like. They would pay cash for any other beverages of their choosing
OPTION 2
middle-of-the-road option
VENUE: This could be either at the same venue as your rehearsal dinner or a very inexpensive alternative venue.
FOOD: Offer some passed apps and maybe 1 station. Resembling a Simple Cocktail Hour. Guests could potentially fill up on the food offered but will likely want to get dinner somewhere before the end of the night.
DRINKS:
Beer & Wine OR Signature Drink: You can offer open beer/wine or just a signature drink people can have if they would like. They would pay cash for any other beverages of their choosing
Open Bar: You can offer an open bar to all of your guests.
OPTION 3
best experience overall
VENUE: A different Venue from the one you had you had your rehearsal dinner (be sure to plan a buffer time for you and other guests to get from dinner to the welcome party)
FOOD: Offer substantial amounts of food. It can be a dinner, buffet, pizza party, taco station.. anything that will be enough for guests to not feel like they need to have dinner elsewhere.
DRINKS:
Beer & Wine AND Signature Drink: You can offer open beer/wine with a signature drink option. They would pay cash for any other beverages of their choosing.
Open Bar: You can offer an open bar to all of your guests.
It is VERY important to be VERY CLEAR with guests (I suggest using your wedding website) to explain what they should be expecting at this event.
Examples:
Please join us for light refreshments at our Welcome Party, first 2 drinks are on us!
Please join us for a cocktail-hour-style welcome party, beer and wine are on us!
Please join us for our Friday Night Pizza party fun and libations!
It should paint a picture of whether or not they need to plan for dinner elsewhere.
You should also include very clear details:
Location of the event
Start and End Times
Will be shuttles available
Will there be parking on-site
Be sure to get RSVPs
Be sure to ask for allergies/restrictions
Have fun planning!
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