- A Wedding Weekend is great for a wedding party where people come from a long distance to celebrate with the happy couple. It gives the bride and groom a chance to spend time with friends and for guests to meet each other.
- Start the weekend off with a casual barbecue where everyone can relax after a busy week. If your home won't work, ask a close friend to host the party. You might include a tennis match, bowling tournament, tables with cards, or a round of golf. No one should feel any pressure to do anything but enjoy themselves.
Skip the formal rehearsal dinner and plan a simple, casual gathering for all visiting friends for the night before the wedding. It can be a cocktail party or pool party, a walk on the beach, or a hike in the woods. Just get everyone together and have fun.
Host an informal brunch or simple lunch of sandwiches and chips before the wedding. Or plan an elegant catered luncheon for all your guests. But make the timing flexible, as everyone will be busy. You don't go have to go overboard. It's just another occasion for everyone to feel included.
- The morning after the wedding, invite everyone to join the happy newlyweds for breakfast--but not too early!
A Destination Wedding can be an extravagance and works best if your guest list is not long.
- You don't have to go far! Plan a party at a hotel in a town 100 miles away. Just getting away will make the day feel special.
Choose a vineyard, a beach, public garden, or amusement park for the celebration. Plan your decorations and events around the location.
If you and your friends have money to burn, plan some place exotic like Morocco or Fiji, Alaska or Hawaii. Have an informal ceremony under the Eiffel Tower in Paris or on a gondola in Venice. Everyone will want to come! When budgeting, think about transportation, hotels, and all meals. It can really add up!
Plan and prepare your decorations at home and take them with you in an extra suitcase or trunk! It could be hard to find just what you want in some place you're not familiar with. And if you have everything done ahead of time, you'll be able to enjoy everything with your guests.
Be sure to enlist the help of a wedding- or event-planner, as the coordination of such an occasion can be difficult.
Whatever you plan to do, be sure it captures what is important to you! This is your day, a once-in-a-lifetime event, and all eyes will be on you. Celebrate!
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