Weddings are so much fun - why stop with just one day of celebration? Many couples are having a variety of additional parties in the days and weeks following their weddings. It is a great way to get to spend more time with your loved ones and to bask in the glow of your new marriage.
The first post-wedding party that most couples have is a brunch the day after their ceremony and reception. This has become such a common practice that not having a brunch is almost more unusual than having one. The post-wedding brunch is generally held in the hotel where most of the guests are staying to make it as convenient as possible.
Ideally, the brunch following a wedding should be a fairly relaxed affair. That is not to say that you cannot have an elaborate spread of food if that is your preference; it is just better to have the brunch be an event that your guests can drop into at a time that suits them. For this reason, a buffet makes the most sense.
Schedule a fairly long window for your guests to come to the brunch; 10am - 1pm is usually perfect as it allows time for the late risers to still come by, but it also lets those with early flights to spend a few minutes with the newlyweds before dashing off to the airport. Speaking of the bride and groom, they should plan to be there for the entire brunch. Your friends and family will be glad to get to chat with you in a more relaxed setting the day after the wedding. Even if your brunch will be casual, the newlyweds should still put some effort into their appearance, as they will be the center of attention. The bride can wear something along the lines of a twinset with a pretty skirt and a piece of her wedding jewelry.
A post-wedding brunch is wonderful, but it is certainly not the only gathering that you may want to have. One of the nicest things that newlyweds can do is to hold an intimate dinner party for their closest friends a few weeks after returning from their honeymoon. This is a fun opportunity to use all of that beautiful china and crystal that you received as wedding presents. Don't make the guest list too large - you do not want to stress yourself out by taking on a huge party so soon after your wedding. Two or three other couples, a nice bottle of wine, and some good food is just right.
When you are thinking about post-wedding festivities, don't forget about your parents if they live nearby. You can have both sets of parents over to get to know one another better now that they are family. Best of all, your parents can't complain if you want to spend most of the evening showing off your wedding album and honeymoon pictures!
The final type of party that you may want to have after your wedding is a more formal reception for those who were not able to attend the wedding. This is often done in cases where the wedding was small and distant, such as a destination wedding. A bride whose parents have a large social circle may also want to consider having a post-wedding reception in her hometown for her parents' extended group of friends. As this is usually a formal party, the bride may even wish to wear her wedding gown and bridal jewelry, and the groom can wear a tuxedo or a suit.
Once you have made it through all of the post-wedding festivities, it will finally be time to settle down to the business of building your new life together as husband and wife. It may not be quite as exciting as having party after party thrown in your honor, but it can still be the start of a wonderful new adventure!
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