Rolling Up in Style

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 11:02:20 GMT

The Other Parties: Wedding Weekend

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 08:58:08 GMT

If you’ve been to a wedding lately, you may have noticed a curious trend: It’s not just about the wedding. Sure, the ceremony and reception are still the main event, but it’s not uncommon for a modern wedding to include four or five different events, from welcome cocktails to a farewell brunch. “It’s not just a wedding on a weekend anymore; it’s the whole merriment of events,” says wedding planner Joan Nilsen of Ambiente. Wondering how best to show your guests a good time? Here are some tips to help you get started.

The Welcome Party

If you have a lot of out-of-town guests coming (and they won’t all be invited to the rehearsal dinner), this can be a nice, relaxed way to welcome them. There’s no need to make it elaborate: It can be a casual meet-up at a favorite bar or at the bar of the hotel where guests are staying. For their upcoming June wedding, Tessie Reinsch and Scott Bradbury are hosting welcome cocktails at Vic’s after their rehearsal dinner. “It will give all of the guests a chance to meet and mingle before the big day,” says Reinsch. “And it will give my fiancé and I another opportunity to speak with our guests and thank them for coming.”

When
A night or two before the wedding, often right after the rehearsal dinner.

Who to invite
Out-of-town guests, family, and the wedding party, but you don’t have to stop there—some couples invite their entire guest list.

Who pays
While it’s gracious for the couple or their parents to host an open bar for a couple hours, it’s also OK to act solely as organizer, setting the where and when and letting people pay for their own drinks.

Tip
Set a personal departure time for before the party ends and ask your attendants to discreetly plan your getaway. Everyone will be vying for five minutes of your time, so it’s prudent to stick to your plan. Also, be sure the hosts wrap up the party at a reasonable hour so your guests are fresh for your big day.

The Post-Wedding Brunch

Get one more chance to see your guests, say goodbye, share a meal, and hear stories from the previous night before everyone heads home. (But we suggest bypassing the traditional gift opening—no one wants to watch you ooh and ahh over gifts that you likely chose yourself.) The farewell brunch is often held at a favorite restaurant, the hotel where guests are staying, or at a family member’s house. Wherever you choose to have it, a buffet is generally best so that guests with different travel schedules can duck in and out as needed.

When
The morning after the wedding. People will be tired but also traveling, so don’t make it too early or too late. Joan Nilsen suggests having a two-hour timeframe to accommodate people’s varying schedules.

Who to invite
Out-of-town guests, family, and the wedding party, but feel free to tailor the guest list as you please.

Who pays
“A lot of times if the parents of the bride are taking care of the wedding, then they will also take care of the brunch,” says wedding planner Amy Zaroff. However, other family members might choose to host, or the couple may pitch in.

Tip
To-go cups are a thoughtful touch for guests who need to rush off to the airport.

The Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner is still a key part of the wedding weekend, even as other events fill in around it. “While this is a little more casual than the wedding, it’s a great opportunity to get the speeches out of the way,” says Amy Zaroff. A sit-down dinner at a local restaurant is still the norm, but you can tailor the event to your tastes, from a backyard barbecue to a baseball-themed dinner at Target Field.

When
Usually the night before the wedding, after the ceremony rehearsal. Another option is to have a small rehearsal dinner two nights before the wedding and a larger welcome party the next night.

Who to invite
At minimum, invite the people who’ll be at the rehearsal—your wedding party and close family. Many couples also invite out-of-town guests.

Who pays
The groom’s parents, traditionally. However, both sets of parents or the couple may contribute.

Tip
It’s good etiquette to invite your officiant to the rehearsal dinner.

The Reception After-Party

After the “I dos,” the dining, and the dancing, sometimes you just want to keep the party going. Some couples opt for an after-party in a separate space at the reception venue, complete with snacks and entertainment. However, most couples invite guests to a nearby bar. For best results, make a plan in advance. “When an after-party is thrown together at the end of the night, it often doesn’t take off,” says Instant Request DJ Justin Roff. “If you think your friends are going to have a few more hours of dancing in them after the reception, plan ahead.”

When
As soon as the reception ends.

Who to invite
Everyone at the wedding. However, expect mostly 20- and 30-something friends to show up.

Who pays
If it’s an elaborate after-party that feels like an extension of your wedding, you or your parents might want to foot the bill. If you’re heading to a nearby bar, guests usually pay their own way.

Tip
If you’re going to a local watering hole, contact the bar ahead of time to make sure there’ll be space for you.

Something Old, Something Borrowed

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 16:05:53 GMT

If you’re a vintage-chic bride craving a reception adorned with birdcages, library card catalogs, and faded luggage, you’re not alone. “When I was planning my wedding, I was looking for lots of old things and realized that there was nowhere I could rent it,” says Amanda Ryan, owner of Lime Canary Vintage Rentals. “I needed to buy it all.” Unhappy with that option, Ryan started a business in 2011, and it has already moved from its first St. Paul location into a larger warehouse space in the same building. Ryan now spends most of her time in rural Minnesota hunting for goods to add to her collection of retro cake pedestals, Mason jars, vintage chairs, and elegant couches. Rent these affordable accents and your walk down the aisle will also be a trip down memory lane.

507-421-3851, limecanaryvintagerentals.com

Love Bites

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:29:32 GMT

Modern History

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:17:38 GMT

Mpls.St.Paul Magazine - Weddings - Receptions