A Guide to Wedding After-Party Planning and Etiquette
Key Takeaways
A wedding after-party is the perfect opportunity to end your wedding day with a bang. However, itâs important to consider certain logistics to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
When riding the high of your wedding day, itâs hard to call it quits once the final song of the reception ends. Enter: the wedding after-party. Unlike the reception or other pre-wedding events that feature traditional elements like speeches or cake cutting, the after-party is a celebration that can be crafted entirely according to the whims of the couple. While late-night food, drinks, and music are usually part of the equation, planning this event should come down to how you and your partner want to finish your special day.
âBe true to yourself!â advises wedding planner and designer Jove Meyer. âHow do you spend your Saturday nights? Are you dancing people, karaoke people, board game people, bull-riding people, bar people, dive bar people, or club people? Do what makes you happy and it will be the best time! Guests will do what you do, so if you plan an after-party youâre not into, that will show and it will not go well. So, plan ahead and have the best time!â
Photo: Daisy Johnson
Should You Have a Wedding After-Party?First, you should decide whether or not an after-party is right for you and your wedding. Itâs not a requirement and can put a dent in your budget. Itâs also important to think about whether you and your fiancĂ© are the kind of people who can last till late in the evening and will actually be able to enjoy the party. But if pulled off well, the after-party can be a highlight of your wedding weekend.
How to Plan a Wedding After PartyPutting thought into planning this after-hours affair is truly key. While spur-of-the-moment post-wedding get-togethers can occasionally work out, placing intention into your plans ahead of time will ensure that the party is not only a great time, but that it goes off without a hitch. âIf youâre looking to have a great after-party, make sure itâs a key part of your budget planning and not just an after-thought,â recommends Dani Blasena, founder and creative director of HauteFĂȘtes.
She also advises that you consider who will actually be attending this post-reception celebration. While you might have kept things more traditional around older relatives at your reception, donât be afraid to let loose and blast your favorite bangers later in the night. âThe guest count of an after-party typically consists of your core crew, close family, and best friends,â says Blasena. âOlder folks and grandparents typically will have left prior to the after-party, so keep in mind the tempo, theme, and vibe can be quite different than your wedding.â
Want to orchestrate a wedding after-party that might be even more fun than the main event? Read on for planner tips to have the party going till the sun comes up.
Choose the Right Location
Photo: Corbin Gurkin
One of the most important factors to consider when choosing your after-party venue is distance. If itâs too far away from your reception, the energy of your guests will dwindle on the journey and the vibes of your late-night soirĂ©e will be off. âHonestly, if you can have your after-party at your wedding venue, that is most ideal, as it is the best way to keep the momentum of the party going,â says Meyer. âIf guests have to get in a car or on a bus and drive somewhere for 10, 15, or 20 or more minutes, the momentum slows and the energy dissipatesâwhich can be hard to build back up after a full day of celebrating (and drinking).â
First, check with your venue if they have any other spaces on site that can be rented into the night. It not only makes it easy for your guests to arrive, but allows your planning team to easily set up the dĂ©cor in advance. You can often even negotiate with the venue when signing contracts to keep a certain number of staff for the event and use the same catering service for late-night bites. However, that doesnât mean you wonât need to budget for this after-hours event.
âWhile most venues charge significantly less for an after-party site fee than they do the main event, there are a number of additional expenses you do need to factor in,â shares Blasena. âIn addition to the venue expense, youâll have to keep paying for staff including bartenders, security, DJ, a photographer, and possibly your wedding planner, too. Some venues will charge late-night fees. For spaces where youâve contracted rental furnishings, be mindful of rental company âafter-hoursâ fees as well as âhour windowâ strike fees that they will likely charge, too.â
Before booking, it is essential to check if there are sound ordinances in the area. âIs there a decibel level they have to honor and is there a time that music has to end? Does it change for live or recorded music? Both of these things will help you decide if it is the best place for your wedding and after-party,â says Meyer. âIf you love a venue but its sound restrictions will cut into your partying, then you could have a silent disco where all of the guests are in headphones rocking out to the DJâs tunes in their ears. This is a way to work around sound restrictions and not stop the party!â
If you canât have your after-party at your venue, consider what you and your partner love to do on your own nights out, as well as whatâs fitting with your wedding locale. âIf your wedding is in Hawaii or the Caribbean, for example, consider a late-night beach party complete with a bonfire, sâmores, and disco balls strung in coconut trees. Or, if itâs a vineyard wedding, rent out a local wine cave for a hip late-night soirĂ©e, complete with club music,â recommends Blasena. âIf an activity is more your thing, consider renting out a roller disco, bowling alley, or karaoke barâif nothing else, these will make for some great photos and fun memories!â
If you want to go to a popular bar in town that is open to the public, planners warn you should contact the location well in advance of arriving with a crowd. âThere is nothing worse than not being allowed in and having nowhere to go,â says Meyer. âMaking a reservation at a bar that is open to the public can be a great way to have an after-party without a massive buyout bill. Book an area in advance that you and your friends can come to. It may require a minimum spend, but that amount will surely be lower than the buyout price.â
Think About Transportation
The last factor you should absolutely consider is how your guests can safely arrive at the next venue. Not every town has great availability of rideshares or taxis, so itâs best to arrange shuttles for your guests in advance. âYou can even get creative with the types of transportation, such as [by using] double-decker London buses, old town trolleys, pedi-cabs, or even boats to get you there and back,â says Blasena. Do what you can to maintain the momentum en route. âIf you have a bus, be sure there is good upbeat music and water bottles for guests so they can keep their energy high as they travel. You can make a playlist and send it to the transport company in advance,â advises Meyer. âAnother tip for transport is to ensure the bus is not too hot, as it will make people sleepy. A nice 68 degrees is best!â If itâs impossible to get a car from your after-party location, arrange to have transport available to take guests back to your hotel block as well.
Create the Perfect Vibe
Once you have a venue set, itâs time to create that perfect late-night atmosphere. Decide with your partner what kind of energy you wantâthen you can move forward with your planning. âIs the after-party space cool on its own or does it need some TLC? Sometimes candles, soft seating, and dim lights can do the trick, while other times bringing in furniture and disco balls is what is needed,â says Meyer. âIt really depends on the space youâre working with and the vibe you want to create!â If you are repurposing your reception venue for the party, he advises changing the direction of the space to create a new ambiance.
Blasena emphasizes that lighting and draping that eliminates unsightly walls can make a space feel intimate, while a focal bar, signature cocktails, a photo booth, and late-night tchotchkes, such as glow sticks, flashing glasses, and flip flops, can amp up the atmosphere. Sheâs also a fan of creating a theme for the after-party: This could mean creating a tiki vibe, a retro disco aesthetic, or simply leaning into a color scheme.
Get the Right Tunes
Music is essential to set the tone of the event. If you want guests to continue dancing into the night, hiring a band or DJ to keep the vibes going is a must. âHowever, make sure the music vibe is different from your wedding by chatting through playlists with your musicians or DJ beforehand,â Blasena says. While you can hire new artists to bring music to your after-party, chat with your reception musicians to see if they are available to work the second event, too.
Organize Late-Night Food
One thing that is absolutely necessary at your after-party is food to keep your guests fueled into the wee hours of the morning. âDid someone say late-night carbs? Letâs face it, the after-party is when everyone will thank you for those sliders and fries,â shares Blasena. âIf youâre not the slider type, go themed with a sushi bar, mini tacos, or slices of pizza.â Think about fun ways to serve your bites, like with food trucks or by packaging items in Chinese food containers. While cocktails are a must, be sure to have water readily available too. âNot that everyone will drink itâŠbut having it out and available encourages people to hydrate while they celebrate, which also helps them party longer and feel better the next day!â Meyer says.
Wedding After-Party EtiquetteSince a wedding after-party is a more relaxed part of the night, there arenât as many rules surrounding its etiquette. Read ahead for a bit of guidance surrounding this post-reception fĂȘte.
Who usually attends a wedding after-party?
The after-party is attended by wedding guests who can stay up late enough and make it to that portion of the night. Sometimes, if the aesthetic or vibes of the party are not entirely appropriate for their parents and grandparents, a couple may note that it is intended for younger guests. However, itâs best not to exclude any wedding guests that desire to come.
Who pays for the after-party?
There is no rule about who pays for the wedding after-party, however it is often covered by whoever foots the bill for the wedding day. A couple may also choose to host the wedding after-party themselves. If the after-party is more casual and spur-of-the-moment, it is fine to have guests pay for their own drinks at the bar.
How long is a wedding after-party?
A wedding after-party has no time limit. It could last for just an hour after the reception ends or continue until the sun rises. The length depends on your stamina, budget, and the venueâs rules.
What to wear to a wedding after-party?
While most guests will stick to their wedding-day attire for the after-party, the newlyweds can have some fun and change their ensembles in the evening. Consider swapping a long gown for a fun mini, embracing fabric in sequins, beading, or a surprising color, and changing out your shoes to a style that can keep you going into the wee hours of the morning.
Do you need to send a separate invitation?
Not necessarily. Itâs good to give guests a heads up on the wedding website that there will be an after-party or add an informative insert to your invitation suite so they know the timeline of the day. But thereâs no need to send an entirely separate invite or request an RSVP.
