How to Throw a Great Party After an Elopement?
What is a party after a quick wedding?
You might be wondering, “What exactly is an after-elopement party? It gives you a chance to talk about your day and share photos and videos from your elopement photographer.
You can make the party as easy or hard as you want, and there is no set time for it. You can have it the day after your wedding or a year later on your anniversary.
Why have a party after a quick wedding?
Like an elopement, it’s up to you if you want to have a party after an elopement. There are many reasons to have a party for your friends and family. Here are some of the most common reasons why couples throw these parties:
You’re having a destination elopement for that you also can book an elopement package.
You don’t want to deal with the stress or cost of a big wedding or reception.
Some people couldn’t make it to your adventure wedding because it was too hard.
You’re not quite done with your love party.
How to Plan a Party After an Elopement
No matter why you want to plan an elopement reception, there are a few things to keep in mind. Even though they’re usually smaller than regular wedding receptions, there are a few things you can do to make planning them easier.
Announce Your Elopement Beforehand
Instead of sending out “save the date” cards, you might want to send out “elopement announcements.” If you tell your guests about your elopement by sending them an invitation to your elopement party, they may feel left out. If you don’t want to hurt the feelings of your party guests, make sure they hear it from you and not from someone else or online.
Invite people to an elopement party.
Even though elopements are becoming more common, they are still not as common as traditional weddings. Because of this, if your guests get an invitation to an elopement party without an elopement announcement, they might think it’s a regular wedding invitation. You don’t want anyone to be offended by thinking they were only invited to the after-party.
Use phrases like “You are invited to celebrate the wedding of…” or “We got married. Join us for the party!” This will answer any questions and let guests know what to expect before the party. You can also write a short note about when you eloped, but this isn’t necessary if you already told people about it.
Choose a Date
Even though this may seem like a small thing, choosing a date will help you figure out how and when to tell people about the party. For example, if you want to have a party right after you elope, you’ll need to send out invitations ahead of time to make sure everyone can come.
If you want to wait a bit so you can get photos, videos, and more time to plan, you might feel a little less rushed. Just remember that there is no right or wrong amount of time between the elopement and the party. It’s all up to you.
Choose where you want it to be held.
One of the best things about throwing a party after an elopement is that you can choose how big it is. Since it’s not a traditional wedding reception, you don’t have to have a big sit-down dinner, but you can if you want to.
You can have a casual backyard BBQ, an Airbnb fiesta, a garden party, or you can rent a room at your favorite restaurant for a family-style meal. No matter what you decide, having a party after an elopement gives you the most freedom when it comes to booking a location.
You can still get married.
Since you’re already married, this may seem like a bit of a waste of time. But when it comes to your party, there aren’t really any rules. If you eloped because your family and friends couldn’t make it, why not have a second ceremony to include them? This gives them a chance to recite poems or other readings, share family traditions you might not have known about, and more.
What You Want to Wear
Having an elopement party is the best reason to wear your wedding dress again. If your party is going to be more casual and you don’t want to wear your gown or suit again, you can choose a more casual white dress or a simple button-up shirt and slacks.
Don’t look for gifts.
When it comes to making a registry and getting gifts after eloping, a lot of couples worry. Instead of asking for gifts, you can put a note on your invitations that says something like, “Gifts are not required. But if you still want to help our future, here’s what you can do.” This can say where you’ve registered or how much money has been given.
You won’t have to answer questions about it later, and the guests will feel less pressure.
Think about fun things to do.
Depending on how many people will be at your party, you may want to think about ways to keep them busy. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to hire a DJ or live musicians, but if you want to, go for it! This could be anything, like giving speeches, showing a video of your elopement, reenacting your first dance, playing games, etc. After all, you are having a party.