Planning A Post-Destination Wedding Reception: A Step-By-Step Guide

Planning a post-destination wedding reception is a great way to celebrate your marriage with friends and family who couldn't make it to your wedding. It's an opportunity to eat, drink and party, and to get creative with food, entertainment and decor. You can choose to have your reception as soon as you get back from your honeymoon, or up to a few months later. If you're on a budget, you might want to consider keeping it simple at home or in an affordable restaurant.

Food and drink: Finger foods, themed meals, and alcohol are all popular choices

Food and drink are an important part of any wedding reception. Finger foods are a popular choice for post-destination wedding receptions, with chicken tenders and party sandwiches being easy to eat and a great way to keep guests mingling. If you're looking for something more substantial, themed meals are a fun option. Tacos and spaghetti are just a couple of ideas, but you could also consider getting reasonable catering quotes from places like Chipotle, Tijuana Flats, or Olive Garden.

Alcohol is also a popular choice for wedding receptions, with a few bottles of wine, a cooler of beer, and/or a signature cocktail being perfect if you're going with booze. If you're looking to save money, it might be worth considering having your reception at an affordable restaurant or private room right after your wedding on the beach. That way, you can maximise your budget for food and drink, as well as entertainment and decor.

If you're throwing a formal party, it's a nice touch to tuck a wedding announcement inside the envelope along with the invitation. This is also a good opportunity to let guests know whether the reception will be boozy or not, so they can plan accordingly.

Finally, while there's no need to wait until after your honeymoon to throw your post-destination wedding reception, it's probably best not to leave it longer than a year, or your guests may not be as excited to come and celebrate.

Entertainment: Music and dancing are essential for a good party

Music and dancing are essential for a good party, and there are a few things you can do to ensure your guests have a great time.

First, consider hiring a DJ to keep the party going. You could also ask friends who play music or sing to perform a few songs, but be aware that they may not want to perform all night. If you're looking for a more relaxed atmosphere, you could create a playlist in advance and play music through a speaker.

If you want to include a first dance, you can, but it's not necessary. You could also include other traditional dances such as the father-daughter dance. If you're wearing your wedding dress, you could even continue the theme from your destination wedding, such as a luau.

If you're on a budget, it's best to keep things simple. You could host the party at your home, or book an affordable restaurant or private room.

Decor: Make sure the venue looks the part with decorations to match your theme

The main purpose of a post-destination wedding reception is to celebrate the newly married couple. It's a time to eat, drink, and party.

Decor

Make sure the venue looks the part with decorations to match your theme. If you're throwing a formal party, tuck a wedding announcement inside the envelope along with the invitation. You can keep it simple at home or plan to use an affordable restaurant/private room. If you're on a beach, you could use the beach bar.

Budget: Keep costs down by having the reception at home or in a restaurant/private room

If you're looking to keep costs down, you could consider having the reception at home or in a restaurant/private room. This will save you thousands in rental fees for a dedicated wedding reception venue. You can also save money by keeping the food simple, with finger foods like chicken tenders and party sandwiches, or themed meals like tacos or spaghetti. You can even get reasonable catering quotes from places like Chipotle, Tijuana Flats, or Olive Garden. If you're serving alcohol, a few bottles of wine, a cooler of beer, and/or a signature cocktail are perfect.

When it comes to timing, you can have the party whenever you'd like: as soon as you get back from your honeymoon or even three to four months afterward. However, if you wait longer than a year, your guests may not be as excited to come and celebrate. If you're throwing a formal party, tuck a wedding announcement inside the envelope along with the invitation.

Timing: Throw the party as soon as you get back from your honeymoon or up to four months later

The main purpose of a post-destination wedding reception is to celebrate the newly married couple. You can throw the party as soon as you get back from your honeymoon or up to four months later. If you wait longer than a year, your guests may not be as excited to celebrate.

When it comes to food, guests should expect some sort of food, drink, and wedding cake. Finger foods (chicken tenders, party sandwiches), themed meals (tacos, spaghetti, etc.), and catering from places like Chipotle, Tijuana Flats, or Olive Garden are all good options. If you're serving alcohol, a few bottles of wine, a cooler of beer, and/or a signature cocktail are perfect.

If you're throwing a formal party, tuck a wedding announcement inside the envelope along with the invitation. Before you commit to a home reception, make sure you have room for it in your budget. Any dedicated wedding reception venue space will add thousands in rental fees to your budget (think not just the space but also tables, linens, caterer). So it’s best to keep it simple at home or plan to use an affordable restaurant/private room.

Frequently asked questions