courtesy of tumblr.com
#wecantstop #wewontstop
Well, at least that seems to be the M.O. when it comes to a modern day wedding celebration. Because these days, most matrimonial milestones are all about the After Party – duh!
Trending toward the wedding world for several years, the formality of wedding after parties is more than likely the genetic offspring of their previous, less formal counterparts. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, please let me reassure you… you do. In fact, you’ve probably been a part of one yourself!
Because be it the low hum from one or the loud roar of several, there always seems to be a stable group of guests that long to keep the party going well after the curtain closes on the reception. This is most often times represented by the incessant, borderline frenzied streak of “Hey! Where are you going!!?!” questioning.
Several months back, I attended a wedding in Chicago – shout out to the Groesbecks, whoop whoop!…
Mr. + Mrs. Groesbeck – cutest! (courtesy of Taylor Groesbeck)
- and I have to take my hat off to them both. The day was absolutely GOOORRRRGEOUS and to date, contained the best wedding speeches and toasts I’ve ever heard – excluding my own of course, but that could be me just being partial :) But alas, I should’ve known their day would be epic when I received their invitation in the mail, containing detailed instructions for the following 3 wedding ingredients:
- The Ceremony
- The Reception, and (drum roll, please)…
- The After Party!
That’s right, y’all: a formal invite to a party after the party! Um, can you say LOVE?! Alex and Tay (aka. the Groesbecks) did such an amazing job making their wedding day an event for everyone. It was clear from the start that this wasn’t just a day for them, but for all their friends and family; which after being fortunate enough to be included in that list, I can honestly say I felt honored to be included… and mostly because they made it their honor include everyone.
The G-becks truly relished in the excitement of having all their friends and family – many of who traveled from out of town – in one place celebrating; so, it was obvious they wanted to make the most of it. Because when you think about it, how often do we get bogged down by conflicting schedules, growing (or declining) careers, doctor’s appointments, ballet recitals, play rehearsals, sport’s team practices or “I gotta go here’s” and “Can’t make it there’s??” My guess is pretty often, which makes it even harder to gather and rally the troops whenever the mood strikes us and even better when we can.
Then, it dawned on me (ding!); of all the weddings I’ve been to – and there’s been a few ;) - this was the first one I’d ever attended where the invite included a formal declaration of where everyone could go when the DJ’s done spinning and the caterer’s done serving!
Which is fitting, considering the majority of receptions I’ve rocked, there’s always a good amount (if not the whole kit ‘n’ kaboodle) of guests who aren’t quite ready to pack up and head home at 11. In fact, I can think of several off top where the night ended with a frantic shuffle in the parking lot of people getting in and jumping out of cars, trying hard to conjure makeshift plans through broken texts and interrupted phone calls, all to (fingers crossed) end up in the same spot. I’m sure some of you reading this right now have been a part of such shuffles yourselves.
After parties by no means are essential, but they sure can be fun! Because let’s face it, the terminology “let’s dance the last dance” doesn’t always apply to everyone, and sometimes, it’s really nice to have an encore :)
The post The After, After Party: Because Reception Halls Might Shut Down, but the Party Doesn’t Have To appeared first on The Best Wedding Blog Ever.
