Traditionally, people gather together to celebrate a couple’s wedding day, but as more people begin to dream of destination weddings, or have moved away and are now to be married far from their hometowns, guests are therefore traveling further and further in order to be able to celebrate with the happy couple. Because of this cultural phenomenon, the concept of the “wedding weekend” has seen a massive soar in popularity, as the bride and groom want to give their long-traveled guests a wonderful and memorable time, and indulge them with plenty of fun and festivities in order to thank them for coming so far to celebrate with them in their happy time.
A Mini-Vacation
The wedding weekend is all about extending the celebrations to span out either side of the big day, and offering guests a welcome mini-vacation. For example, if guests have to travel all the way to beautiful South Florida’s beaches for a wedding, they will for sure want to make the most of the local sights before flying back home. On top of this, guests who have traveled far and wide will probably not see the bride and groom as often as they would like, and an entire wedding weekend allows those nearest and dearest to have some extra quality time together.
The great thing about a wedding weekend is that you can make it as relaxed or as formal as you wish, and can tailor the experience to suit different budgets. If you are planning a three day extravaganza, the most important thing is just to make sure your guests feel looked after and happy. Organize everything ahead of time, and make sure guests are provided with an itinerary so they know what is happening at all times.
Plan Some Relaxation Time
A well-hosted wedding weekend should begin with some kind of welcome party on the Friday evening. This can be anything from a swanky cocktail party to a casual backyard BBQ. It doesn’t matter what kind of event you put on, it is important to host something to meet and greet your loved ones from out of town, and to offer them refreshments after a long day of traveling. This is an excellent opportunity for catching up with people, and acquainting some of the bride and grooms’ friends and family with each other. Vision DJs offer DJ only or background Music options for these type of get togethers.
It is important to remember that your guests will want some time to relax and will not want organized activities every minute. If you are somewhere like Miami, guests may crave some downtime by the hotel pool or on the beach to pass Saturday morning before the ceremony. Other guests may also want to undertake activities, so it may be a nice touch to include guidebooks or maps in guests’ hotel rooms, and a list of personal recommendations of nearby golf courses, spas or local attractions.
Saturday afternoon and evening will of course be the big event itself, and to finish on Sunday, it is a great touch to have an organized post-wedding brunch or coffee and snacks, so that everybody can get together one last time before saying goodbye. This adds a personal touch that ends the weekend on a high note, and leaves guests feeling well looked after.
This type of itinerary can of course be tailored to each individual wedding, but the important thing to remember with any wedding weekend is to relax, have fun, and spend quality time together.
For more information on providing alternative entertainment for your pre-wedding celebrations, please contact one of our event specialist at 305-260-4480 or 954-434-9697.
