On the heels of our most recent post, I think it’s a great time to share this recent Ask Emmaline question. Bride-to-be, Michele, writes to us about a wedding welcome party, what it is, and whether she needs to have one.
She writes,
“Dear Emmaline, I’m getting married in Chicago in a few months and my mom thinks we should have a wedding welcome party. Since many of us are traveling to the wedding (we don’t live here, just having it here for fun), she says it is a nice idea. I’ve never heard of one before, are these a popular thing? Who do I invite to it? Thanks for your help!”
Let’s discuss it!
Wedding Welcome Party: A Popular Tradition for Out-of-Town Guests
Hi Michele! Great question, and let me begin by saying Chicago is such a fun wedding spot! In regards to your question, a wedding welcome party is a dinner celebration ahead of the wedding day. For a weekend wedding like yours, the itinerary might go as follows:
THURSDAY
Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner
FRIDAY
Welcome Party Friday
SATURDAY: THE BIG DAY!
Wedding Ceremony and Reception
SUNDAY
Farewell Brunch
A welcome party is a great way to greet your guests for the weekend ahead and kick off the festivities. Plus, it helps to get guests acquainted with one another, and everyone gets to share a meal. It’s a nice gesture for guests who are traveling. They need to eat, so by hosting a welcome dinner everyone can enjoy a meal together.
As a bonus, hosting a dinner ahead of the nuptials gets your guests acquainted with the area. They may not be familiar with traveling around Chicago, so a welcome party before the wedding will show them where to go and how to get there ahead of the big day.
A Nice Idea!
I think a wedding welcome party is always a nice idea, especially if your mom or someone wants to host it in your honor. You’ll likely have many things to do, so you’ll be able to stop by and greet guests, spend some time, and enjoy a meal with everyone. If you want to have one, it’s a perfect way to get the party rolling for the fun weekend ahead.
Or Maybe Not Your Thing…
And on the other hand, if a welcome dinner isn’t your thing, that’s OK, too. Don’t feel pressure to have one, or knock yourself out throwing one at the last minute.
No one expects one, it’s one of those “extras” that is nice to have. But if you don’t host a celebration or welcome party, guests will simply find a place around town to eat and wait to see you on the big day.
Who to Invite to a Wedding Welcome Dinner
This one is tricky! Most people invite all guests from the master guest list to the welcome party. Remember, not everyone will be able to make it, and the party is short (just a few hours or so) so it won’t compete with the awesome reception you’re planning a few days away.
On the other hand, if your guest list is gigantic and the thought of hosting another party is too much to handle, invite your closest family and friends to the event. However, if doing so, keep this party private: avoid publishing it on your wedding website or posting about it on social media so you don’t unintentionally offend uninvited guests.
How To Send an Invitation to the Welcome Dinner
There are two ways to invite guests to a welcome party: RSVP cards or individual invitations.
RSVP Cards
If inviting all guests on your guest list to the celebration, an RSVP card is a perfect way to include everyone. Use a multiple event RSVP card in your wedding invitations, like this one:
This serves as an invite to the welcome party. You can utilize a multiple event RSVP card, like this one, in your invitation:
Invitations
If you are hand-selecting guests to join the fun, send individual invites to them for the wedding welcome dinner. Here are a few cute suggestions we spotted at Minted.
► For more styles and options, check out these excellent options to match your theme and colors.
Hope it helps! Thanks so much for writing.
Have fun in Chicago-
xo
Emma
