Is a Welcome Dinner expected?

[Danyelle]

I'm assuming my guests will arrive on thurs/fri for a Saturday wedding. I was not planning on having a welcome dinner but see that it's a popular thing here.

 

Is it expected or is it just an unexpected bonus event?

 

I was thinking of just mentioning to guests that we'll meet for drinks at one of the bars the night before the wedding... And including the "welcome cocktails" on the wedding timeline in their gift bags.

[linzangel]

It is def. not neccessary..

[eec129]

I like the "Welcome Cocktails" idea!

[~*Lisa*~]

I hope not because we're not doing one! lol

[mich999]

We had an informal welcome cocktail hour at the hotel's main lobby bar and then people had the option to eat dinner together if they wanted. We would have liked to have done a welcome dinner, but we invited everyone to a rehearsal dinner cruise the next day, so a welcome dinner wasn't in the budget. Suggesting in our welome letter that people meet for welcome cocktails on Thursday worked out great and afterwards one group of people decided to go into town for dinner and the rest stayed at the hotel and had dinner together.

[Danyelle]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mich999 We had an informal welcome cocktail hour at the hotel's main lobby bar and then people had the option to eat dinner together if they wanted. We would have liked to have done a welcome dinner, but we invited everyone to a rehearsal dinner cruise the next day, so a welcome dinner wasn't in the budget. Suggesting in our welome letter that people meet for welcome cocktails on Thursday worked out great and afterwards one group of people decided to go into town for dinner and the rest stayed at the hotel and had dinner together.

Great to know!!!

Thanks.

I think the welcome cocktails will be enough and maybe a group dinner will be able to follow.

[SusieQ]

We're doing one just to do introductions and give out OOT bags... We have badges made up for everyone with nicknames on them so everyone will know their bag from the rest of the group during the week. I just wanna be able to say hi to eveyone before hand. We are doing All Inclusive so we'll just meet at a lounge area and say hi and have a few drinks... Nothing over the top or extra $$$$$$$$

[Jess]

yeah if you are doing an AI - save yourself the $$ and do a cocktail hour. We're doing a welcome dinner but ours is over thanksgiving and we felt we had to do something on Thanksgiving night

[IrishgirlinNY]

I had considered doing a welcome dinner, but I think your idea of the welcome cocktails is great. Might consider that myself. Thanks for the idea.

[diamondpooch]

We are doing a welcome dinner, but it's nothing fancy. I'm just organizing us all to be right next to each other in the same buffet. No biggie.