Welcome Dinner Blues

[A10CalGal]

Hi Jamy - first of all, yay for you for getting your parents to help pay for anything at all!

 

Yes, we are hosting a welcome dinner the Thursday night before the wedding. I don't know that its totallly necessary, but here are my reasons for doing it:

 

1. These people came all this way, paid for their airfare & accomodations to come to OUR WEDDING! They didn't have to do that...I think this is a nice way to show them how much we appreciate their effort.

2. I want our friends/family to have a chance to mingle & get to know each other before the wedding.

3. I want to acquaint people with the down town & beach area (most are staying in the cooridor) - how better than to start w/drinks &dinner on the beach & then go out afterward?

4. I want to set the tone for a fun, relaxing weekend.

[gkashmira]

We are also doing a welcome dinner and I debated back and forth for a long time whether to do this or not. In the end we are doing it because my mom already went and told everyone about it and my parent's want to take THEIR friends out for dinner... I basically said that if they take one group of people then then really need to take everyone - plus if anyone needs an extra free meal it's my poor friend, not their rich friends! hee hee hee...

 

Anyway we are doing just a taco bar with open domestic (Mexican beer, margaritas, etc.) at Baja Cantina.

 

However I think appetizers w/ drinks is more than acceptable and actually very lovely! It's just as nice as having a dinner and hopefully cheaper! I also love the idea of doing a bonfire with marshmallow roast on the beach instead!

[TammyB]

Well We don't have the budget to pay for a welcome dinner or whatever. So we just told everyone that we will go to a club on Saturday night to get together and have fun with each other. Everyone will pay for their own drinks since we told them "their welcome to join us"...

[starchild]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nrvsbride I am however a little confused by your other question. You wanted to know what was wrong with a cocktail reception with just appetizers and set drinks. Do you mean as an alternative to the welcome dinner or did you mean for the actual wedding reception? -Glenda

No no no, they aren't that crazy!! We are having full on appetizers, dinner, drinks, desserts, and cake for the wedding. They meant a welcome cocktail reception instead of a welcome dinner )

[TammyWright]

hi jamy,

 

i agree that a welcome dinner is not necessary at all...but i will tell you, we had one and it really kickstarted our trip.

 

people got to mingle and get to know each other...also the event was more casual and fun then the reception..

 

for us, we really wanted to do as much for our family and friends as possible as a "thank you" for coming all this way.

[starchild]

I wish I could reply to each of you individually!! Thanks for your input. You've appeased my parents and myself (in different ways, lol).

 

I'm stealing a few of your ideas because they are really good. I like tacos and drinks, appetizers and drinks, something where we can compromise. That cash bar sounds good too now that I am thinking of how much my guests drink even when they aren't on vacation!

 

My FI and I actually have a budget for dinner but my parents kind of convinced me that a cocktail party is enough. I'm already giving them nice OOT bags so that, some drinks, and some munchies will do.

 

I might do something unusual and save a little money for once . . . well save it so I can spend it during the honeymoon

[amyh]

Jamy, we are not having a welcome dinner. (we can barely afford the wedding) But I am planning on organizing a "party" day cruise (which includes drinks, lunch, music) and hopefully arranging for group rates and posting the info on our website.

[anaderoux]

I'm not doing a welcome dinner either.. I like amy's idea... I might do something like that.. but right now I'm so out of budget and my wedding is going to be so big that we really can't afford that..

 

I appreciate that people are going to my wedding but hey I'm already spending a LOT, maybe it sound kinda mean.

 

But I think in the end they'll also appreciate our effort and no one will be mad 'cause we didn't paid for their dinner the day before..

 

Just my 2 cents..

[starchild]

Anny that's not mean at all . . . in fact the more I think about it the more I kinda see what my parents were saying. It is a nice gesture but as you said, nobody is going to go home thinking how rude we were not to formally welcome them with a complete meal. And Amy a group rate cruise sounds good too, it's something to look into.

 

I'll check into a reception with appetizers and MAYBE alcohol, but as I mentioned before, my people can drink, and we're already paying for them to drink unlimited on the boat to the wedding, a mini cocktail reception before the wedding starts, at the reception, and on the boat back to town.

 

Damn, what was I thinking? These people get taquitos and coke, that's good enough!!! Cash bar it is!!! Being all together in one place is the main point anyway. After that, whoever needs a meal can arrange that from there. Thanks for putting it in perspective and letting me vent!!

[Ali and Jeff]

Little late to this one as well but just thought I would let you know what we did! We ended up staying at an all-inclusive and before going down we took a look at their festivities on site, we noticed they had a Mexican Fiesta Night which was a massive outdoor buffet dinner with larger round tables set up all around the terrace area and then they also had entertainment and dancing (everything included obviously since it was AI) so we informed everyone in our group to meet up for dinner at the Mexican Fiesta and we just went down when it started and saved enough tables for all of us to be sitting together! Our group (52 of us) were all together and Jeff and I introduced the main people in our group and then slowly mingled from table to table doing the whole meet and greet with everyone and everybody met that way! We also used the volleyball courts a few times and let everyone know when we were playing and we got lots of people together for those games as well which was really fun! Anyways just thought I would add what we did incase any of it interests you!