Is a Welcome Dinner expected?

[traceysteve]

we're planning on having a family gathering before we leave, but I have read that someone's parents hosted a short meet and greet at happy hour the night before instead of a rehearsal dinner, which I thought was a great idea. They ordered some finger foods, etc, but it was very informal. I was kind of leaning towards that, my reception dinner bill is climbing as well, so I would like to cut the corners wherever I can.

[JayKay]

We are undecided about having a welcome dinner.  I think we might just do something informal, such as all meet at a buffet one night for dinner.  All our guests, about 16, will be flying with us and staying the whole week together so it might be nice to all meet one night for a welcome dinner. 

[delgadot]

Hosting a reherasal dinner is not necesary. My cousin had a destination wedding in St. Lucia and instead of hosting a rehearsal dinner she hosted a lunch the day after the wedding-we were not staying at an all inclusive resort so the lunch was very nice.

 

But the night before my wedding I would like to have a cocktail hour on the beach with appetizers near one of the bars closest to the beach because it will be at an all inclusive resort. I want to be able to give a quick thank you speech and hand out welcome/thank you bags.Then afterward everyone can have dinner at one of the restaraunts. So we will see if it works out!

 

 

[lopey99]

One of local bars where we're getting married (spain) is putting on free buffet of finger food night before our wedding so it'll be a meet and greet opportunity for all the guest plus the bar owner gets 60 irish people drinking $$$$$

[traceysteve]

I love the cocktail evening the night before..hmmm..

[xtenna]

Not expected, but def a nice thought.

 

[kloos5]

I am doing a coctail welcome party the evening before the wedding just to introduce everybody, there will be only 30-35 people so I opted for no rehearsal dinner- didn't feel the need.  

[weddingaway]

Initially, I was planning to do a rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding which falls on the 2nd day of most guests' trip, but after some thinking, I realized that the day my guests are arriving they will probably not be able to score any reservations for dinner and will be "stuck" at the buffett.  So I am thinking we will do a rehearsal/welcome dinner the first night which introduces everyone (most of our families have never met) and that allows everyone to make their own plans for the next night.  Plus we only have 30 guests and as part of our group rate we are allowed one group dinner reservation (not counting reception) at one of the regular restaurants.

[kad1010]

I can't decide what I want to do, but I'd like to do something nice for the wedding party.  I was thinking of maybe going outside of the resort for dinner & drinks the night before the wedding.

[BusyBee123]

We're a small ish group of about 20, but as we're coming in from several cities, not all of our guests know each other.  We're planning a welcome dinner for the night after we arrive just so that our guests can get to know each other!  We're not doing anything fancy, but are going to one of the resort restaurants, then going to the disco afterwards.  We're also using the welcome dinner as a place to announce the surprise excursion that we have booked for our guests as a thank you for travelling all the way to Jamaica with us!