Your wedding is essentially a giant party, celebrating the union of two people who are madly in love and surrounded by those who love them as well. So when the reception ends, it’s understandable that you want to keep the party going! Throwing an after-party for guests is entirely optional; you can advertise an after-party to all of your guests, or keep it exclusive to a select few. Depending on what kind of after-party fits best with your crowd, you can assign either the maid of honor or best man to be in charge of planning and coordinating it all. Here are some of our favorite ideas for wedding after-parties that’ll keep the party going all night long.
1. Karaoke
Karaoke is one of those activities that is best done after a few drinks, making it the perfect post-wedding idea. Hit up your local karaoke or piano bar and get ready to sing your hearts out to your favorite tunes. Even if you aren’t a great singer, the best part of karaoke is that there’s no judgment and everyone has the chance to laugh at themselves and have a good time. You can even split the group up into teams to create a little friendly competition and see who has the best voice!
Photo Credit: Steve Koo Photography
2. Bar or club crawl
You’re all already dressed up and have your dancing shoes on, so initiating a nightclub crawl might just be the best wedding after-party idea out there. You’ll need designated drivers (or taxis) to shuttle you from club to club, but this is a surefire way to keep the party going through the wee hours of the night. If nightclubs aren’t really your scene, hosting a bar crawl is equally as fun. Most bars and clubs are open quite late, so guests can stay as long as they like.
Photo Credit: Ferguson Photography
3. Hotel lounge
Is your reception in a hotel with a lounge, or are you all staying at the same hotel? Ask the concierge if you can book the lounge for a little post-wedding shindig, complete with drinks and late night snacks. Since you’ll be providing the hotel with so much business, you might even be able to negotiate some great deals into your contract. This is also a great option for those with destination weddings, since everyone will already be there and won’t have to travel anywhere to get home!
Photo Credit: Reflective Bride
4. Your favorite fast food place (or food truck!)
There’s nothing quite as comforting after a night of celebrating and a few drinks as your favorite fast food meal. Fortunately, most fast food joints are open late or even 24 hours, making them the ultimate post-wedding destination. Sometimes the best wedding photo ops are those in unexpected casual places. If you don’t want to coordinate the transportation, consider hiring a late-night food truck to serve your guests after the reception ends.
Photo Credit: Storyboard Wedding
5. Bowling
Reserve a few lanes at the local bowling alley for after-hours fun. Many bowling alleys continue to serve alcohol late, so you really can keep the party going while partaking in a fun group activity. Keep things friendly, or get in the competitive spirit. Bonus points if you bowl a strike wearing your wedding dress!
Photo Credit: Steve Koo Photography
6. Casino night
If your wedding happens to be in Las Vegas or Atlantic City, then heading out to a casino after your wedding is the ideal wedding after-party. Guests can play their favorite casino games, like blackjack or hold em, or keep things simple at the penny slots. If you love the idea of a casino night but aren’t anywhere near one, you can always throw your own in your hotel room! Rent a few game tables (like roulette or blackjack), put up some casino decorations and play all night to your heart’s content. If you don’t want to play with real money, you can always play with fake poker chips or monopoly money instead!
Photo Credit: I Do Take Two
Having an after-party for your wedding is a great way to keep the celebrations going all through the night. Of course, having one is entirely optional, but if you do choose to plan one, it’s always fun to have a theme or activity for guests to look forward to. Even though you are an event-planning pro by now, you can also delegate this task to your maid of honor or best man to alleviate some of the stress from yourself. Wedding after-parties are a great way to spend a few extra hours with your closest friends and family on the happiest night of your life.
