Everything You Need to Know About Wedding Weekends
If you're planning a wedding and want to make it extra special, then a "wedding weekend" might be just what you're looking for! While many couples believe their wedding day was over too soon, couples who choose to have weekend weddings enjoy a three-day celebration.
In this article we will explore every aspect of wedding weekends, from the benefits to next steps so you can decide if a wedding weekend is right for you.
What is a Wedding Weekend?
A wedding weekend is a combination of traditional wedding day events and activities that sprawl across an entire weekend rather than a single day.
The typical components of a wedding weekend include a welcome party, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and a send-off brunch all in a fabulous location. You can add your own touches to the wedding weekend by planning tours or excursions or other activities that will make your guests feel extra special.
Benefits of Planning a Wedding Weekend
Slow Down the Celebration
A wedding weekend is a great way to celebrate your marriage with family and friends and give them an opportunity to experience what you love most about your relationship.
The main benefit of a wedding weekend is the ability to celebrate for more than one day. After all, who doesn’t want more time with their loved ones?
A wedding weekend slows down the celebration and provides more opportunities for guests to relax, unwind, and enjoy themselves at whatever pace they choose.
It makes it easier for visitors to meet new people, spend quality time with those they already know, and get comfortable in whatever setting you choose—from a beach house to a quiet country inn.
Cater to Out-Of-Town Guests
A second benefit of hosting an extended celebration is that it allows out-of-town guests to visit your home or venue without feeling rushed. They can enjoy activities they wouldn't otherwise be able to participate in if they only had 24 hours or less in town before returning home again.
This is especially helpful for those who have traveled from a long distance away. Your guests who live far away from their families may appreciate being able to spend dedicated time with them for more than one afternoon.
Create an Immersive Experience
You can create an immersive guest experience by creating activities specifically designed with your guests in mind. There are many different ways that you can design activities specifically tailored toward your guests' interests.
For example, providing board games in common areas such as the lobby or restaurant or running a wedding-themed trivia night or other competitions throughout the weekend.
Some couples may even up their game and create scavenger hunts that incorporate local landmarks and history into the game's narrative for guests to explore during down times.
Share What You Love Most with the People You Love Most
There are few things better than a chance to share the things you love most with the people you love most and a wedding weekend provides more opportunities to share your relationship with those around you.
By extending your wedding day and incorporating your favorite things to do as a couple, your guests feel a greater sense of what makes your relationship worth celebrating!
If there are specific activities or locations within driving distance from where your nuptials will take place this could be an excellent opportunity to have shared experiences together as a part of your wedding celebrations.
Considerations Before Planning a Wedding Weekend
Bigger Price Tag
If you're hosting an entire weekend of events, you’re likely going to spend more than you would for a one-day celebration.
For example, if you have multiple activities planned for the weekend, consider sourcing food and beverages for these activities yourself instead of hiring a caterer. This will help keep costs down on your end.
But it's not just the cost of the venue and catering that you need to be aware of. There are other factors that can affect your total budget and how much money you can spend on each aspect of your wedding.
If there are going to be lots of kids at your wedding weekend, then you might want to consider hiring childcare professionals or planning specific events to entertain them while the adults mingle.
Transportation can be another big cost. If you’re planning on visiting several locations in the area with your guests how will they get there? Your venue may provide shuttles from the airport to their hotel, but will you need to hire additional transportation?
Fewer Guests
If you're having a multi-day celebration, you should consider that some of your guests won't be able to attend due to scheduling conflicts or cost of travel.
The best way around this is to make sure that you have as much flexibility as possible with the event schedule and location.
If your guests are flying, consider hosting the wedding weekend at a nearby location that's less costly for them to visit. If they're driving, try holding a few events over the course of several days so they can come and go as their schedule permits.
Another option? Invite close friends and family to the entire wedding weekend, while some guests are only invited to the ceremony and reception.
Planning
Organizing a single wedding day can be stressful enough, and having to plan additional events only adds to your long list of tasks before saying “I do."
If you plan on having multiple events over the course of several days, you'll need more time than usual to coordinate all of the logistics involved with each event.
You'll need to find venues and locations for different events as well as procure hotel room blocks so that you can house all of your out-of-town guests in one place during the festivities. This means that you'll need to manage multiple contracts with separate vendors at once—not exactly an ideal situation when you're trying to get married!
Constant Hosting
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Having a wedding weekend means that the newlyweds will have little time alone together without the need for entertaining guests throughout their nuptials.
You’ll also have less time for yourselves throughout the weekend if you’re always moving from one event to the next and constantly playing host to your guests.
We suggest building free time into the schedule that allows guests to explore or relax on their own. You don’t need to plan out every detail of their stay, they can explore on their own.
Make sure your guests know where they can find things like coffee shops and restaurants during downtime between events. It’s okay if they don’t spend every second of their wedding weekend with you!
First Steps to Planning a Successful Wedding Weekend
Determine Your Budget
When you're planning your wedding weekend budget, it can be tempting to think about everything all at once and just start shopping around for vendors. But what we recommend is going in the opposite direction: work your way backward.
Figure out what you're willing to spend in total then go through each of your wedding weekend events and allocate a portion of your budget to that event.
Once you know what fits in the budget you can start collecting information about potential venues and any other vendors that will be involved in your wedding weekend.
While it's important to stay within your budget, don't be afraid to splurge on certain things if they really matter to you!
Find the Venue
When you're planning a wedding weekend, you want to find a venue that will make it easy for your guests to be there. Your guests will be more likely to attend your wedding weekend events if they can stay on-site or very close to the venue.
We suggest finding a venue that offers a shuttle service for guests. Your out-of-town relatives will thank you!
Another consideration when choosing a venue is the surrounding area. Are there recreational activities at the venue or attractions nearby? Think about glamping venues, all inclusive retreats, hotels and resorts downtown, or lakefront properties.
If the venue is in a prime location you’ll be able to host events at restaurants or bars that have private rooms for larger groups of friends and family members who want to celebrate together throughout the evening.
Looking for the perfect venue for your wedding weekend in Seattle? Check out a list of amazing venue vendors.
Hire a Wedding Planner — Seriously!
If you're the type of person who likes to leave nothing to chance, and you have the budget to hire a wedding planner or coordinator, this might be the best option for you. They'll be able to help you find the right vendors and negotiate deals on your behalf.
Wedding planners help you navigate the process of choosing, contacting, and scheduling your vendors all while making sure you stick to your budget. They'll be there every step of the way, guiding you through the hectic decision-making process.
While they’re working behind the scenes you can focus on the fun details that make your wedding weekend unique to you and your partner.
Create Your Itinerary
To get started, you'll need to create a timetable for your wedding weekend. If you’ve hired a wedding planner, make sure you consult with them as well as your spouse!
First, list all the events and activities you want to have on each day of your wedding weekend then work with your partner (and wedding planner) to create a schedule.
Be clear with your dates and times so you can coordinate with your vendors and guests!
To ensure that your wedding weekend goes smoothly, space out the different events. Don't overwhelm your guests or rush them from one thing to the next. Give them time to explore the area or simply relax a bit before moving on to the next event.
It's also important to let your guests know that they don't have to attend every part of your weekend — they can take it easy and enjoy themselves if they wish!
Send Save the Dates Early
Sending your Save The Dates early will give your guests plenty of time to plan their travel arrangements.
Not only does this ensure that they'll be able to secure the most competitive rates for airfare and hotels, but it will also let them know as far ahead of time as possible when the festivities will be taking place. This way, they can make sure they can take whatever time off they need from work in order to attend.
We suggest sending your Save The Dates at least a year in advance for a larger attendance at your wedding weekend.
Give guests plenty of time to RSVP by sending wedding invitations 3 to 5 months before your wedding weekend. This will help you solidify your guest count and give you a better idea of the number of activities you'll need.
Give Detailed Instructions to Guests
Consider creating a wedding website that includes your wedding weekend itinerary as well as any other pertinent information your guests might need.
Updating your wedding website with new information is a great way to share all the details of your big weekend with friends and family. We suggest that you include the itinerary, dress code for each event, hotel and transportation information as well as some fun packing tips.
If you want to make your guests' stay more enjoyable, let them know what the best restaurants, attractions, and bars are in town and how they can get there during their downtime. Give them a map of the area with these locations marked on it so they can get a feel for what's nearby.
In addition to this, you can provide recommendations for activities that are good for kids and adults alike. This will help you cater to the needs of all your guests!
With your website easily accessible on guest’s phones or laptops they won't miss out on anything!
Wedding Weekend Itinerary Example
Day 1: Welcome Party
Day one starts with a welcome party held at someone's home or in a local bar and restaurant. This is a good time for guests to mingle and meet each other before the big event. It works well if there are people traveling from out of town who need to get acquainted with the couple’s nearby friends and family.
This is also a great time for hosts to practice their hosting skills and make sure that everyone feels comfortable and confident about what will happen next. The host should be prepared with some snacks, drinks, and a few activities to keep people busy while they're getting ready for Day Two.
Day 2: Ceremony/Reception
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Day two is the biggest day during the wedding weekend! It’s the day you and your partner tie the knot and celebrate with all your guests.
A good rule of thumb to make the most of Day two is to plan the ceremony during the morning or afternoon, followed by beverages and appetizers during cocktail hour.
The reception dinner can be anywhere from just an informal sit-down meal where everyone sits together at long tables to fancy seated dinners where each table has its own waitstaff service.
Day 3: Farewell Brunch
It’s time to say farewell to all your guests who spent the entire weekend celebrating you and your partner. Say goodbye to your friends and family in style with a fancy farewell brunch.
What's more, it's a great way to get everyone together one last time before the party ends and everyone gets swept up in their own lives again.
If you're hosting the brunch, you can be sure that there will be plenty of time to reconnect after the busy events of day two. This is also a great time to open gifts and thank everyone for attending!
Our Tips
Consider a Fun Theme
Having a theme for your wedding weekend is a fun way to help you and your guests get into the spirit of the occasion.
Your theme can be as broad or as specific as you choose — you can go with something like "beachside" or "the color blue," or you can go super specific, like all the places you’ve traveled together or the hobbies you share. You can even make it more light-hearted than serious—maybe your theme is a pun on your last name.
Whatever you decide, having a theme will help keep things organized and fun throughout the weekend.
Themes are also great if you're planning activities with other couples who might not know each other very well yet—it gives them something to talk about and bond over!
Document Each Day!
A professional photographer will capture your ceremony and reception with beautifully shot and composed photos, but if you’re having a wedding weekend, who will document the other activities?
Let your guests help you document your wedding weekend — their shots will surely surprise you!
Encourage your guests to post photos from the weekend with a special hashtag so you can look at the memories later. For more behind-the-scenes style shots give each group of guests a polaroid or disposable camera. Gather all the film at the end and laugh at all the fun mementos from your guests.
Consider Welcome Bags
Welcome bags are a wonderful way to greet guests during your wedding weekend. If your budget allows for it, the welcome bags can include things like the weekend itinerary, gift cards to the local coffee shop, locally made crafts or desserts, and a list of nearby attractions and restaurants within walking distance.
Even more fun, try catering your items to your wedding theme or environment. For example, if you're at a beachside resort weekend, include sunscreen and sunglasses!
If you’re thinking about having a wedding weekend or would like to know more about it, we hope this article has helped you get started.
The most important thing to keep in mind when planning your wedding weekend is that it should be a reflection of you as a couple!
