According to the survey results, the recent implementation rate is 30% 📝 In 2023, the situation of after-corona wedding receptions 🍸

2023.10.13 published

A Consultation from a Bride-to-Be 👰🏻

I saw the "marry" stories about the after-party survey yesterday!

(This is the survey)

I originally planned not to have an after-party, but after seeing that 30% of people are hosting one, I started wanting to do a little something myself.

I would like to know the reasons why you had an after-party and what you thought was great about it, as I want to convince my husband!

I've always dreamed of wearing a mini wedding dress with heels, just like in overseas weddings, so I'm also attracted to the idea of being able to do that.

I’d like to hear both from those who didn't have one and felt they should have, and from those who think it was good not to have one!

Here are the gathered opinions.

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⬇ Responses from Those Who Thought It Was a Good Idea to Have One

First, let's see the opinions from those who were satisfied with hosting an after-party.

Response 1

Nice to meet you!

I always enjoy reading your posts✨

I DM'd you because of yesterday’s after-party matter☺️

I wasn't originally planning to have an after-party, but since many guests were coming from afar, we decided to create an opportunity to talk and connect, so we went ahead with the after-party✨

We did take RSVPs beforehand, but we kept the option to attend on the day open, so it was relaxed and fun 🍹

In the end, more people than expected came, new connections were formed, and it turned out to be a lot of fun for everyone, so I’m glad we had the after-party✨

I feel it’s important to consider how the day’s schedule affects the guests since the day of the ceremony can sometimes become a burden for them☺️

Response 2

I wasn't sure if there would be a chance to really talk with everyone during the wedding ceremony and reception, and as a guest, I often found myself thinking, "I wish I had talked more. I wish I had taken more pictures," so I decided to have an after-party. 🥺

Since I also had several distant guests, I wanted to spend more time with them rather than have them just come for the ceremony 😊

Response 3

We had an after-party!

The ceremony and reception were only with family, but when I told my friends, “We’re getting married! The ceremony will be just for family,” I felt sad that I received no gifts or congratulations, so I decided to create a gathering for my friends!

I invited friends who had previously attended my wedding and gifted me! 🤣

I really wanted them to congratulate me face-to-face and celebrate together! 🤣

Response 4

I initially planned not to have one (I’m quite lazy, haha), but a friend said, “You can’t really talk much during the wedding, so everyone wants to celebrate closely at the after-party!” It encouraged me to go ahead with it☺️

Some people came just for the after-party, so I think it was a good decision ❣️

A mini wedding dress with heels 👗👠💕

There are things you can only do at the after-party, right? 😆💕

Response 5

You should definitely have an after-party!

At the reception, I could only exchange a few words and take photos, but at the after-party, I could take my time chatting with each friend.

I received detailed compliments like, “That scene at the ceremony was so touching!” or “I see you went with long sleeves for your dress! It suited you!” "The welcome board photo was cute! Did you design it yourself?" I was able to hear all those lovely things! 😂

It’s much nicer to hear such words in person rather than through LINE afterward. Plus, since I had so much I wanted to say about the preparations, it was a great opportunity to discuss the ceremony when our memories were still fresh, and I felt incredibly satisfied!

I felt that moment really made all my wedding preparations worth it! 😂

Also, I was happy to wear the black dress I had given up on for the reception!

Response 6

We had an after-party! It might be a bit unusual, but I rented a nice house near the venue through Airbnb, so everyone could gather there!

(We let the guests know they could drop off their things and change there from the morning.)

We ordered catering and drinks, allowing everyone to enjoy freely.

Since we were in a rural area without nearby cafes, restaurants, or bars, I felt it was considerate not to lead guests around in confusion. Though we had no specific programming, everyone was able to gather and relax, which turned out well!

Renting a house through Airbnb is quite affordable, so I recommend it!

Response 7

I wore a mini dress to the after-party✨

I really wanted to wear a mini dress, but since I couldn't find my ideal one, I had a custom 2-way dress made. I wore it as a princess dress during the first half of the reception and then changed into the mini dress for the farewell greetings.

And I spent the after-party in the mini dress! 💎✨

Since you move around a lot more at the after-party than at the reception, I’m glad I went for a comfortable mini dress!

Response 8

We had an after-party!

I thought it would be good to have at least a little time to talk with everyone gathered, but even after having an after-party, the newlywed couple only gets to speak a few minutes with each guest.

We exchanged words like “Congratulations,” “Thank you,” “You look beautiful,” “The food was delicious!” and those types of compliments, but luckily we had time to send photos and videos through airdrop right there on the spot.

If we had only had the ceremony and reception, we wouldn’t have had the chance for that. It was great to see the photos and videos before heading home. Receiving them in original quality right away instead of through LINE or Instagram DMs was satisfying!

Response 9

I only had an after-party...

About halfway through, my husband asked, “Is it okay if friends move seats?” (implying “Is that alright?”), and at that time, everyone around was unmarried and near 24 years old. I thought, “Isn’t this going to turn into a mixer?” but since my husband's friends were behind us, it didn’t feel right to refuse...

Eventually, I heard someone from my side of the guests say, “This feels a bit like a mixer,” and I felt really sorry.

We had a casual after-party with just friends, but it seems like a third-party gathering might create that sort of atmosphere... So, I think it’s good to have clear guidelines!

Response 10

I’m a bride-to-be who’s planning a wedding for the end of October.

I also thought I wouldn't have an after-party at first.

However, after hearing stories from my husband’s friend’s wedding (where they had a private venue for the ceremony and after-party) about how relatives got close and made friends, I decided I wanted to try a similar thing, even if in a different format.

Our hotel wedding will also have distant guests staying, so we're planning to have an after-party at the hotel restaurant to enjoy chatting together.

We won’t have any specific performances, aiming for a cozy time, and I think we’ll be able to relax while enjoying good food with our guests!

Sorry for the long message 😌

Response 11

Here’s a guest’s perspective!

Having an after-party increases the time I can spend with my friends, and it also saves us from having to choose a cafe or other venue ourselves.

While friends typically tend to decide to go somewhere together when there is no after-party or if they don't attend, we rarely pre-decide a destination, which often feels a bit bothersome... 😹

Response 12

I had been considering not having an after-party since many of our guests are parents in their 40s. However, one person said, “Well, my husband will be watching the kids during the wedding day, so it’s fine to come back whenever! In fact, it would be nice if the after-party went a little longer!” So we decided to go ahead!

We avoided games like bingo and quizzes, making it a chatting-centered after-party, which allowed us to have a leisurely and fun time 🍺

Since it was a spring wedding, we chose a venue with a terrace, and being able to enjoy a beer garden setup outside was a hit!

I believe it’s a must to have chairs available instead of standing tables since female guests get tired in heels!

Response 13

I held an after-party!

I wore a white kimono for the Shinto ceremony ➡ wore a colorful kimono for the first half of the reception ➡ changed into a wedding dress for the second half of the reception ➡ then wore a colored dress for the after-party. I wore all types of bridal outfits!

It was a great deal at the wedding venue, where the more outfits you wear, the cheaper the price per outfit. I was so satisfied to wear so many different styles 🫶

Response 14

I hosted an after-party for about 30 guests!

Since nobody came just for the after-party and the attendance was small, I thought it might be okay not to have one, but I had a lot of fun talking and taking pictures with everyone!

Even with a small group, we still had new couple quizzes and little games like regular after-parties!

It felt just right to have a quick start, have fun, and end it since the group was small!

The closer interaction between the bride's and groom's sides also led to some new couples forming! I’m glad we did it! 🥺

Response 15

Just like the person who asked the question, I wanted an after-party, but my partner didn’t want one—yet we did it!

I wanted to invite a lot of old friends from previous jobs, and I was excited to reunite many friends after a long time.

My partner didn’t want to invite friends who would only come for the after-party and generally preferred a smaller celebration.

However, after my strong insistence, he agreed, and we went ahead with it!

There was a disparity in guest numbers (40 of my friends and 10 of his), but since we didn’t have a seating chart like at a reception, it didn’t matter much.

Although he wasn’t enthusiastic, he ended up enjoying himself, drinking with friends and introducing them to mine, and afterward, he said, “I’m glad we had the after-party. Thank you.” 🥺💕

You will likely regret not having the after-party more than regretting having one, so I strongly recommend doing it if you’re unsure! 🫶

Response 16

Since it’s such a celebratory day, I heard that the ceremony is fleeting, and I wanted to enjoy the entire day, so I decided to have an after-party!

In the end, the day felt short even with the after-party, so I think just having the ceremony would have felt even shorter! 😂

⬇ Now, Responses from Those Who Did Not Have an After-Party

Next, let's share the responses from those who chose not to have an after-party.

Response 1

I saw the story about after-parties.

I wanted to have one, but during the time we had the wedding, it was right in the middle of the pandemic, so we couldn't do it 💦 So I feel envious of those who were able to have after-parties 🥺

Response 2

I didn’t have an after-party, but I somewhat regret not having one.

About a year ago, with COVID still a concern, we officially didn’t plan for an after-party and instead planned for our guests to gather individually.

However, on the day itself, it took time due to filming, cleaning up, and settling additional payments after the ceremony, and we were finally free at around 8 PM.

By that time, some groups of friends coming from afar had already disbanded, leaving me with no time to chat, which is something I can’t shake off my mind.

Even though we had no performances at the reception, the lack of conversation time was disappointing. We should have had an after-party just for friends 😭

Response 3

I didn’t have an after-party, but I think I should have!

Since we had many guests with small children, I thought it might be troublesome to have an after-party, so we didn’t. However, it turned out my high school friends, college friends, the groom’s college friends, and company colleagues all had their own after-parties.

Even those with children were eager to attend since it had been a while since they gathered.

I was called by different groups, “If you’d like, join our after-party,” and I ended up hopping between the after-parties of my high school friends and college friends, while the groom attended those with his college friends and coworkers 😂

While that was fun, I couldn’t help but regret having not organized one from the start!

Response 4

I didn’t have an after-party!

The reception itself was casual and limited to family and close friends, so we ensured enough time for mingling.

We arranged it so the bride and groom could sit with each table for the meal, allowing us to talk a lot with friends!

I also didn’t have any specific friends I wanted to invite from the after-party, so I felt that having one with the same group from the reception (about 20 guests who were friends of the bride and groom) wasn’t necessary.

Response 5

There are several friends of the groom who drink too much, so we didn’t have an after-party.

There was one time they visited our home, and they shouted and sang loudly, and it felt quite raucous…

Most of my friends are relatively quiet, so I didn’t think it would turn into a pleasant after-party, and I decided against it.

The reception was already lively, so it’s frightening to think about how hectic the after-party might have been... even now, I’m relieved we didn’t have one 😂

Response 6

I’ve attended weddings without after-parties, and I thought the ceremony and reception really ended quite quickly.

It was an early morning ceremony, so it was finished by 3 PM.

I had paid for early morning rates for my hair and makeup, and I honestly thought, "Is it already over at this bright hour?!"

Because you’re all dressed up for this special day, just casually wandering around feels awkward, and with the timing, it’s tricky for everyone to go somewhere to drink since most restaurants aren’t open yet...

Are there even enough cafe seats for six or more people? Everyone ended up wandering around.

If the wedding ceremony started in the afternoon, maybe an after-party wouldn’t be necessary, but for morning ceremonies, I personally feel an after-party would be better to avoid that awkward gap.

Few Have Regretted Having an After-Party

We've shared the gathered responses.

While there are some who regret not having an after-party, it’s impressive that nearly no one regretted having one.

Much like the ceremony itself, often what seems like a burden initially, or something you contemplate giving up on, turns out to be enjoyable once you get started, leaving you feeling extremely satisfied once it’s over!

(Personally, I feel this way every time I go to Disneyland!)

If you are in doubt, it seems better to go ahead with the after-party!♡

If You're Looking for After-Party Venues ♡

Once you've decided to have an after-party, the next step is finding a venue＊

There are many more options for after-party venues than for wedding venues (like restaurants and dining bars), which makes it quite a task to find a good spot.

That's where!

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