Pre-Wedding Activities
Weddings are a time of celebration and it doesn’t just start and stop at the ceremony. There are numerous ways to celebrate with friends & family during the engagement period before the big day. Here are some typical pre-wedding activities.
Engagement Party
This is one of the first parties where the happy couple is honored by family & friends. It is typically hosted by the parents of the bride or groom. It can happen hours after she says YES or three months later if there will be an extended engagement period. All guests of the engagement party should also be invited to the wedding. Favorite engagement locations include the host’s home, restaurant, bar, or park.
Bridal Shower
In today’s society the bridal shower is either a celebration to honor the bride with an all-female group or it is a couple’s shower to honor the bride & groom where guests of all genders attend. It is usually hosted by a member of the wedding party and tends to be a more intimate gathering of family & friends. Guests will often enjoy a meal, games, and then presents are opened in front of everyone. The couple should have their gift registry completed beforehand, so it is easy for guests to shop. Typical presents include items for the home.
House Warming Party
Many couples will plan a wedding & purchase a house around the same timeframe. If you are a new homeowner, throwing a house warming party might fit inline perfectly with the other pre-wedding celebrations. Guests will enjoy touring your new home. A house warming party is usually an informal get together with light snacks & refreshments. Guests will typically bring gifts such as flowers, plants, or a bottle of wine. If you are looking to purchase a home in Littleton or the surrounding areas, contact Gold Compass Real Estate to start a free home search.
Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties
These parties are commonly known as the bride or groom’s last chance to let loose before marriage. But they can also be a nice way to bond with friends amid the stress of wedding planning. Activities vary from a night out at the club, to a relaxing spa visit, to a camping weekend getaway. The maid of honor and best man traditionally plan the bachelor or bachelorette party and they take place a week to a few days before the wedding ceremony. This is the time when brides-to-be are gifted with lingerie for the night they will consummate the marriage.
Family & Friends Get Together
A few days prior to the wedding, many out of town guests will start to arrive so it’s a great idea to plan some activities so they have something to do while they are in town. Common activities include hiking, kayaking, scavenger hunt, bonfire, picnic, wine tasting, or arrange a local tour. It is a nice casual way to have fun with family & friends. It also lets them know that you appreciate that they came all the way out to your wedding.
Rehearsal Dinner
Typically, the night before the big day members of the wedding party will gettogether at the venue to rehearse the plan for the wedding. Directly afterwards there is a rehearsal dinner for the wedding party and close family that is traditionally hosted by the groom’s parents. The rehearsal dinner is a laid-back and scaled down version of the wedding where toasts and speeches are usually given.
If you choose to do one or all of the pre-wedding celebrations, a fun theme can be incorporated into the event's decor, food and beverages, and activities that will put a unique twist on the celebration. Some common themes include luau, wild west, Mardi Gras, the great outdoors, time period party, or use your favorite foreign city for inspiration. Whatever theme you choose, these pre-wedding festivities will make the whole engagement & wedding more memorable.