Wedding Blog
Do you remember prom? How you searched for the perfect dress, the perfect shoes, the perfect hair, the perfect date. And you went to the dance, and it was fun and all, but at the end of the evening you were left standing in your room thinking, “Uh… that was it?! It’s over already?!”
Best night EVAH! Source
That is exactly the feeling I want to avoid with our wedding.
Mr. Powder Puff and I have been discussing lately what we would like to do after the reception is over. Do we just want to go to our hotel room? We’ll probably be tired, but it seems so anti-climactic. Especially since our reception will be over by 11PM.
Then we started thinking about all of our friends who are going to be traveling for our wedding. Friends we don’t see very often. Friends we’d like to spend a little more time with than five seconds in the receiving line. So we thought to ourselves, why don’t we go out with said friends after the reception is over. Keep this party bus rollin’ down the road!
Plus, the shopper in me is excited to maybe buy a cute, comfy, shorter white dress to change into after the reception! Tangent alert: I looooove the feeling of changing into comfortable clothes after you’ve been dressed up all day. Best. Feeling. Ever.
What did you do immediately after your reception?
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Share this post: Extending the Fun
We’re planning on having an after party at the hotel we’re staying at where most of our out of town guests will be staying. The reception will end at 9 p.m., which will be fine for the older guests and those with young children, but I’ve got about 30 younger guests who will want to have a little more fun. The hotel has a casino, night club, indoor water park, arcade, laser tag, go-karts, etc., so I think the party will continue for several more hours. 
I think an after-party would be fun, too! Though, as much as I love my gown, I’d hate to take it off at the end of the night!
Would it be totally goofy to go out for drinks after the wedding in your wedding attire?
I’m with you on two points … the fear that it will all be over so quickly, and the joy of changing after being dressed up. I’m telling ya - kicking off those heels and sinking your feet into warm, plush slippers … bliss!
(in fact, I think I might buy some comfy slippers to change into for the dancing part of the evening!)
Our reception ends at 8, and I will definitely be ready for bed. I’m an early bird
We’re having an after-party with our friends on the beach by our hotel. We’ll go back to our room to change (and maybe do some other fun things 
) then meet everyone down there. I’m thinking about getting something cute to wear to that as well!
Oooo, good post!
Our reception will end in Old City (Philadelphia) at 10:30 p.m., and (ideally!) I’d like to just WALK to a fun night spot — restaurant or bar — to hang with whomever wants to join us!
@Miss Spring Roll: Ditto, but ours ends @ 9. I will have been go go go ALL day, it will be nice to spend that down time with my new husband
We’re having a breakfast in the morning, so I can see everyone again then.
We reserved a room at a gorgeous bed & breakfast down the road from the reception. I’m looking forward to retiring to my room with new husband that night! But this very much suits our relationship
Our reception ends at 11:30 in Old City Philadelphia as well. We are going to hit the hotel bar… But i took driftslikesmoke would love to hit some bars in my dress. There is one particular dive bar that my maids and I think would be hilarious to show up in. That said I think I may buy a white comfy dress to change into just in case I want to.
We had a boat getaway back to our hotel…all we could talk about during the 30-minute boat ride was how much we loved our wedding. Afterwards we took a bubble bath, popped open some champagne, and ate the leftovers our DOC packed up for us…and the best feeling ever was getting out of the dress!
After - party! We’re going book a lounge downtown from 11:30 to 2 am for drinks and appetizers. We’re really looking forward to this part of the evening to spend some quality time with our friends (our reception is mostly relatives and friends of our parents).
I was just going to keep wearing my gown all evening… Is anyone else planning on doing that? Or do you think that wearing a wedding gown at the after party would be too cumbersome?
since our ceremony & reception will be held on my parent’s property we don’t have an end time. I am picturing the evening ending with everyone hanging out around the “fire pit” thing my parent’s have and making s’mores LOL.
Well, since we are having trouble finding a venue that allows alcohol and it’s less expensive to not have it…..we are thinking after party at our local bar/ hangout.
Our dinner will end around 9, be back in honolulu around 10, we’re thinking of maybe going out for some drinks afterwards if anyone is up for it. An after par-tay.
Oh, I’m sure our party will be rockin’ into the wee hours of the morning, if I know our friends like I do!
our reception will end at either 10pm or 11pm. since we live in our college town and plenty of our friends will be coming in for the wedding, we plan to visit our favorite clubs at the end of the night.
our reception will be over by 11. there is a great dueling piano bar near our place that i would LOVE to show up to in my wedding dress.
tacky or fun?
It’s a great idea if you’re not too tired. We were exhausted. I think we rolled into bed just after midnight. Very tiring, the stress of getting married!
You little cheat! Where are your actual prom pictures??!! Hee hee.
I don’t know if I’ll want to take off my dress for the after party… I mean, after all, it will be the FIRST, LAST and ONLY time I wear that dress!!!!!
Ours ends at 10pm, we are either going to rock the hotel bar or head to the bar we went to on our second date! And I think I am just going to stay in my dress- I think I love it too much to take it off!!
I have to admit that until I read this post I thought that going to the hotel was the best idea. But thinking about wearing another outfit!! and hanging out more with friends sounds AWESOME. I am going to come up with something to do!
Yeah I don’t know, my reception ends at 11 too, so it is either to the local pub thats within walking distance from my hotel or just back to the hotel…
After a friends wedding, we all hung out at the hotel bar. It was fun - filled with wedding guests and the bride kept her dress on. Great pics of her playing pool in her wedding dress. I say keep it on.
Oh! I totally want to have a fun afterparty. And I totally know how it feels to put on a comfy outfit (and a CLEAN ONE!) and still have your fancy hair and remnants of fancy make up
We aren’t doing anything after the reception, but the day before we are having all sorts of activities and dinner that will allow us to hang out with all of our guests. I totally agree with you that the wedding day will be gone before we know it and I don’t want just 5 minute conversations with everyone.
Our reception ends at 4 pm, so we’re planning on having…something later that night. Not sure what, we may just end up hanging out at my parents house with whatever members of the bridal party want to show up.
That sounds great! We’re also planning on some extended fun. It’s not often to have so many friends and family come together for one evening, and the night is young.
LOL, I love this post Puff! I have often referred to “prom syndrome” in any board post I’ve written that has to do with budgetting, because I too live in total dread of it repeating itself over my wedding.
We’ve rented a luxury B and B up the hill from my Mum’s house (the wedding venue) and have room for our entire wedding party and some of the family to stay there for the night. It has totally alleviated any expectations I would have had about how the reception should be, because I know we’ll be having a relaxed, super fun after party around the pool with those that we want to spend time with the most. Can’t wait!
Good post! I have worried about that feeling as well. We are planning on paying extra money to extend the time, then going out with our guests after the wedding.
I am really hoping we go glow in the dark bowling after the wedding with our closest friends.
Think about how sweet the white dress will look in the black light
@Miss Hot Cocoa: LOL!! I was going to post an actual prom picture, but then I realized I don’t have any. They’re all at my parents’ house. Boo!
This is a great idea! We’re planning a pizza & s’mores bonfire afterparty. Hopefully some of our guests stick around!
What fun after party ideas! Our reception can go until 1am, at which point if anyone is still hopping we’ll be moving to the lakeside cottages (at the same resort) the family rented. Though more likely my FI and will just crash in our own room!
we’re thinking of having a bonfire since ours is right on the beach.
We’re having an afternoon wedding that ends at 5pm…so I’m sure we will be doing something with our guests…I always love eating breakfast foods after a good party!
I don’t care what I do or where I go, as long as I get to wear my wedding dress.
Our friends actually had an “after party” post-reception. It was awesome and SOO much fun! It gave the younger crowd a chance to hang out and mingle with the bride and groom. I’m sure you guys will have a blast!
After party ALL. THE. WAY. If it includes drippy nacho cheese, all the better (what? I didn’t get it on my dress, I swear).
after-party at a multi-venue downtown club!
the husband wants me in the dress all night, so… hopefully that survives the saturday night crush in a club! 
since our wedding will be during the day and end before or right around nightfall (8pm) we will probably go out on the town with friends. but I guess it all depends on how tired we are. so if that doesn’t work, we’ll probably do a brunch instead the following day. I want to spend some along time with the hew hubby that night, if you know what I mean
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Mrs. Powder Puff, Chicago
Age and Occupation: 25, Preschool Teacher
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Career Services
Engagement Date: May, 2008
Wedding Date: July, 2009
Blogging Since: November 12, 2008
Venue: Outdoor ceremony, banquet hall reception
About Me: I am your typical Midwestern girl attempting to plan a sane, budget-friendly, fun wedding to the man of my dreams. I love shoes, laughing at “Platinum Weddings”, crafts, inspiration boards, candy, and basically anything I can DIY. While weddings can certainly be all-consuming, I honestly can’t wait until the ceremony is over and I can finally call Mr. Powder Puff my husband!
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