Jessica and Ryan had truly beautiful and joy-filled wedding, and I had the honor of being able to attend as their photographer! The couple took advantage of a current wedding trend and hosted a ceremony, reception and after party, showing different sides of their personality through different elements of the night.
The expertise of Engaging Events by Ali Phillips ensured the reception was an elegant affair. Hosted in the Grand Ballroom of the Palmer House Hilton, the event design was truly breathtaking. The decor echoed the colors of the bridesmaids’ dresses, which were champagne. The table settings and flowers were tranquil and classic, in champagne and muted pink and white. Heffernan Morgan Designs created the floral and event design for Jessica and Ryan and outfitted The Palmer House beautifully.
After the reception, there was, of course, the after party. Having an after party is a tradition in the making for the big day and is becoming more and more common. Since it’s an up and coming trend, there are really no rules for the after party, except for you have to invite all of your reception guests. Presumably, many guests will not make it to the after party, after enjoying themselves at the reception. For Jessica and Ryan, the after party moved guests from the Grand Ballroom to the Red Lacquer Room of the Palmer House for a festive late-night celebration. The room’s design was about as different from the reception as can be– red fabric draped everywhere, animal print lamps and black and white pillows set a very different mood for the guests who made it to the end of the night! I liked the idea of the after party because it allowed the couple to have a traditional classic reception and a more festive party, giving them the full experience they wanted for their wedding day. Ali Phillips once again did an amazing job coordinating the event so that it was hospitable for guests and memorable for the wedding party.
For help planning an after party for your reception, you can check these resources online. You have options for your after party– An after party can be a spirited late night party for whoever will stay after the reception, or a relaxing and small lounge event for close friends and family who need to wind down after a big day. A well planned after party allows you to extend your night in a way that doesn’t involve picking a bar nearby for everyone to wander to! The Wedding Bee discusses the pros and cons of an after party– they can be very good for entertaining your guests, especially if many of them are from out of town and aren’t familiar with your city. There are tons of ways to run a reception after party, and it is sure to be a success, as long as your plan it to fit the atmosphere of your wedding and to please your guests!
Other vendors involved in the event with me were Take the Cake, who contributed to the luxurious night with delicious cakes, and Keith from Poetic Productions, who documented the night in video. Judging from our own experience at the wedding, we’re sure the wedding party and guests alike had an amazing evening!
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