Alternatives to 'traditional' wedding reception

Sinall

Hi all

My fiancé and I are hoping to get married next May. We've only been engaged a couple of weeks so we're still at the 'sussing everything out' stage.

He's pretty uncomfortable with the idea of a traditional wedding reception - eg meal in a hotel, followed by dancing etc, so we're researching some alternatives. I know we could do a meal for immediate family afterwards and then a separate party. Does anyone have any other suggestions or examples of things they've done?

By the way, we're getting married in Waterford, in case that helps!

Thanks!

ponderousanon

Im also hoping for something a little different and came across what seems like a really sweet option in castletown geoghegan, westmeath. It's a camping site of really lovely yurts and the owners are currently in the process of finishing converting a barn to act as a reception venue. There is also a little chapel and a walled garden for bbqs.

I don't know if this is an option for you but its really caught my interest yet. The main concern is it hadn't held a wedding yet, first one is going to be next month. If anyone has any info on it I'd be very grateful!

Hope helps, its my forerunner so far for an alternative wedding option!

Sinall

Thanks ponderousanon! That sounds lovely. I hadn't heard anything about it before. I think we'll have to stick nearer to Waterford - it'd be great if there was something like that closer!

Dolbert

Someone posted on here about having their wedding in Moongate before, it looks fantastic and you can have the catering whatever way you want it.

http://www.moongatesite.com/

clint_silver

I always say best wedding I was ever at (bar my own) was in a lovely restaraunt in malahide that was hired for the day, ate and drank until about 11pm, then a bus was waiting outside to take us to a swanky nightclub in town where we danced night away. No worries about venue or hiring music.

nightclub only too happy to have 100 or so drinking guests on a thursday night so cordoned off a big area for us and had extra staff to take orders on drink and served us up late food as well.

theres some class restaraunts in waterford I believe. bus hire for an hour or so is cheap in the scheme of things.

frogstar

clint_silver wrote: »

I always say best wedding I was ever at (bar my own) was in a lovely restaraunt in malahide that was hired for the day, ate and drank until about 11pm, then a bus was waiting outside to take us to a swanky nightclub in town where we danced night away. No worries about venue or hiring music.

nightclub only too happy to have 100 or so drinking guests on a thursday night so cordoned off a big area for us and had extra staff to take orders on drink and served us up late food as well.

theres some class restaraunts in waterford I believe. bus hire for an hour or so is cheap in the scheme of things.

What restaurant was that? I've been looking into something similar.

Always thought of cruzos but it's closed now (food wasn't special but view fab)

Not sure if it opened again under something different

clint_silver

frogstar wrote: »

What restaurant was that? I've been looking into something similar.

Always thought of cruzos but it's closed now (food wasn't special but view fab)

Not sure if it opened again under something different

It was actually, was over 10-11 years ago now though. nightclub was the morrisson club as it was at the time.

I suppose the atmosphere made it on the day. I cant remember what we had to eat but do remember thinking it was completely outside the norm for wedding food, if ya get me. Noone knew what was happening afterwards but we were told to be prepared to travel to town.
Of all the weddings Ive ever been at, for food, that night and a night we had in inchydoney sticks out. And if we ever speak of the wedding with that couple we still comment on it.

Sinall

Thanks for the suggestions! There are some really good ones here and will give us food for thought.

RobbieTheRobber

Im having a small wedding (the very idea of big wedding is my nightmare) 40 for dinner.

I looked around at my options and didnt really fancy moving my guests from a restaurant to a bar/nightclub.

My fiance is Chinese and her father picked a date he felt was auspicious but which happens to be a Tuesday which also kinda scuppes the nightclub after.

So what I have decided is to go with la Peniche we have booked the barge from 3 until late (exclusive hire) and will do the whole deal there.
Drinks reception followed by dinner, followed by entertainment.
Its different which is what caught my attention and being on a canal in dublins seems so well dublin to me.

ck83

Sinall, if you're still out there, I'm very interested to know what you came up with?? I'm recently engaged, and my fiancé is extremely against a traditional wedding reception. I'm easy going enough about it- would like to do something a little bit different that wont cost the earth!

I know someone who hired a hostel for the night and got caterers and a band in it worked very well.

daenerysstormborn3

We are getting married on 2nd August. It will be a small ceremony at the Registrar's Office and then my boyfriend and I and 6 very close friends of ours are going to have dinner and drinks and a bit of celebrating in Waterford Castle and stay there for the night. On 4th August we are having a small garden party at our house to celebrate with the rest of our friends. The main part of the meal is going to be a hog roast. We've a massive yard and garden so we're going to set up loads of tables and chairs, fairy lights, candles, decorations and plenty of eating and drinking will be done. We have a good sound system in our house so we're going to use that.

The idea of a big wedding doesn't bother me but I only want people there who actually know my boyfriend and I as a couple. My mother is the kind of person who will want to invite every distant relation, every ex-neighbour, ex-babysitters, all that kind of madness so we are just doing it our way with people around us who know us.

ABajaninCork

How about an English style tea party? You know, little cakes, sandwiches (cucumber with the crusts off! :P), and different kinds of tea (Earl Grey, Lapsang, herbal, Lyons, Barrys), coffees.

To give you an idea here's an Afternoon Tea menu from The Ritz. Now, it doesn't have to be that fancy, but just for ideas.

I've heard of couples opting for this, and it seems to have gone down quite well. Perhaps get the Women's Institute (Sorry, but don't know the Irish equivalent) to make your teas!