Small Dublin City Wedding: Afternoon Entertainment Ideas?

tempnam

We're getting married later this summer. Having a small civil ceremony and meal with close friends and family in the afternoon (around 40 in total), with the 'afters' in a hotel later that evening - for extended family, friends etc.

So the ceremony will take place around 12:00 - 13:00, and then the meal is in a nearby restaurant which we have exclusively booked from 13:00 - 17:00 (The restaurant will be opening as normal that evening so we must vacate in time for them to prepare - fair enough).

As the afters will kick off around 20:00 in the hotel - we're looking for something for everyone between 17:00 and 20:00.

The venues are all Dublin city centre.

We were going to book one of the 2 restaurant barges along the Grand Canal for a drinks reception and a short cruise - but they're both already booked on our wedding day.

We also looked at the Liffey cruise, but that's a guided tour, and the boat is set out like a coach - so I can't see it suiting the day for us - having everyone sitting there 2 by 2, being driven (by boat) up and down the Liffey! It's something that people might lose interest in fairly quickly.

Another option was to have private hire of the Jeanie Johnston tall ship on the Liffey for the couple of hours for a drinks reception and private tour - but that doesn't feel like something for a wedding day - a historical tour of a famine ship!

I was thinking of booking the Viking Splash tour; but if the weather is against us this might not work out. Also, I bet some of the guests might not want to get their hair ruined driving around in an open top bus!

We're also conscious that we don't want to be forcing activities on people like tours etc. - the original idea of hiring the barge restaurant for drinks suited us perfectly.

Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for something we could do.

amdublin

I actually really like the Jeanie Johnston idea...

What about a drinks/tapas reception in a wine cellar?? Ely Chq building as an example

tempnam

We're thinking about it but not sure it would be to everyone's taste. Also, a tour of a famine ship may bring the tone of the day down a little!

The meal is during the afternoon, and we have food organised for the afters too.

Also, as the ceremony, meal & afters are in 3 separate venues we don't want to be adding another restaurant to the list. Which is why we were looking at hiring a boat. The boat idea also suited us as the restaurant and hotel are both close by, so we could be picked up from the restaurant by the boat and then dropped off at the hotel afterwards!

amdublin

I hear ya. I've done the viking splash tour a few times. Great craic, but not for a wedding - VERY rough and ready.

What about hiring an old vintage bus or something??? (Is there such a thing?!)

jlm29

Op, I know you won't want to hear this, but your best bet is to move your existing arrangements around, if it's at all possible, so that you only have the ceremony, reception and afters. If I was one of those 40 guests who is there all day, I wouldn't enjoy traipsing from venue to venue. It could easily be raining, and having to go out in it multiple times will not be fun for anyone.

tempnam

jlm29 wrote: »

Op, I know you won't want to hear this, but your best bet is to move your existing arrangements around, if it's at all possible, so that you only have the ceremony, reception and afters. If I was one of those 40 guests who is there all day, I wouldn't enjoy traipsing from venue to venue. It could easily be raining, and having to go out in it multiple times will not be fun for anyone.

Well we have the ceremony venue, humanist, restaurant and hotel booked - we already had to move things once due to the hotel being double booked so I don't want the restaurant, humanist and ceremony venue to have to try accommodate another move.

jlm29

tempnam wrote: »

Well we have the ceremony venue, humanist, restaurant and hotel booked - we already had to move things once due to the hotel being double booked so I don't want the restaurant, humanist and ceremony venue to have to try accommodate another move.

That's a fair point. Could you not just go to the hotel a bit earlier and have your drinks reception there?

tempnam

jlm29 wrote: »

That's a fair point. Could you not just go to the hotel a bit earlier and have your drinks reception there?

We could - but I could see people getting bored (and drunk) after a couple of hours. Most weddings i've been at hqve been the 'standard' format where the meal isnt actually served until the evening. As were having a lunch there's a long day ahead if people just drink from then on all night..

kkcatlou

We priced getting a magician to keep guests entertained during the drinks reception, but it was too pricey. If you got the right venue though, it could be good?

Are you hoping for entertainment for the daytime and afters guests, or just the daytime? There's so much cool stuff to do in Dublin, it's just a matter of picking something that isn't too much hassle for people. Maybe look up leCool Dublin for some inspiration?

You could do a bride and groom quiz, or treasure hunt? Party games on a lawn somewhere (we're going to do those on our day two) - maybe the garden of the hotel where you are having the evening bit? Nothing too taxing though!

Or just reserve an area of an old man's pub in the city centre (like upstairs on Keogh's or Doheny and Nesbitts) and get in a trad band, warm fire, pints flowing?

amdublin

kkcatlou wrote: »

We priced getting a magician to keep guests entertained during the drinks reception, but it was too pricey. If you got the right venue though, it could be good?

Are you hoping for entertainment for the daytime and afters guests, or just the daytime? There's so much cool stuff to do in Dublin, it's just a matter of picking something that isn't too much hassle for people. Maybe look up leCool Dublin for some inspiration?

You could do a bride and groom quiz, or treasure hunt? Party games on a lawn somewhere (we're going to do those on our day two) - maybe the garden of the hotel where you are having the evening bit? Nothing too taxing though!

Or just reserve an area of an old man's pub in the city centre (like upstairs on Keogh's or Doheny and Nesbitts) and get in a trad band, warm fire, pints flowing?

I don't know...a magician or a treasure hunt seems like a kids party to me.

The trad band with a fire sounds good.

lazygal

I'd stick to as few venues as possible because you'll loose people along the way traipsing from one place to another to another. I'd try to get to your final venue earlier and have some drinks and food there. If you're watching the clock to move on to another venue you won't be relaxed and neither will your guests.

tempnam

kkcatlou: thanks for the suggestions - I'm not sure a magician feels 'wedding-y' though!

Just to clarify:

The ceremony and meal are just round the corner from each other, so once the ceremony is finished we will be heading to the restaurant for the afternoon.

I'm not worried about losing guests along the way, or people having to traipse all over town either - as, whatever we decide to do, I will arrange transport (ie a bus) to collect everyone from the restaurant and drop us to the hotel.

The reason why we wanted to go with a boat is that it would combine the transport element with entertainment/something different/drinks reception.

Lazygal: I take your point about watching the clock before moving to another venue. Which is why we wanted to go with the boat - I could have told them "pick us up at X point at 5pm, and we have to be dropped at X point at 7.30 pm" and the cruise would be arranged by them from there.

But, as I said, they're pre-booked.

So, back to the original question. Can anyone suggest something to do rather than adjusting the times that everything is booked for?

Thanks!

This might be a bit silly or our there, but what about the open top tour bus of Dublin it would be a bit of craic and ye could all sit upstairs and bring some champagne with ye.

sillysocks

Remember that whatever you do people will probably already have had a few drinks with dinner, and possibly be full, so not wanting to do anything too 'active'!
Could you do the Jeanie Johnston without the tour part? That sounds lovely and something different from the norm.

PhoenixParker

Does the hotel for the reception have a suite?

If it does, I'd book it and host a mini-party there.
Stock up the room with champagne, maybe put together a collection of family photos and videos from each side, play a few of them, have stuff so people can freshen up, a little background music.

I know that after a big meal I'd want a little quiet time to relax and regroup before the reception later.

kkcatlou

tempnam wrote: »

kkcatlou: thanks for the suggestions - I'm not sure a magician feels 'wedding-y' though!


Thanks!

The magician I'm referring to is called Shane Black. He's a specific wedding entertainer, so not a kids party type magician. I think he's won best wedding entertainer for the last 3 or 4 years, so this sort of thing is his gig. I've seen him in action and he's excellent, but very pricey and most likely booked out at weddings from now til the end of the year. It's definitely not what you would have in mind when you think magician!! Anyway, I'm not trying to sell him - as I said, we considered him but found the prices outrageous!

tempnam

kkcatlou wrote: »

The magician I'm referring to is called Shane Black. He's a specific wedding entertainer, so not a kids party type magician. I think he's won best wedding entertainer for the last 3 or 4 years, so this sort of thing is his gig. I've seen him in action and he's excellent, but very pricey and most likely booked out at weddings from now til the end of the year. It's definitely not what you would have in mind when you think magician!! Anyway, I'm not trying to sell him - as I said, we considered him but found the prices outrageous!

Would you mind giving me an indication of the prices?

Thanks.