2 Day wedding-Saving the Halloween theme for Day 2

LadyMeowMeow

Hi there,

I have been engaged for 1 year and my boyfriend and I have been putting wedding planning on the back burner due to the fact that we keep changing our minds on what we want to do. We want to have a semi traditional day but we also want to incorporate our favourite time of year, Halloween and go all out (within the budget)

So, we have had a brainwave. We're thinking about having a 2 day wedding over the October Bank Hol. 2015? 2016? Depending on how much things will cost.
Day 1 - Semi -traditional day with a black & gold theme with subtle hints of All Hallows Eve but nothing too in your face.
Day 2 - Halloween themed party, fire eaters, people on stilts outside, tarot readers, contortionists inside, starting in late afternoon, fancy dress, Halloween cake, more of a rock feel to the music, All out party really.

I'm hoping for some advice/ opinions on my idea to do this? Has anyone done a 2 day party? Has anyone had a Halloween theme? Did people participate? Do you find that a lot less people go?

January

My advice, don't do a two day party. You're just putting more expense on your guests and yourselves.

Toots

January wrote: »

My advice, don't do a two day party. You're just putting more expense on your guests and yourselves.

+1

Especially if you're having one day semi-traditional and one day fancy dress. Basically the guests will not only have to fork out for an outfit for the first day, they'll also have to put together a costume for the second day. You'd probably find you get a lot of declines for the second day.

Also, if you don't mind my asking, what sort of budget are you talking about? The stuff you've planned for the second day will cost an absolute fortune.

LadyMeowMeow

Thanks for your reply.
I had thought of that and was considering having an open bar for the 2nd day and I'm looking at a local venue that would not be out of the way for the majority of my guests so I was hoping that this will cut costs for my guests.

LadyMeowMeow

Hi Toots,

I am not sure about the budget just yet. We have savings and I have recently come into some extra money that I can use too. I have some friends who are in that line of work and know people so I might be privy to a discount! This is the thought. Once I find out how much everything things might change..

fits

LadyMeowMeow wrote: »

Hi Toots,
. Once I find out how much everything things might change..

That is for sure...

LadyMeowMeow

Yeah..Cheers.

January

I got a quote for fire eaters and stilt walkers for my wedding... These are the prices from one company, this was without VAT (and subject to a 100 euro premium per performer because I was having my wedding on NYE)

Acro Balance Duo - €900.00

· Aerial Acrobat – Silks , Hoop or Trapeze - €900.00

· African Ground Acrobat Trio - €1,300.00

· Fire Breathers €500.00

· Magicians €490

· Caricaturist €490

· Human Statue €580

· Mime Artist €580

· Samba Drummers €450

· Electric Confetti Machine €350

That's for 1.5 hours.

ballsymchugh

January wrote: »

· Human Statue €580

· Mime Artist €580

i'm in the wrong job.

LadyMeowMeow

Wow, January. Thanks a million for that. That sounds like a wedding I would have loved to have gone to! Did you go with that in the end? I don't think I would be looking for even half of that for the next day but food for thought.

January

Way out of my budget unfortunately but it was a nice idea! That and they'd have wanted the fire breathers outside and on a freezing cold NYE I doubt people want to be dragged out into the cold for something like that.

January

BTW my wedding isn't until this NYE

Toots

LadyMeowMeow wrote: »

Hi Toots,

I am not sure about the budget just yet. We have savings and I have recently come into some extra money that I can use too. I have some friends who are in that line of work and know people so I might be privy to a discount! This is the thought. Once I find out how much everything things might change..

Honestly the first thing I'd do is actually price how much this is all going to cost you. There's no point coming up with ideas etc without knowing it's something you can or can't afford, otherwise you might get your heart set on something that's completely unaffordable and then you'd end up disappointed.

If it was me, I'd forget about the second day and try to incorporate the halloweeny theme into the main day. There's loads of ways you can do it and have it look really elegant and classy, but yet you can still have a halloween vibe.

You could do lovely table centrepieces with pumpkins and autumnal flowers etc.
You could have the pumpkins as jack-o-lanterns but instead of carving a face in, you could carve the table number instead.
Place cards would be very easy to customise and make halloweeny.
A sweet table could be stocked with the likes of candy corn and other halloween goodies, and you could call it the trick or treat table, you could even have little trick or treat bags for people to put their food in.
A halloween wedding cake would be awesome. Again, lots of beautiful options out there without it looking garish.
You could have halloweeny bouquets like this, this, this, or my personal favourite this
The black and gold theme would work well with the table and chair covers - black chair covers with gold sashes, or you could use a dark coppery colour too.

amdublin

First off I was like no ditch the second day.

Then I saw you're doing a free bar and I was like okay that's good.

But then I thought about it some more. I cannot do two day parties in a fit these days.

I like the suggestions of the poster above.

Another idea would be that you and your groom, and anyone else change into costumes/fancy dress around 11pm.

And get the dj to play thriller

kandr10

Toots wrote: »

Honestly the first thing I'd do is actually price how much this is all going to cost you. There's no point coming up with ideas etc without knowing it's something you can or can't afford, otherwise you might get your heart set on something that's completely unaffordable and then you'd end up disappointed.

If it was me, I'd forget about the second day and try to incorporate the halloweeny theme into the main day. There's loads of ways you can do it and have it look really elegant and classy, but yet you can still have a halloween vibe.

You could do lovely table centrepieces with pumpkins and autumnal flowers etc.
You could have the pumpkins as jack-o-lanterns but instead of carving a face in, you could carve the table number instead.
Place cards would be very easy to customise and make halloweeny.
A sweet table could be stocked with the likes of candy corn and other halloween goodies, and you could call it the trick or treat table, you could even have little trick or treat bags for people to put their food in.
A halloween wedding cake would be awesome. Again, lots of beautiful options out there without it looking garish.
You could have halloweeny bouquets like this, this, this, or my personal favourite this
The black and gold theme would work well with the table and chair covers - black chair covers with gold sashes, or you could use a dark coppery colour too.

Those are excellent suggestions!! I agree with most, make the reception more Halloween-y. The 2nd day sounds like loads of fun but you might end up with a smaller attendance than you'd like and the big entertainment might fall flat. People will say they'll go to 2nd day events and drop out at the last minute so it's hard to rely on numbers. You should get some entertainers at your wedding reception though. That'd be great Craic (if you've the budget obviously).

Salid

The second day sounds amazing but like a lot a money and also hassle for guests. I'd incorporate the Halloween theme into the actual day and maybe you could add on a fire breather or something on the evening?
Then if you still have guests around the next day do a low key lunch or dinner

Beaner1

Nobody wants to go to a two day wedding. Bury that idea.

893bet

Free bar?

It will fit with the Halloween theme as it will be Rest in Peace to your wallet.

marialouise

Beaner1 wrote: »

Nobody wants to go to a two day wedding. Bury that idea.

Speak for yourself! Maybe not everybody wants to go to a 2 day wedding, but not "nobody".
Maybe it's just be because I never went to a pre-Celtic Tiger wedding, but I don't see the problem with a second day if you're having it close to home.
I do think it'll be very difficult to get people into costumes and it is definitely an added expense, so I do think making the reception like a halloween party is a great idea, but I don't see everyone getting changed at 9pm!

homemadecider

I'd hate an invite to a 2 day wedding. The day after a wedding is meant for hangovers, sleeping and pizza... not another bloody wedding party. Do your guests a favour and keep it to 1 day.

893bet

I love the second day of a wedding. Much more relaxed and craic I find. I only go to close family and close friends though.

December2012

Two day weddings are fine ans long as the second day is more "evening / night" activities instead of "daytime" activities

Starrgrrl

I love the second day of weddings. Always more relaxed and less formal. I'm having one myself. Local pub, trad music chip van and no pressure. It's an optional extra! If people want to go they'll go. If not, that's fine too.

amdublin

Starrgrrl wrote: »

I love the second day of weddings. Always more relaxed and less formal. I'm having one myself. Local pub, trad music chip van and no pressure. It's an optional extra! If people want to go they'll go. If not, that's fine too.

Well you sound like you've got a good attitude "no pressure". It's the unfortunate fact of matter that some people don't like the send day.

Myself I hate a second day. I'm wrecked and hungover and I no more want to go out again. I want to go home and relax for the day.

Gatica

I enjoy the second day. It's usually fun and casual. If it was themed it would probably be more difficult to source a second outfit though. However, for Halloween lots of us would have dressed up anyway, so I guess it's not a bad idea. I just think it depends on the age of your crowd.
If they're mid-20's, no kids, brilliant. Mid-30's, not so much. If we attended a wedding like that 5 years ago, I know most of our friends would participate in the second day. Now that many have kids, they barely make weddings, never mind second days.

Neyite

Actually that is something you should take into consideration OP -the age demographic of your guests.

If your guest list is predominately couples with children you may not get a great uptake on the second day, which would be a shame if you went to great expense.

Even if money was'nt a consideration, it can be hard enough to find someone to mind your child for a 24hr period, let alone 48. Even if you allowed kids the next day, it wouldnt work for those who travelled and kids are at home - they wouldnt make the trip back to get them and return if it was a bit of a trek.

Similarly, you might find that older generation would consider the second day to be a day for 'the young wans on the cure'.

Milly33

Perhaps you could keep the second day to just close family who as such will be hanging around anyway..

Or I think just once you let people know in advance that there will be an option of a second day your fine.. Like the idea of a Halloween party but the cost alright for costumes might be a extra for guests. You could instead just get a face painter in or something like that so they do not have to worry, or give a low budget dress code..

Id say going all out with the stilt walkers and that, is nice if ye can afford but I don't think ye will need it.. As most have said a lot of people will be recovering so they will probably surface late. Even knock it down to fireeaters or something, some nice bonfire with stories and sparklers think simple as people will want to relax

Still it all comes down to what ye want

tinkerbell

Beaner1 wrote: »

Nobody wants to go to a two day wedding. Bury that idea.

Especially on a bank holiday weekend. Two day weddings are OTT in my opinion. Just incorporate the Halloween theme into the wedding day itself, OP.

Sala

I was at a two day wedding recently, day 2 was lovely and while lots of guests left after day one if say at least 80 stayed and did and while second night of partying. I don't think it's fair to say no one like them. In my opinion family and close friends will want to stay while maybe work colleagues or those who left kids at home will leave

Hold the Cheez Whiz

Are rehearsal dinners common in Ireland? The Halloween theme/party seems like that could be really fun for the night before, especially if there are children coming.

Tarzana

Hold the Cheez Whiz wrote: »

Are rehearsal dinners common in Ireland?

Pretty much unheard of. They always strike me as OTT, and must be a very costly extra for the marrying couple or their parents. Seems unnecessary, who needs to rehearse dinner?