Best post-wedding event ideas for an Italian wedding
The wedding might be over, but the party doesn’t need to stop! There is always such a euphoric high the day after the wedding - the debrief, the gossip, the jaded eyes and hazy heads coming together to marvel at such an unforgettable day! And the joy of the majority of Italian weddings is that you still have your guests for another 24 hours (or longer!) to continue the celebrations - whether that is lying by a pool, filling up on pizza or some other suggestions we have for you.
To start, you must think of how your guests will be feeling and what event will best suit their heads, bodies and abilities after a night of dancing and partying! To be honest, thinking of your guests throughout your planning is key when planning a destination wedding.
Secondly, you will need to consider budget - we absolutely recommend ploughing the majority of your money into the wedding itself. As a post wedding party can be as incredible being an extravagant final send-off or as an informal, chilled gathering.
Photo: Harry Michael
We are huge fans of a ‘recovery party’ aka a pool party. It’s easy and can be as cost-careful as you please, depending on what catering you put on. Name a better way to fix a fuzzy head than diving into a clear pool, loading up on carbs and sipping a few final Aperols in the sun before jetting back to reality!
And bonus points on a logistical front as everyone knows where the venue is; they might even be able to organise their own transport there or you could reorganise the same buses which worked the previous day, having them simply match the route.
When thinking of food for this type of event, we strongly recommend you weigh up the cost and effort of doing it yourself. Whilst a BBQ can sound relatively easy, the reality is that someone will need to go pick up meat and food from a supermarket, man the BBQ throughout the afternoon; and that’s not considering the plates, cutlery, glasses required and the clear up afterwards. Plus, food is actually pretty pricey in Italy and you might find that a catered option works out at a very similar cost.
To really kick back and enjoy it, catering is definitely the way forward - and don’t worry there is a host of options here:
Full catering - they cook the food, full service staff, tidy away, bring cutlery, plates and everything you need. Keep drinks cold and flowing throughout the day.
Partial catering - an option some caterers offer is leaving a meal (pasta works well here) to be reheated by you. Your wedding day caterer could bring the post-event party food, leave in a fridge and you simply heat when needed at your pool party.
A bar service - drinks service throughout the afternoon from a fully stocked bar. They bring the bar, staff, drink and work for the period of time you desire - plus pack away! This works well with the pizza option. Check out our recommendations here.
Pizza - Always a winner! Carbs all the way! Either have pizzas made fresh on-site from a catering van or simply order in pizza delivery and lay out the boxes for guests to enjoy.
Caterer: Brindisiamo
If you fancy enjoying more of Italy than just your venue, meeting in the local town where guests are staying is an alternative option. You can make this as formal or relaxed as you wish. Book an area (which will come with a minimum spend per person) or just set up camp in a bar and have guests drop-in throughout the afternoon.
A little strategic thought here is needed! Are you going to be paying for the drinks? Are guests going to pay for their own? You could pay for drinks between 2-4pm and then cut off the tab? Timings are important here, a 2pm meet would mean guests should have eaten lunch and a 6-7pm finish means they can go onto their own dinner reservations; thus avoiding you having to put on food for everyone (unless you want to!). Aperitivo in Italy is always accompanied by bar snacks so fear not, there will be some nibbles!
We believe the best time for a post-wedding event is between 1 or 2pm until 6 or 7pm. The closer to lunchtime, the more likely guests will expect food, so clear communication to your guests about what they should expect is a must. We also love when post wedding gatherings have real ‘go with the flow’ vibes. Some guests will want to leave early - partied out or with flights to catch and some might want to stay partying - an impromptu dinner reservation with the ‘stragglers’ is always a fun end.
Implementing a clear guest communication plan is actually quite tricky - despite the fact that these are your friends and family. Hungry guests will not bring the energy and confused guests over what time transport is arriving will turn up stressed…in short, let us tell you how to keep your guests happy, ready to celebrate and well-informed throughout your wedding events.
