Everyone loves a nice outdoor wedding, right?  Cool breeze, not too hot of air, 0% humidity and there are NO bugs.  Well, this is Alabama and none of those things happen around here, y'all.  (If you know me, you know that y'all is foreign word on my lips but it was very appropriate here.)

Please, PLEASE if you are having an outdoor wedding at dusk, provide some mosquito spray to your guests.  Or better yet, hire one of those services to come and spray the location the day before. Everyone is miserable when they are covered with a zillion mosquitos!  We have even picked out mosquitos that have been caught in the bride's veil.  How romantic.  

Photo courtesy of Jerrod Brown Studios

Years ago, we did our first wedding with an After Party.  The bride wanted a nice ceremony with the grandmother-approved reception.  She had lot of family and friends that wanted to wish she and her husband well. And that is what they got.  They visited with everyone, cut the cake and threw the garter.  Done.  

Then the younger folks and the photographer and videographer jumped in our cars and went to a separate location for the After Party. I think it was at B & A Warehouse.  And that was really where the fun began!  They had karoke, snacks, and an open bar.  Definitely not grandmother approved, but it was what the bride wanted.  What a way to compromise.  And for the record, we actually delivered two versions of their video...

We have seen the After Party for many reasons - lots because of grandparents, but what about if you just can't afford to have an open bar for that many people or if you just don't want to invite that many people to your reception but because of family issues, you must.  Compromise.  

The After Party doesn't have to be 300 guests.  Invite who you want and think outside the box.