Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

SUbride10_08_11 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 06:19 PM

Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Hi Ladies,

I was hoping you could all help FH and I on this matter.

We are expecting approximately 195 people at our reception (based on who has booked hotel rooms...there are 50 booked already) and about 130 of them are staying at the hotel after the reception.

The reception is scheduled from 6:30-Midnight (6:30-8pm for CH, 8-12 for reception). iIt is on a Saturday evening of Columbus Day Weekend. We are debating adding an extra hour on because it seems like every wedding we go to lately, they go toooooo fast! We are busing all of our guests to/from the RH and the company would throw in an extra trip if we wanted to have one leave at 12:15 and one leave at 1:15 so that is not as issue in case not everyone wants to stay and party. SO the party would continue with open bar and music and dancing.

OR our other option is to bus everyone back at midnight and have an afterparty back at the hotel (where we would run a tab).

We are torn because for the RH, we pay for the extra hour per person, regardless of whether they stay or not BUT it would be open bar, with music and dancing. If we go back to the hotel, a tab could add up REALLY quick, and you loose the momentum of the party with having to load up the buses but it would be slightly less than the extra hour, we only pay for what people drink, but there's no music/dancing.

ANYWAY...in summary...my question is, as a guest would you stay for the extra hour at the RH or prefer to go back to the hotel for the afterparty???

THANKS!!!!

kiben910 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 06:40 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Hotel afterparty is best, in my opinion. We will be throwing one for our guests. This way everyone can party then walk up to their rooms. Good luck!

ndeokinanan Posted: Jun 08, 2011 06:44 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Posted by kiben910

Hotel afterparty is best, in my opinion. We will be throwing one for our guests. This way everyone can party then walk up to their rooms. Good luck!

I am doing an after party as well but the guests will be paying for their own tab...

AlexandMike2012 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 06:58 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

omg I'm glad you asked this question!!! FH and I are trying to decide the same thing (we're at the same RH)...we just can't decide...we're gonna wait it out because we have the time and see how our budget is. Ideally we would love to use that other room for an after party...but we're just not sure budget wise right now. If budget doesn't matter....personally I love the other room for the after party.

Irishbride16 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 07:13 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

My friend stayed an extra hour and it was fun...

SUbride10_08_11 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 07:19 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Posted by AlexandMike2012

omg I'm glad you asked this question!!! FH and I are trying to decide the same thing (we're at the same RH)...we just can't decide...we're gonna wait it out because we have the time and see how our budget is. Ideally we would love to use that other room for an after party...but we're just not sure budget wise right now. If budget doesn't matter....personally I love the other room for the after party.

If we add the extra hour it will definitely be in the reception room, not the after hour room because it would kill me to pay $750 and THEN have to run a tab...as opposed to paying the per person fee to stay in the other room with open bar, dj, etc.

Our big problem is our guest list has ballooned since we FIRST budgeted, from expecting ~145 guests, to now expecting ~195 guests sooo needless to say, like you said, the extra hour/after party is not our first priority, but definitely something we would love to do

AlexandMike2012 Posted: Jun 08, 2011 11:30 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

I totally understand!!! Definitely let me know what you guys end up choosing because we want to do an after party too...Just can't decide

dunnkat Posted: Jun 09, 2011 12:39 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

I think it depends on your group, would alot of people still be partying at the reception or is it the type of crowd where people start leaving after the cake? You don't want to waste alot of extra money on the pp charge of adding an hour if alot of people leave. Also I think if the after party is at the hotel bar most people would assume to be paying for their own drinks, I know I would.

NYtherapist Posted: Jun 09, 2011 12:44 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Posted by dunnkat

I think it depends on your group, would alot of people still be partying at the reception or is it the type of crowd where people start leaving after the cake? You don't want to waste alot of extra money on the pp charge of adding an hour if alot of people leave. Also I think if the after party is at the hotel bar most people would assume to be paying for their own drinks, I know I would.

This

jettahot Posted: Jun 09, 2011 08:13 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

We are getting married the day after you and during the day! We are all going back to the hotel we blocked for more fun at the hotel and the bar!

SummerBride10 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 08:34 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Do an afterparty!! We had one at the hotel that went on for about 5 hours. It was so much fun! We had food catered in and a roll in bar. It was like another party!

ourwedding9510 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 08:53 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

I would say hotel party. We had the extra hour added to the wedding because we had a VH and people start to leave when it gets too late. We invited people back to the hotel if they wanted to keep the party going. People were able to get comfortable and the older people were able to go to bed when they wanted. Otherwise, you'll add another hour and then probably go back to the hotel and still hang out and then the night just gets even longer. Eventually people were start dropping like flies and it was fun to talk about the wedding while it was still fresh in everyones head.

Also, why run a tab? When we went back to the hotel, people who wanted to drink, would drink and buy their drinks. We did not pay for anyone on that. And the bar was supposed to close at 2 and they were open until 3:30AM

FutureMrsJC Posted: Jun 09, 2011 10:15 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

I think it's better to do the after party at the hotel. Why pay all that money for the extra hour? A lot of people probably won't stay that late. As far as the hotel bar bill goes, I've actually never been to a hotel after party where the bride and groom pick up the tab - I've always paid for my own drinks.

leesah85 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 10:40 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Posted by ndeokinanan

Posted by kiben910

Hotel afterparty is best, in my opinion. We will be throwing one for our guests. This way everyone can party then walk up to their rooms. Good luck!

I am doing an after party as well but the guests will be paying for their own tab...

i would go with the extra hour at the RH but keep in mind that everything else costs more too (your photog, your band/dj). this is something i forgot about when we booked our VH

for afterparty purposes, i've never gone to one where there was a tab run - i always had to pay my own way. so it's really a matter of finances for you guys at this point. if you can splurge on the extra hour, i say go for it, and then the true partiers can have an afterparty as well, just pay their own way

HTH twin

FutureJOC Posted: Jun 09, 2011 01:23 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

I'd do the afterparty. We had one after the wedding with the guests that were staying at the hotel and we had fun. My brother's friends actually went out and got $170 worth of White Castle and brought it back for everyone. It was all gone in like 20 minutes! LOL

pjc92980 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 02:20 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

i vote for the after party at the hotel
what if you have guests that dont want to be out that late (grandparents or older family members)...they have no option to go back to the hotel early if the bus doesnt leave til 1

AlexandMike2012 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 06:09 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

after hearing all of the responses and feedback...I think I'd be leaning more towards it at the hotel..more relaxed and less $$$$$

SUbride10_08_11 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 10:40 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Thanks for all the advice girls!!! I will keep you posted on the final decision once it gets closer, but now I'm even more confused than ever!!! I was originally leaning towards the extra hour, but now the hotel party is sounding more appealing!!!

MrsSx2 Posted: Jun 09, 2011 11:01 PM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

We did both and I am sooooo happy we did!!

chliekm Posted: Jun 10, 2011 08:54 AM

Re: Extra hour at RH vs. After Party back at hotel???

Posted by Irishbride16

My friend stayed an extra hour and it was fun...

I'm doing the after party with the DJ so everyone can continue to dance and then I'm telling the hotel guests we are meeting up in the hotel bar when we get back!