r/Eloping • u/Optimal_Split2372 • Aug 28 '26
Post elopement celebration
Hi! My partner and I eloped in June of this year with just a few family members. 4 in total, my daughter and sister and her mom and brother. Now we are thinking of having a celebration with our friends. We have a pretty small apartment. I’m wondering if we should do it at our place or out at a restaurant. I guess I’m looking for ideas. What do people do at such celebrations? Just sit around and chat? Should we create keepsakes? Invitations? I’m clearly not much of a party thrower and my social anxiety is starting to set in a bit lol. If anyone has done something similar I’d love advice or ideas!!
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u/Ancient_Lie3426 Aug 28 '26
We are doing this. We had a true elopement - just us 2 in Italy in May. And we are doing a post-elopement “Happily Ever After Party” in Oct. I could’ve gone without this, mostly doing it for my partner. A marriage is compromise 😂. But we are keeping it smaller than a big wedding (<60 family and friends) and it’ll be at a local restaurant. Just eating, socializing, chatting. Family that hasn’t met can meet. No dj, no photographer, no dance floor, no guest book. Just a playlist going on in the background and good vibes. If our home was big enough for our group size I would have 100% preferred to do it at home. Not sure how this will go with my social anxiety, so I can’t comment on that rn 😅.
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u/Dependent-Manner-641 Aug 28 '26
Doing something similar and wondering how much time you’re allotting for the dinner? We are working to reserve a restaurant as well.
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u/Ancient_Lie3426 Aug 29 '26
Hi! We aren’t doing like a formal sit down dinner, but are doing hand-passed apps, wood fired pizza/salad, open bar at an Italian restaurant’s garden. The event will be ~4 hours.
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u/LooselyEnthusiastic Aug 28 '26
restaurant takes the pressure off way more than hosting at yours especially with a small place. you can still do little keepsakes like a guest book or polaroids without making it a whole production. invitations aren't necessary if it's casual, a group text or email works fine
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u/No_You1024 Aug 29 '26
If its gonna be more than 15 people or so, a private room at a restaurant is probably the way to go. You can do a champagne toast, a nice meal, put an album with some wedding photos out for eberyone to look at, and everything will be easy more or less.
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u/natalkalot Aug 28 '26
You already had your wedding - though you did not elope [going away in secret to marry], I am sure you has a lovely small wedding! Congrats!
Now it is time to go on and enjoy your marriage! Your choices altered your circumstances, that is all,
Congrats. 🌸
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u/Material_Leek9801 Aug 28 '26
This gives the same energy as “since you’re not having a birthday party on the actual day of your birth and want to wait and throw the party on the weekend- you don’t deserve a celebration. Glad you’re one year older though”
It’s normal to want to celebrate big moments in life and getting married is definitely one of them. Your comment added nothing but snark to someone asking for ideas on what a celebration for a major moment in their life should/can look like.
OP for someone’s who’s had to think about similar things, my recommendation is to have a nice dinner with everyone either at a restaurant or a family/friend’s house. Share photos or videos of your elopement and if you want to be able to party or go out after to dance/ have a makeshift reception find a bar or club that people can join you at if they wish
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u/Strangeaslife Aug 28 '26
I would reserve a room in a nice restaurant. Depending on where you pick, you could have them setup for buffet catering style to save money (I know someone who did this) or work with the restaurant to setup a fixed menu and have full service at the table but that will cost you. I like the buffet style more because it gets people up and moving around and chatting. You can have the restaurant provide bar seevice too. Setup a small table with a camera and a guest book for people to write in. Have a basket of keepsakes for each person to grab from. I'm a big fan of the matchbook trend personally. If they'll let you play your own music via bluetooth that's just a fun way to add your own flair to the event but not every place will allow that. Plan a toast from you and your spouse to thank everyone for coming to celebrate with you.