I can’t even tell you how many times I have heard married couples reminisce after their wedding. Without fail, they all mention how fast the day went. In fact, it would be somewhat of a cliche, except that it’s totally true. Your wedding day will go by in the blink of an eye. And that’s why I believe it’s so important to build moments into your wedding plans that allow for quality time with your soon-to-be-spouse as well as family and friends, many of whom will have come from both near and far to celebrate with you. Traditionally, a rehearsal dinner is the time for this type of gathering. Like so many couples, Samantha and Brennan wanted to maximize their time with family and friends on their wedding weekend. They wanted to host a wedding rehearsal followed by dinner. In order to maximize their time with loved ones they decided to host an LBI Wedding Welcome Party for those who had come to celebrate with them. Tradition has morphed, ever-so-slightly, for Long Beach Island couples. A wedding on LBI is often a destination wedding for everyone attending. Meaning that the traditional guest list for a rehearsal dinner, the wedding party plus those guests who traveled and are in town the day before the wedding, may include all the wedding guests. For many, the end result makes complete sense… host a rehearsal dinner and follow it up with an LBI Wedding Welcome Party for everyone in town for the big day.

LBI Wedding Welcome Party at Daddy O

This arrangement, gives couples the opportunity to enjoy the traditional aspects of a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner and then additional time to great guests and welcome them to the island they love. There are a number of ways to do this. For Samantha and Brennan it made total sense to host their rehearsal dinner at Daddy Os in the Rum Garden. This was followed by an “open garden” style welcome party to which all their guests were invited for light passed apps and drinks. The end result, they were able to spend quality time with their wedding party and casually greet their guests, after they had the chance to check into their hotels, refresh, and then head over to Daddy Os.

If you’d like, click on over to the blog featuring Samantha and Brennan’s gorgeous LBI Backyard wedding and gush over all the gorgeous details. If you are interested in hosting a welcome party as part of your wedding weekend, here’s a short list of venues you should check out:

• Daymark in Barnegat Light
• Daddy O in Brant Beach
• The Arlington in Ship Bottom
• Parkers Garage in Beach Haven
• The LBI Historical Society in Beach Haven
• Brant Beach Yacht Club’s South Harbor facility
• The Surf City Yacht Club in Surf City
• 101 Centre Street in Beach Haven
• The LBI Foundation for the Arts and Sciences in Love Ladies
• The Surf City Hotel in Surf City
• The Black Whale in Beach Haven
• The Gables in Beach Haven
• Tuckers Tavern in Beach Haven

The LBI Wedding Welcome Party Creative Team

Wedding Planning | Bogath Weddings & Events
Venue | Daddy O
Florals | Reynolds Garden Shop
Invitations | Crisp Designs on Paper
Rentals | Ocean Tents
Cookie Place Cards | Sweet Melissa Goodness Cafe