That feeling when you finally have a glass of prosecco in hand, the late-spring warmth on your shoulders, and your loved ones all in the same place…that’s the feeling only the first night of your wedding weekend in Italy can give you. It’s your welcome party, the event that sets the mood for the rest of your wedding – but how do you plan this so it’s more than just a dinner and way, way less than a whole second wedding?
Luckily, Italy makes this easy for you. These are 5 ideas for a wedding welcome party in Italy that are unforgettable, authentic and impressive without trying too hard. Better yet, these ideas are based on events that real Elegante by Michelle J couples have hosted in previous years so we know they work.
3 Insider Secrets For Your Wedding Welcome Party
There is a bit of an art to a great wedding welcome party in Italy, and we’ve helped our couples host lots of them – so we’re going to let you in on 3 of our wedding planner’s secrets to extending the celebrations in style.
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Keep in mind the purpose(s) of your welcome party.
Remembering why you’re doing this will keep you centered and allow you to create a party that feels welcoming, curated and wholesome. It’s an opportunity to spend more time with your loved ones outside of the wonderful whirlwind of the wedding day, helps guests feel at home in a new place, and works wonders for calming your pre-wedding jitters.
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Choose your welcome party venue well
Location really is everything, and you change the whole atmosphere by hosting your welcome party in different places. Choosing to throw your event at the same venue as your wedding (handy if everyone is staying on site) can feel more relaxed and informal and allows people to drift in and out, whereas hosting at a different venue feels more ‘eventful’ – but does incur extra hire costs.
You’ll find all the location inspiration you need in our 5 welcome party ideas below!
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Make your welcome party feel like part of your wedding
How much you choose to style your welcome party is entirely up to you – for some of our couples, we create entire design briefs and give it its own distinct personality, whereas for others we simply make it feel as though it’s related to the wedding with subtle decor elements. Either way, make sure your wedding party feels like part of your wedding rather than like an entirely separate event. Your wedding planner can help you strike this balance.
5 Ideas For a Wedding Welcome Party in Italy
Whether you fall in love with one of these ideas completely, use it as inspiration for your own event, or are dreaming of something completely different, we recommend hosting a welcome party that in some way feels like it belongs to the country you’re marrying in. One of our top planning tips for destination weddings is to try and embrace the place – if your welcome party feels like it could be picked up and put anywhere, why marry in Italy in the first place?
Welcome party idea 1: An experiential Italian food market
We can probably safely assume that part of the reason you fell in love with Italy and wanted to host your wedding there was for the food, so what better way to introduce your guests to your wedding than with a welcome party that feels just like strolling around an al fresco food market?
That’s exactly what we did for A&A in the centre of Florence, transforming a hidden gem courtyard into a foodie’s paradise. Designed to create a relaxed atmosphere and allow guests to wander, linger and eat at a leisurely pace, market-style stalls were spread around the gardens featuring the best of Italian grazing – cheeses, meats, fresh vegetables, breads, huge bowls of freshly cooked pasta and hand crafted pizza, all being served and replenished throughout the evening.
We added live music and beautifully styled tables for guests to gather at, and it all took place within walking distance of where the guests were staying – the perfect blend of low-lift for loved ones and wow factor to set the tone.
This kind of event works in many different places, from city centres to countryside villas. Because we curate everything from the ground up, working with our fantastic local caterers and stylists, all you need is space and a vision.
Welcome party idea 2: A chic pool party
Pool parties aren’t just for ‘hangover brunches’, and if your venue has a beautiful area with fantastic views, it would almost be rude not to make use of it! If lots of your guests are staying on-site this one is almost effortless for them – all they have to do is get dressed and step outside – but keep in mind that it’s harder to keep things a total surprise this way.
T&M’s White Party took place by the pool at their Tuscan wedding, and as you can probably imagine there was a dress code – which the couple themselves took advantage of and appeared as a vision in pink! The pool area at their venue has incredible views of the Italian countryside beyond, so we kept the styling deliberately simple aside from a disco ball, which we’re sure you’ll agree is never a bad idea.
The evening proceeded with music, dancing and eating around the pool, with guests celebrating between a beautiful sunset over the hills and the glowy face of the honey-walled villa behind. It was the perfect balance of style and elegance for the US-based guests’ taste, and rustic Italian charm for a truly experiential evening.
Pool parties can really be designed in so many different ways, and while they do work well for fun, informal post-wedding events we also love them for welcome parties. The vibe is very different – elegant and elevated, so if your venue has a pool we recommend considering it when looking for ideas for your wedding welcome party in Italy.
Welcome party idea 3: Live, interactive cooking stations
Forgive us for including yet another food-based welcome party idea, but we know that a well-fed guest is a happy guest – especially in Italy! This time, we want to introduce you to an idea from N&M’s Viareggio wedding which featured live cooking stations.
The Italians are known for being charming, hospitable people, and they can really put on a charismatic, exciting show with food that takes your guests’ experience to another level. It’s one thing to scoop a pile of fresh, perfectly al dente pasta onto your plate, but to watch it be cooked inside a wheel of parmesan by a true master of his craft is something else entirely.
As well as pasta making, you can have stations for fresh mozzarella pulling, wood-fired pizzas, and build-your-own-dish bars – it’s a really authentic, unforgettable experience for your loved ones.
Our catering contacts in Italy are truly second to none, and whether you’re looking for the country’s premium wedding chefs or want hearty, rustic dishes at a mid-range price point, we know someone who can utterly delight.
GET IN TOUCH TO START PLANNING YOUR ITALIAN DESTINATION WEDDING.
Welcome party idea 4: A home-from-home garden soiree
Some of our couples are lucky enough to have family living in their destination country, but whether you’re in this fortuitous position or not, a garden soiree can still be a wonderful choice for your welcome party in Italy. If you have or choose a venue with wonderful grounds and the weather is good, make the most of those balmy European evenings with drinks and canapes in a relaxed environment.
For these kinds of events, we love the idea of an Aperol spritz bar like a fun vintage Fiat 500, with a bit of mixologist’s flair and a playful design – a real talking point and photo opportunity for guests!
If you want to host at a family-owned venue, your wedding planner is going to be invaluable in ensuring everything is set up well and doesn’t cause disruption to your loved ones’ home. This option isn’t for everyone, and if you love the idea of a garden party we have many, many options around Italy that don’t involve taking over anyone’s space.
Welcome party idea 5: Rooftop bar at sunset
Last but certainly not least on our list of welcome party ideas in Italy is a good old knees up at a rooftop bar, which is perfect if you’re based in a city such as Rome or Florence. These are so easy for everyone to get to, and if you choose the right spot you’ll have fabulous views, a magical sunset and a really exclusive feeling.
We’ve hosted many a rooftop bar welcome party with Elegante by Michelle J couples over the years – in various Italian cities with landmark views, on Spanish coastlines, on charming Greek islands…it’s a firm favourite and we totally understand why.
If you choose to go this route, make sure everyone has plenty of access to drinks, nibbles and great music!
Practical tips for your welcome party in Italy
Hosting and designing your wedding welcome party is one thing, but making sure it stays fun for everyone requires a bit of planning. Remember these practical tips and you can’t go wrong:
- Plan your start and end times carefully. Your welcome party shouldn’t go on for hours or too late into the night, because it’s supposed to be just a flavour of what’s to come. Fresh guests are fun guests, so don’t exhaust everyone on night 1.
- Consider how everyone will get there. If you’re hosting in a city centre or on-site at your wedding venue, people will make their own way there with ease. If you choose a different venue entirely, as some couples do, it may be considered courteous to put on transport for them.
- Welcome bags are by no means essential, but Elegante couples love them so we’d be remiss not to mention them. Designing a thoughtful welcome pack for your loved ones is a meaningful extra touch that is always so appreciated. We have a guide to creating great wedding welcome bags that your guests will actually love, and that aren’t just filled with meaningless (and expensive) trinkets.
- Feed everyone! Welcome parties are generally hosted in the evenings, and guests will expect to eat. If you don’t provide some sort of food options, people won’t hang around. Expect to incur catering costs with your welcome party, especially in Italy! We work with top caterers such as Le Bon Ton and Galateo.
For more of our advice on throwing the most unforgettable wedding welcome party in Italy (or anywhere else for that matter), you’ll want to visit our dedicated guide.
Your wedding planner is an invaluable asset when planning your welcome party, so we highly recommend asking them to be involved in your wedding design as a whole – not just the wedding day itself. This is how you get the absolute best out of every event, how you ensure it feels like one wedding rather than separate, disjointed events, and how you give your guests the best possible experience. Talk to us about your destination wedding in Italy or wider Mediterranean Europe to access our 10+ years’ experience, network of fantastic suppliers in your location, and warm approach.