Wedding events in Manchester
Weddings are not just the wedding ceremony and reception, there are a number of pre- and post-wedding events. They are all occasions to bring family and friends together in celebration. They can be lavish or low key depending on budget or personal preference.
Once a couple have decided to marry the first event is the engagement party. The engagement party usually takes place a couple of months after the engagement to give the couple enough time to plan the party and always involve an engagement cake. But sometimes can take place almost immediately, holding the event this soon means it will likely be a small gathering of close family and friends as there wouldn’t be enough time to plan a large event.
Smaller parties are often held in a family members house or the house of a friend, they are quite informal and gifts are not expected.
The next event maybe a bridal shower. These are often hosted by one of the bride’s close friends or an aunt or cousin of the bride. Immediate family members do not usually organise a bridal shower. The purpose of the bridal shower is to provide household items for the couple’s new home. The bridal shower is usually a daytime event and is held around twelve weeks before the wedding. Many couple live together before getting married and therefore usually have most essential household items. If this is the case the person organising the party will consult the bride before hand to ascertain what items if any the couple need for their home. When purchasing a bridal shower gift it is important to check the list before purchasing anything.
The bridal shower party can be a fun event with games and activities and also food and drink
Hen parties and stag parties are part of the wedding tradition. Sometimes called bachelorette and bachelor parties. The hen party is usually organised by the chief bridesmaid for female members of the bride’s family and friends and the stag party by the groom’s best man for the male members of the groom’s family and friends. The parties are mostly held separately but joint hen and stag parties are increasingly common. These parties have a wide range of formats from going to a restaurant for a meal or a nightclub to activity days out or a long weekend in a city in Europe.
The bridal luncheon is a daytime event and happens a few days before the wedding. The bride will host the meal for her close family and friends as a thank you for all their help in the wedding preparations. These are usually small, informal events, held either in a family member’s home, a friend’s home or local restaurant.
The rehearsal dinner is the night before the wedding and usually held after the ceremony rehearsal. The venue is usually a local restaurant and is for the bridal party, groomsmen, parents and grandparents of the bride and groom.
The welcome party is an optional event and is held to say thank you to the wedding guests who a travelling long distances to be there. This event can be held after the rehearsal dinner and is quite low key perhaps just drinks in the hotel bar or can be held in place of the rehearsal dinner.
The wedding day is the biggest of the various wedding related events and is the culmination of months of planning. The wedding cake is an integral part of the wedding celebration. At Fancy cakes by Rachel we makes cakes of all sizes from a simple 2 tier design or an elaborate, huge cake upto 20 tiers. The cake cake be different flavours for each tier and often involves a cake stand. Delivery of wedding cakes to local venues is included in the price
The farewell brunch is the day after the wedding, it is an informal late breakfast and the guests who have stayed overnight at the hotel will get one more chance to see family and friends before going their separate ways.