Upon returning home, the honeymoon may be over but the
obligations of etiquette have not ended. There are still some things that the
couple might do to complete their wedding process.
Thank You Notes must be sent to the guests who attended the wedding at the
location.
They must also be sent to family and friends who sent gifts either before or
after the wedding date. Everyone must be acknowledged in the same way as a
wedding at home. Common newsletters and emails are not acceptable forms of Thank
You notes.
Send Out Newsletters. For those close individuals that were not able to attend,
it might be nice to send them a newsletter letting them know about the wedding
ceremony and providing pictures of the days up to the wedding.
Hold a Reception for those who could not attend. If you feel that some family
members and friends were disappointed by not being able to attend the
destination wedding, hold a reception so that they can honor your day as well.
The reception does not have to be a formal expensive event at a banquet hall but
rather a fun family affair. Some examples of nice parties are:
a family picnic in a large park with salads, barbecued food, games and badminton or volleyball tournaments,
a garden party in the backyard with pretty patio lanterns, sandwiches and other finger foods,
dinner at a restaurant,
a potluck dinner,
or maybe a dessert party with wedding cake, champagne, tea and specialty coffees.
Further, here are few points to remember when holding an after-the-destination-wedding reception.
Send invitations but be clear that the wedding has already taken place.
Do not make reference to gift registries or the like on the invitations. Guests are not expected to bring presents to an event after the actual wedding. But family and friends who did not send their gifts before the wedding will undoubtedly bring their gifts along to the reception.
Be sure to show pictures and even the wedding video. (You can find a great article about Wedding Photography Abroad here, it's a must-read!)
Think about hiring a photographer or videographer so you have pictures of the whole family celebrating your special day.
You will most likely be tired after returning from your destination wedding. Be sure to take some time to rest and hold the reception later rather than immediately upon returning home.
Be careful of your budget. Do not over spend or feel like you must have something extravagant.
If you know before leaving for your destination wedding that you will be holding a reception afterwards, make it common knowledge when talking to friends and family who will be invited so that they not feel left out.