A wedding after-party is mostly the organiser's to decide: the venue, the numbers, the contribution, the running order, the entertainment. On the day the couple cannot move, so how well it is designed beforehand is how well it goes.
Here are the things to settle when holding an after-party in Gion, in order, from choosing the venue to the flow on the night.
Settle the range of numbers first
Numbers move right up to the day. Booked for twenty and fifteen arrive is entirely normal, so it is more realistic to look for a venue on a range between a minimum and a maximum.
Speak to venues the same way: not a fixed count but 'somewhere between fifteen and twenty-five'. You will get the private-hire terms and a price guide much earlier.
- Give a minimum and a maximum
- Check the deadline for changing numbers
- Check the date cancellation charges start
Private hire changes how the evening runs
With the place to yourselves, you set the music, the running order and the decoration freely. Speeches and games assume private hire.
Private hire usually carries a minimum spend, though. If the numbers are hard to read, there is also the choice of holding a booth or a private room instead and keeping the running order simple. That is the realistic one when you want to keep the contribution down.
Work out the journey from the ceremony or reception
Allow about an hour between the expected end of the reception and the start of the after-party, travel and check-in included. Gion is easy to reach from the main venues in Kyoto, but the roads are busy in the early evening.
A venue whose nearest station is Gion-Shijo is easy to direct people to, by train or by taxi. Put the station exit number and the minutes on foot in the invitation or the message, and the questions on the day drop away.
Choose entertainment on whether everyone can join
Bingo and quizzes are the standards, but they lean hard on whoever is running them, and the timing is hard to predict. Something built on the venue's own equipment keeps the room going without that.
A nearest-the-pin contest on the golf simulator, a darts tournament, karaoke: things people take in turns, with a number for a result, get the room going and do not care who has played before. Add a prize and the presentation follows on naturally.
- Entertainment that does not depend on a compère
- Something where experience barely shows in the result
- A numerical result leads neatly into a prize
Fix the contribution and how it is paid in advance
To keep the desk moving on the night, set one flat contribution, at an amount that needs no change given. With a free-flow drinks plan, extra orders cannot pull the settlement out of shape.
Check how the venue takes payment too. Whether cards or electronic money work, and what name goes on the receipt. Settle how the couple repay whatever the organiser has fronted, and the messages afterwards drop away.
An after-party at Gion Country Club
Gion Country Club is an indoor golf and bar lounge three minutes on foot from Gion-Shijo Station, open from 5pm until 5am. There are three types of booth, including a fully private VIP room with karaoke, and we take small parties.
Simulator golf, darts and karaoke share the space, so there is no entertainment to arrange separately. Bringing a cake and the like is free of charge if you raise it in advance. For private hire or a large party, please get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum number for a wedding after-party in Gion?
It differs by venue. Gion Country Club can be used by the booth, and we take small parties.
Can we bring a cake or small gifts?
Raise it in advance and we will take a cake and the like free of charge. We ask you not to bring drinks.
Do we need to bring anything for the entertainment?
Simulator golf, darts and karaoke are all here, so no equipment is needed. Just bring the prizes.
