brides

We're happy to present this story from one of our favorite sites, Brides magazine.

It's 2 a.m., Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" is wailing, and there's a crowd of people in your bridal suite. What's going on? It's the after-party—here's how to keep it moving.

Wait a minute — an "after-party to the party?"

That's right. An after-party is a relatively informal post-reception gathering that's all about prolonging the wedding festivities into the wee hours of the morning. The trend is gaining popularity because many guests have traveled so far to attend that they and the newlyweds don't want the evening to come to a close. Also, many couples spend the majority of the reception greeting and chatting with guests they're not close to, so by the end of the night you may feel like you haven't had a single bite to eat or any time for your "real" friends. "The after-party is a time when everyone you love, especially those you don't get to see often, gathers together on a more intimate level," says Karen Robinovitz, coauthor of Fête Accompli! The Ultimate Guide to Creative Entertaining, who threw a party after her own nuptials.

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What are they like?

Most after-parties involve snacking and drinking at a spot that doesn't require reservations or an additional rental fee. The hotel bar or a nearby watering hole are great choices. Karen staged her after-party outside by the hotel pool. Guests joined her and her husband for a late-night dip, cookies and milk, and fun conversation while an iPod played tunes in the background (a friend took care of this detail). The ambience was laid-back and lighthearted, especially when some of the guests busted out Twister and Operation (Karen had brought the board games along for laughs).

Do I have to have an after-party?
Of course not! You're not obligated to throw one. There are lots of reasons you might skip it: You're exhausted, or want to head to the honeymoon suite, or simply aren't up for more face time. Do what's right for you. Just keep in mind that your guests may take matters into their own hands. You don't have to be involved.

What if I want to plan something specific for my friends?
Go for it. Most after-parties have a last-minute, throwntogether feel. Still, giving this aspect of the wedding some thought will of course make things easier. Jes Gordon of the New York City and L.A.-based Proper Fun suggests planning out how many guests you think will attend, taking into account how young they are. "Let's say 50 percent of your guests are in their twenties," says Jes, "and it's a large wedding. You can expect 20 to 35 percent of these folks to show up for an after-party." Jes has orchestrated fêtes that feature alcohol and greasy-spoon goodies in settings that are party-animal-friendly. Once you know the size and nature of your crowd, you can make decisions about the after-party's location, what to serve, etc.

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We'll have a mellow crowd . . . does that matter?
Only in a good way. Mellow crowds are easy to manage. All they want is a comfy seat and a place where they don't have to scream to carry on a conversation. The bridal suite, if it has a large, separate space, is an option — provided you'll be comfortable walking through the French doors into the bedroom and telling folks to clear out. Better yet, pay for a guaranteed after-partier (a college roomate?) who's staying in the hotel to upgrade to a suite. It can be very low-key — think couch cushions, pillows, and blankets to create the ultimate slumber party. "This format is perfect for smaller weddings," says Jes, "when the couple doesn't expect more than 20 people to attend."

What about décor? What about invites? I won't have the time to plan an after-party, much less the money to expand the budget!
Don't panic. We know you've blown your budget or are pretty darn close to it, so keep it simple. Delegate responsibilities to someone else: One of your bridesmaids (not the maid of honor, she's done enough) or groomsmen can handle it. Invite your guests via e-mail or word of mouth, and reuse floral arrangements from the reception. If you're having the party at a bar or club, music won't be necessary. Otherwise, have one of your friends rig something up. As for refreshments, anything goes (including leftover wedding cake). Karen found a way to serve her midnight treats with a caterer's flair: grocery-bought munchies arranged on a silver platter from home. And if there are any unopened bottles of booze after the reception, bring 'em.

Related: Best Spa Locations to Host a Bridal Shower

It's 3 a.m. and we need to sleep! When will this party end?
Eventually. Newlyweds typically attend the after-party, but you should feel free to say your goodbyes after an hour. Sooner or later, wedding-party members will start to disperse. "Once the key players split," says Jes, "everyone tends to go. They fizzle out faster than you'd think." But it sure was fun while it lasted . . .

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Joanna Coles told us she was "not going to muddle" with Cosmopolitan when she took over as editor in chief in September, but she clearly wasn't referring to staff changes.

Coles has reportedly sacked nine members of the magazine's team, including seven on the editorial side and two from the photo department. And while she's hired British GQ's Paul Solomons as creative director and Marie Claire's Joyce Chang as executive editor, a litany of other positions have yet to be filled.

The departures leave Jessica Knoll as the magazine's only current senior editor. When the two first met at a staff meeting in September, Coles joked, "Kate [White] told me you're a rock star. But Kate's gone, so it doesn't matter now."

Over the last several months, the desks at New York's glossy fashion titles have operated more like a game of musical chairs than anything else. The latest departure in a round of shuffling that started in August sees Elle's style director Kate Lanphear leaving her position. It's unclear where she's headed next.

The revolving doors started spinning when Sally Singer was ousted as editor in chief of T Magazine at the end of August. She's now back at Vogue as the digital creative director and was replaced by former WSJ. Magazine editor Deborah Needleman in late September. Needleman took WSJ.'s creative director Patrick Li and fashion features director Whitney Vargas with her when she made the jump.

This week it was announced that stylist Joe McKenna would join T Magazine as fashion director at large. W's Maura Egan has joined T as features editor. Meanwhile, Alix Browne, T's deputy design editor, will head to W Magazine as features director.

Back at The Wall Street Journal, Needleman's deputy editor Ruth Altchek was named editorial director of the paper's weekend Off Duty section and WSJ. in mid-October. Harper's Bazaar executive editor Kristina O'Neill was brought in as editor of the magazine. Two senior members of Bazaar's accessories team, Kate Davidson Hudson and Stefania Allen, left shortly after O'Neill, but not to join her at WSJ. Bazaar's features director Anamaria Wilson also left in October for a position as vice president of global corporate communications at Michael Kors.

Bazaar held onto and promoted three key staffers: longtime senior fashion market editor Joanna Hillman was promoted to style director, Nicole Fritton was named fashion market and accessories director, and Elisa Lipsky-Karasz became the magazine's features editor.

Brides executive editor Anne Fulenwider replaced Coles as editor in chief of Marie Claire. Her first big staff changes have been to promote Nina Garcia from fashion director to creative director and to hire Alex Gonzalez as artistic director. Fulenwider was herself replaced by Keija Minor, becoming the first black editor in chief of a Condé Nast title.

Speaking of Condé Nast employees, Eva Chen left her position as beauty and health director at Teen Vogue and was replaced by Glamour's senior beauty editor Elaine Welteroth.

Above: Joanna Coles. Below: Kate Lanphear.

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• Artist Kermit Oliver has designed a handful of luxurious silk scarf prints for Hermès — like the above work, titled "Faune et Flore du Texas" — since the late '80s, but he pays his bills working the night shift at the post office in Waco, TX. [Texas Monthly]
  

• Keija Minor became the first African American editor in chief at a Condé Nast publication when the publishing house announced she would replace Anne Fulenwider at Brides. Fulenwider is now the head editor at Marie Claire, replacing Joanna Coles, who left to lead Cosmopolitan. [Fashionista]
  

• Actress Emma Watson is "over the actor-designer thing," she says. "Models are actresses and actresses are models and actresses are designing sofas and it's crazy." [Nylon]
  

• Tom Ford says dressing Daniel Craig for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, was a great opportunity, but not too much of a challenge. "We didn't really modify our suits, as James Bond is a bit like our guy — classic and extremely elegant," says Ford. [Vogue UK]
  

• "I don't like pants. I find they're less tomboyish," explains model Charlotte Kemp Muhl. "If I want to pee on the side of the road — which I do all the time — it's going to take way longer if I'm in pants." [StyleLikeU]

Photo via Piasa.