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North Fork Weddings: At the afterparty, unique food ideas are favorites

Matt Michel
BARBARAELLEN KOCH PHOTO | Pizza truck 'Rolling in Dough' owner Matt Michel put a pizza in the wood oven.

Local wedding planners say guests are increasingly deciding to go home after wedding receptions on the North Fork and forego post-party raging in the name of a good snooze.

Just kidding.

Afterparties that follow North Fork wedding receptions are increasing in popularity, wedding planners say, especially ones that revolve around unique food ideas.

Wedding planner Kim Folks said lots of people like Rolling in Dough, a wood oven pizza business that operates out of a 1940s pickup truck.

Owner Matt Michel said more and more couples are hiring him to set up shop toward the end of their wedding receptions.

“A lot of people want something fun for everyone to do and they don’t want people to drive after they’ve been drinking,” he said.

Another non-alcoholic option, Ms. Folks said, is Bungalo Bar, a 1960s ice cream truck owned by Harry Wilkinson of Riverhead. After the cake has been cut and it’s later on in the evening, Mr. Wilkinson, dressed up like an old-fashioned ice cream man, serves cold treats like toasted almond ice cream and vanilla pops.

He said the baby boomers and parents of the bride and groom get the biggest kick out of his service.

Ms. Folks said some couples who want to have after parties also choose to have traditional parties and frequent bars in downtown Riverhead or in Greenport.

Wedding planner Ashley O’Neil of Southold said she’s planned late-night events like spaghetti dinners and barbecues. One popular idea, she said, is hiring a catering company to make dinner called “Spaghetti a Mezzanotte” (midnight spaghetti in Italian).

“The chefs do a delicious pasta around midnight, and everybody gets some and they continue to party,” she said.

Ms. O’Neil said bridal parties also like to head to the beach for bonfires and to make s’mores when the wedding reception is over.

No matter what type of afterparty a client wants, Ms. Folks said, she tells them “food is key.”

“By the time you do an afterparty, people have been drinking a while,” she said. “It’s nice to offer your guests something fun and put a little something in their bellies.”

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