The reception is the heart of a wedding, where guests can mix and mingle, have fun, and dance the night away. It's also the time when many of the most important moments happen. For this reason, it's important to make sure that it is perfect in every way. Here are some ideas that you might like to try.
1. Cater the Reception to Your Guests
If you're having a large wedding, you might be tempted to serve your guests everything from the start. But this will make the evening unnecessarily long and contribute to food waste. Instead, concentrate on one course for each table throughout the night, such as steaks for the gentlemen and salmon for the ladies. If you want to serve a lighter meal, implement buffet seating so your guests can move around during the meal without having to get up.
2. Give Cigars
Cigars are a unique souvenir that your guests are sure to remember. However, don't just let them lie around – spend some time designing custom cigar boxes that match your wedding theme. Tie the boxes with a bow or ribbon and display them at each table with the cigar.
3. Encourage the Kids to Play
If you have children in attendance at your wedding, take a few minutes to encourage them to play. Doing this can offer the parents some much-needed time alone while they are busy talking to other guests.
4. Don't Forget About Cocktail Hour
Your guests will likely be catching their breath during the meal, but they should also have time after to enjoy cocktails and socialize. The cocktail hour can be a lot of fun if you let the wait staff do their thing. There are no rules, so they can create drinks that aren't typical wedding fare.
5. Keep It Festive
No matter how formal your wedding is, it's important to keep it festive throughout the evening. Encourage your DJ or band to perform upbeat songs and make sure that everyone is having fun. If your reception is outdoors, consider renting a light show to give the environment some ambiance.
6. Add Some Personal Touches
The generic decorations can make the event feel disjointed. Put a personal touch on everything that you can. Hire your own photographer to capture the night, create activities that accompany your wedding theme, and incorporate your favorite things into the wedding cake.
7. Keep It Short and Sweet
Although it's tempting to go on and on, your wedding should follow a general length of three hours. This time is long enough to cover the meal, speeches, and dancing – but not so long that people get bored. A great way to keep things moving is to have all of the speeches during dinner and a few before the dancing.
A wedding is a special day for you and your guests, so it's essential to make sure that you have a perfect reception. By following these seven tips, your guests will feel like they are a part of the celebration and have the time of their lives.
Add comment