Okay,
we know the wedding ceremony will be at the forefront of your mind
when planning your wedding - this is the moment when you finally gaze
into the eyes of your loved one and say those magical two words, "I
do" in front of your friends and family - but you don't want to
neglect your planning for the reception afterwards. For your guests,
at least, this is possibly the most important part of the day - the
opportunity to eat, drink, and get merry - but it's also time for you
to let your hair down after the pressures of the day, so it's worth
giving it some special consideration.
Here
then, are the tips you need to say "I do" too when planning
your wedding reception.
#1:
Arrange your seating carefully
Don't
play matchmaker with your single friends by sitting them together in
the hope that love and romance will blossom. Don't play peacemaker by
sitting together those people who have been in a decade's-long feud.
Don't force people to sit with complete strangers. You need to get
the seating arrangement right, as you don't want your guests to feel
uncomfortable. Ensure you give people the opportunity to bring a +1,
so they have somebody they know to sit next to, and arrange people in
groups with people that they are likely to know and relate to. Your
guests will have a better time, and you will too knowing that there
are is less danger of uncomfortable silences and dinner table
tantrums!
#2:
Be creative with your wedding favors
While
an invite to your wedding is appreciation enough for the people in
your life, your wedding favors are the proverbial cherries on top!
These are the take-home gifts your guests will...erm… take home
with them, and can really add to their enjoyment of the day. From
handmade soaps to personalized blankets, take a lot at these wedding favor ideas, and pick out any that won't break your budget.
#3:
Don't forget the kids
The
last thing you want is children running around and causing chaos when
they have finished with their dinner, so have an action plan for
them. Provide table activities for them so they don't get bored, such
as colouring books, card games, and small toys. And consider
designating a special room for them with hired childminders and
entertainers, so their parents get the opportunity to hit the dance
floor without the constant interruption of their little ones spoiling
their best moves.
#4:
Be creative with your food choices
When
it comes to food, you don't want to do anything that is going to
alienate your guests. So, while we are recommending a little
creativity, you shouldn't provide foods that your guests are unlikely
to eat. Fish eyes on toast anyone? Instead, offer a range of foods to
appeal to most tastes, perhaps with some of these food station ideas,
so you have plenty of interesting varieties on offer. This way, your
guests won't go hungry because their tastes aren't covered by a set
menu, and you won't suffer the equivalent of a bad Yelp review!
#5:
Provide a range of entertainment
During
the meal, you could have magicians and clowns going from table to
table to entertain your guests. You might also have a mariachi band
or a string quartet playing music in the background to create the
atmosphere you are looking for. And as the night goes on, as well as
a traditional DJ playing tunes to get your guests up and dancing, you
might want to throw in a comedian too, or any other kind of
entertainer to add variety to your evening. Of course, with your
wedding budget in mind, you might also hire members of your friends
and family to offer entertainment too, perhaps in the form of a
talent show. Think about your tastes then, and the tastes of the
people coming to your wedding, and look for entertainment ideas that
will please everybody.
We
hope these suggestions were useful to you, but let us know what you
think. And if you have any tips of your own, perhaps from your own
wedding reception experiences (for good or bad), please share them
with us, for the benefit of our brides and grooms-to-be.
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