Make your wedding reception so good that you’ll be bombarded with wedding crashers. Do you know how to plan a wedding reception? After vows have been exchanged and the bride and groom have kissed, it’s time to rock the reception. For your go-to guide to planning the reception of your guests’ dreams, read on.
How to Plan a Wedding Reception
Although no one likes wedding crashers, their attendance pays a compliment to the planners of the wedding they crash. After all, who wants to crash a lame wedding and boring reception?
A desirable reception brims with fun and entertainment for guests. That starts with the right wedding reception venue. Make things easier for your guests by choosing an appropriate venue. Good venues have easy parking, a comfortable temperature, convenient restrooms, and plenty of room for everyone. Next up is everyone’s favorite: food. Hire a catering company that will serve delicious food. Ensure that they will make enough food. Whether you serve a wedding cake or another dessert, make it scrumptious. Right up there with food is music. Get your guests dancing the reception away with a DJ, band, or live musician providing background music during dinner. Make sure that your dance floor is big enough for all the party people, revelers, and potential wedding crashers.
These days, a photo booth has almost become a staple at wedding receptions. If you don’t have that, then go for lawn games, a caricature artist, karaoke, or something else.
Party Favors
As you can tell, you want to both pamper and entertain your wedding guests. Another way to do so is by providing gifts for your guests. Give them candles or picture frames, or cake pops, cookies, or other edible favors.
Also, consider printing thank-you notes to put on each place setting. Or, do a thank-you speech at the end of the reception. You should definitely greet and thank as many guests as possible throughout the night.
Generally speaking, your wedding reception’s venue and ambiance should be warm and welcoming. Get a florist to decorate the venue, and some lighting professionals to craft a suitable vibe and aesthetic. Some venues will require draping or other decor to make it fit for your special day. You’ll also obviously need to provide guests with tables and chairs to sit at, in addition to glassware, china, and flatware. Your guests will want to remember the day almost as much as you. So, hire a professional videographer and photographer to make a permanent record of your (hopefully) once-in-a-lifetime day.
Rock the Reception
Wedding planning may feel like an arms race these days. That doesn’t mean you have to break the bank to plan a reception your guests will love.
Now that you know how to plan a wedding reception, you can do so on a budget. By carefully choosing your expenses (like the ones mentioned above), you can maximize your guests’ experience while minimizing your costs. For more ways to get the most out of your budget, explore some of the other articles on our site.