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Tips to planning a fun wedding reception | Wedding Planning Ideas

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Being a self-proclaimed work-a-holic, I have always found it difficult to sit still and enjoy beautiful moments. This post is not intended to offend any of my clients or my friends, but intended to help & encourage future brides & grooms to plan fun receptions that can be the most memorable wedding possible!!  Recently, I was invited to a wedding as a guest. As the event proceeded, there were many wonderful moments, but I did notice alot of down time between the beginning of the ceremony & the end of the reception. When we arrived at the church, there was an usher, formally seating guests… And I had to wait in line. After the ceremony, we drove to the reception location, and we had to wait for the cocktail hour to finish. We didn’t know many of the other guests either! So, not only did my husband and I sit alone, in the back, but we didn’t have anything to do for the entire cocktail hour, but sit in our chairs and watch others mingle. When the Bride & Groom finally arrived and there was a grand entrance, we also had to wait some time before the speeches & first dance commenced.  I wondered, what would be some solutions to make all of the guests feel comfortable, excited, even those odd-friends who might be sitting in the back.

The whole goal of inviting our friends and families to weddings is to have them enjoy the time together, to engage with people, and to celebrate with the couple. If there are crazy work-a-holic people like me, or even a child who might have a short attention span, or a friend who might not know many other guests, how can we help all of these different types of people ENJOY YOUR WEDDING DAY, RECEPTION AND ALL?  I have put together a few Tips for all you planners out there, to help you engage your guests while you are out taking the photos of your life.

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HOST A FUN & UNIQUE COCKTAIL HOUR W/ EXPERTS TASTERS

A full bar is a must-have for a great reception, but amp it up a notch with an interactive drinking experience. We’re talking about a wine, beer or whiskey tasting, where guests can sample different drinks and learn a few tasting notes. A hand-rolled cigar station also fits the bill, as does a choose-your-flavor margarita bar (yum!). QUINN & NICCOLE had it right! They had friends put together 3 microbrews as well as a gourmet pop-corn station!

 

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START FROM THE BEGINNING WITH INTERESTING ESCORT CARDS

Escort cards can be a cool and fun way for people to find their tables & interact with acquaintances or to make new friends. We have seen a variety of escort cards. My favorite ones are the ones where the brides & grooms put thought into their guests. Seat guests with people they’ll know and get along with. A well-thought-out seating chart leads to great conversation, which leads to a great dance party, which leads to…well, you get the idea! So seat your high school track teammates near your college running buddies, and put your tween cousins with other kids their age rather than their parents (and keep track of it all with The Knot’s seating chart tool).One of our couples BARRY & JENNIFER, gave each guest a question to answer. Their table names & numbers then had the answers to the questions. Check out in the images below. They asked the question, “What is the name of the night club where we first met?” Can you guess the answer?

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At this wedding, SCOTT & LAUREN placed their escort cards on a ladder, which worked with the theme of the wedding day. Rustic elegance is so beautiful!

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HAVE AN INTERACTIVE TABLE  THAT DESCRIBES YOUR PERSONALITY

You two are getting married, but your personality doesn’t have to be all about flowers. Show off your personal style by placing interesting items as your centerpieces. You can use books, clocks, games, tokens or whatever makes you stand out.  AND don’t forget that your reception is a party! Let your guests know that it’s okay to cut loose after a formal ceremony by passing out crazy wedding favors at the reception. A few of our favorite ideas? Funky masks, noisemakers, or Silly String. We even know one couple who handed out neckties and encouraged their guests to tie them around their heads on the dance floor. Quirky, but definitely fun!

 

 

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PLAN A SURPRISE FOR YOUR GUESTS

Sometimes the best parts of a reception are the things guests don’t see coming. Surprise your guests with unexpected entertainment during the cocktail hour or reception, like a belly dancer, a mariachi band, or even a salsa dancer. MARYANN & VAGGELIS had planned a surprise FLASH MOB at their wedding! It was awesome & totally took us by surprise!!

 

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Also, tell your guests about a late night treat or events. Nothing stops a party in its tracks faster than guests heading for the door early. Take out an insurance policy against a skimpy crowd and plan a treat for the end of the night that people will look forward to: You and your new spouse can perform a song with the band for the last dance, or you can plan a reception getaway that’ll gets guests excited, like a fireworks show or an exit with sparklers. JOE & CAMILLE had their family send them off in their favorite car!!!

 

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ORDER GOOD FOOD (THAT’S NOT STUFFY OR NOT YOU!!)

Just ask yourself: What would you want to eat? If you’re not the meat-and-potatoes type, consider doing something more to your liking — maybe Spanish tapas, Mexican fajitas, or a big Italian dinner. Or skip the sit-down altogether and opt for a heavy hors d’oeuvres reception. Think mini sliders, bite-size vegetable quiches or a cheese table.  THERE ARE ALWAYS OPTIONS BESIDE A THREE COURSE DINNER. Instead of a quick, three-course menu of salad, entree and dessert, stretch out dinner over four or five smaller courses. Then, plan small surprises in between, like a short toast from your hilarious aunt or a professional dance performance. It’ll give your guests the experience of a fun night out on the town, complete with dinner and a show. KYLE & MOLLY HAD THE IDEA RIGHT! YUMMY MEXICAN FOOD THAT EVERYONE WENT BACK FOR SECONDS!

 

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ADD A LOUNGE AREA TO YOUR RECEPTION

If at all possible, create a lounge-like area in your reception space. Why? People can get antsy. Instead of having your guests sit around the same dinner tables all night, a change of environment will promote conversation and keep even your nondancing guests entertained. Look into renting or borrowing couches, chairs, and other pieces of furniture that you can then stage with pillows and votive candles in your wedding colors. A lounge area also gives people the opportunity to ham it up in pictures!

 

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PLAY DANCEABLE MUSIC & CREATE A GAME TO GET PEOPLE ONTO THE DANCE FLOOR!

Having an awesome night of dancing and drinking is the ideal for any wedding, but getting people onto the dance floor is a whole other obstacle. Find a creative game to help get all those guests onto the dance floor and engage them with fun songs that they want to dance to. Whether you’ve hired a band or a DJ, if you want to keep the dance floor packed (and we’re guessing you do), plan a playlist of songs that will please the crowd, not just you two. You may love obscure indie rock, but now isn’t the time to show off your discerning taste in music. People love dancing to Lady Gaga and Madonna — so let them!   Okay, this is an obvious one, but it made the list because music is a major fun factor at the reception and it has a lot to do with how long your guests will stay. The last thing you want to see is your dance floor clear out when the “chicken dance” comes on. So, make sure to talk to your DJ about your do-not-play list.

 

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LAST, BUT NOT LEAST…. HIRE A DAY-OF COORDINATOR

You may have a ton of fun ideas for your reception lined up — say, a rockin’ entrance, an amazing band, and surprise late-night snacks — but the truth is it’s much harder than you’d think to keep each of those plans in check. We have seen amazingly planned days fall apart and cause the bride and groom to stress out!! Your day is super important to plan out, but you don’t want to have to worry about it on the actual day!  If you already have an event planner, genius. If not, look into booking a day-of coordinator to oversee the details (trust us, it’s worth it). Here are some links to planners that we have worked with in the past.

Gather Events ///  Ace The Day   ///  Nicole Alexandra Designs & Events

Love you all, keep reading, & keep it real!!! <3 Tiffani

The post Tips to planning a fun wedding reception | Wedding Planning Ideas appeared first on Sun & Sparrow // wedding photography & videography in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara & Southern California.


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