The wedding reception is the true party of the wedding day. It is when the drinks come out, the hair comes down, and the dancing shoes come on.
From speeches to games to cake, a lot happens during those 5+ hours in the evening and the reception is often the largest expense to any wedding day.
There’s a lot more to a wedding reception than simply feeding your wedding guests. Some of the most heartfelt moments can come from speeches and having a great DJ and/or live band to get people in the mood to party goes a long way.
To help you get the most out of your wedding day, here are 3 tips to ensuring that you have an amazing reception.
Get All The Speeches Done Early
A lot of couples try to stretch out the formalities to fill in the gaps between meal service. Whilst this can make sense in theory, in reality, it can work against you.
In the early days of your wedding planning, sit down and think about who you want to make a speech at your wedding reception. The usual suspects include parental figures and best friends. Once you have identified who you want to make a toast, ask them and lay in some ground rules.
Some of your best friends may not be comfortable standing up alone and may opt to combine their speech with another. Some people tend to ramble on and on so it is important to set the expectations early.
Wedding guests tend to be rowdier towards the end of the reception and some guests may choose to leave early due (e.g., they may have children with sitters or have an early start the next day). Therefore, it is best to do the formalities as early as possible so that once they are done, everyone, including yourselves, can be more relaxed and enjoy the evening.
Australian wedding photographer Jack of Jack Chauvel Photography agrees that all speeches, including the couple’s, should be done and dusted as early as possible, saying – “I’ve come across couples who refrain from drinking alcohol because they don’t want their faces to be red in their wedding photos.”
“This means that they cannot really have fun and let loose until after 9 pm at times.”
Choose The Right Venue
The reception venue is where you will spend most of your wedding day so choosing the right one makes a lot of sense.
Different couples will have different priorities. Some couples will favor the food itself while others want specific requirements such as high ceilings and the ability to incorporate a lot of their own personalizations. However, all wedding venues have restrictions and for the marrying couple, they often do not know how to ask for these things.
This is where having a wedding stylist such as Sydney-based event company Upside Down Events comes in handy. A wedding stylist can take a quick look at an event space, compare it with your notes, and be able to give you your options.
“Quite often, couples come to me after they have locked in their venue and it is my unfortunate task of telling them that their vision is not possible due to the limitations of the venue.” – Lilac, head stylist of Upside Down Events says.
The right reception venue should tick all your boxes. It should look great, be within your budget, and offer the catering options that you need.
Talk To As Many People As Possible
Everyone who attends your wedding is there for you.
The day may start slowly but before you know it, you’ll be at the end of reception wondering where did all the time go
“One of the best things about my wedding – and the most vivid memory I have is of the people who gave me a hug. I don’t recall what they said but I remember how it made me feel“ – says Sandra (owner of a Sydney bridal store Emerald Bridal).
“Your feet may hurt and your face may be tired from all the smiling, but you should definitely walk around your reception, soak in the sounds and visuals, and let everyone congratulate you. It is your wedding day after all!”
This experience only comes around once, so make the most of it!
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