Organising a wedding reception party is no easy task. From seating arrangement to food, drinks and entertainment, you have to put careful attention to detail into every aspect of the reception to ensure all your guests have a good time.
In this post we give you our top wedding reception ideas and tips to help you organise the wedding of your dreams successfully.
So how to organise a wedding reception? Without further ado, here are our ten tips for panning a wedding reception party:
1. Think About the Comfort of Your Guests
The first thing to consider is the comfort of your guests. Make sure that the venue you’ve chosen has enough space to comfortably accommodate your wedding party. If you’re hiring chairs and tables, ensure there’s enough seating for everyone. As well as that, think about other essential amenities such as parking or baby changing facilities.
2. Focus More on Food and Drinks and Less on Entertainment
Entertainment is always a good idea for your wedding reception party, but it’s not the most important aspect of the event. Most people just enjoy the opportunity to chat with friends and family during the reception and socialise. Any entertainment you plan should be open for guests to join in but not mandatory.
Instead, put more effort and budget into planning food and dinner. People tend to remember the food and drinks served at an event, so this is essential! Plan a menu that has an option for everyone, including people with dietary restrictions and picky eaters such as children. You should also think about snacks before the dinner because people might be feeling peckish, especially if they’ve travelled for the wedding.
3. Don’t Make an Impossibly Tight Schedule
Having a schedule for the day is important, however, try to allow plenty of buffer time for guests to socialise and enjoy the event. No one wants to feel rushed at a wedding so plan time for relaxed fun, conversations and drinks throughout the day.
4. Set the Right Atmosphere
Lead the mood for your wedding reception party with the décor and setting of your venue. If you want to create a romantic atmosphere use lots of flowers, candles and gentle music. If you want your reception to feel relaxed, set the mood with music, plenty of space for your guests to socialise and a leisurely pace.
5. Make Sure There’s Entertainment for All Age Groups
As much as you want everyone to dance the night away, not all of your guests would enjoy dancing. Think about having a seating area for older guests or anyone who wants to take a break from the dancefloor. If you’re having children or teenagers at your reception, also think about entertainment options for them such as a play area.
6. Plan Your Wedding Reception Party With Your Personality
This is your big day so make sure your reception reflects your personality and only do what you feel comfortable with. If you’re naturally laidback and casual, don’t plan a formal reception that would feel awkward for you and your guests.
7. Add a Unique Touch
Don’t be afraid to include any unique wedding reception ideas you have! Guests always react well to unusual, fun activities that are different and have a link to your personality or you and your spouse as a couple.
8. Choose Reliable Suppliers
Your suppliers will have a direct impact on the success of your wedding reception. The last thing you want is your cake not arriving in time or any catering equipment you’ve hired arriving dirty or damaged. This is why you should do your research and choose your suppliers carefully. Here at Top Table, we take pride in being a reputable catering hire company in Cardiff and South Wales, so you can contact us if you need catering equipment for your wedding reception.
9. Have a Back-up Plan
Things can go wrong even with the most careful planning, so make sure you have a plan B. For instance if your venue is outdoors make sure that there is nearby cover or an option to bring the reception indoors in case the weather takes a turn for the worse.
10. Think of the Grand Finale
End your reception on a high, rather than letting things fizzle out with the guests going home one by one. You could choose a special song for a last dance or arrange a big send-off with sparklers or if the venue allows it, have a firework display.
If you need any further advise please feel free to contact our friendly team.