Everyone loves a good party. Whether its a quiet sit down dinner, barbecue buffet, or disco dancing, there is always a good time to be had. Your wedding reception is your celebration and here are some tips to keep it flowing.

Your reception should be a blast! It’s your time to relax, eat, throw down some dance moves, and celebrate. A well planned wedding reception is so much fun to be a part of and it can often be what guests remember more than other parts of the day. To make sure it goes smoothly, it’s important to communicate with your coordinator and your DJ. Your caterer will also play a big role in the design and set up of your event. For example, if you’re not having a plated meal, your reception will need to be set up in a way that allows movement. Guests will need to be able to find the food stations easily between the high top cocktail tables and the dinner tables. Having a good mix encourages guests to mix and mingle. If you are having a formal plated dinner, you will need escort cards, full place settings and space for all of your guests to be seated comfortably. Whatever the style of your event, make sure that you plan out all of the aspects of the evening. Your coordinator and DJ can help so that guests won’t leave early or experience long waiting times for the next thing to happen.

Much like the ceremony, you have the freedom to make your reception your own! It’s your party, it should be exactly how you want it to be! There are so many things you can do at a reception, but here is a list of some of the key elements that happen often:

• Bridal Party Introductions
• First Dance
• Father-Daughter Dance
• Mother-Son Dance
• Anniversary Dance
• Money Dance
• Traditional Religious Dances
• Welcome Speech by the Father of the Bride
• Blessing
• Cake Cutting
• Toasts
• Bouquet and Garter Toss
• Large Group Photos with Friends
• The Exit

Guest Consideration

Take your guests into consideration when planning your reception timeline. If you have a lot of elderly guests that won’t be staying until the very end, make sure you do the cake cutting at a relatively early time so that they can be a part of it. Grandparents love seeing this tradition.

Keep it Moving

Chat with your coordinator about how you can plan your reception in a way that will keep guests engaged and moving all night. You can include group dances, line dances, and party games to fill out the evening.

Make it Your Own

If you want to have a special dance, then do it! Make your wedding reception a reflection of who you are and don’t feel tied to traditions or to “how it normally goes”. Another thing is to make sure your DJ knows what songs or genres of music you really don’t want to hear at your reception. DJ’s are normally good at reading the crowd and can influence the energy of the night by song choice.

Don’t Get Caught up in the Details

Sure, details are fun and pretty, but they can steal the joy of the day if you get too caught up in them. Plan out your centerpieces, welcome table, etc.. well before the week of the wedding and either tell your coordinator or family friend how to set them up so that you don’t even have to think about those things the day of or the day before. Trust me! I have seen a bride get so stressed about the reception decor that they ended up not getting ready on time, and everything was rushed because she had to leave and go the reception venue to organize everything not once, but twice. Good communication and planning can make a huge difference.

Another Round

After the first 90 minutes or so of the reception, while everyone is dancing and having a blast, have the caterers/ servers/ or friends pass out another round of drinks or snacks. It’s refreshing and keeps people hanging around longer and enjoying the party.

Reception Coverage

If you haven’t purchased enough coverage time for your photography to last until the exit, that’s ok! We have several options for controlled exits. I recommend planning your timeline so that you can have at least one hour of dancing photographed. The guests who dance during the first hour will still be dancing in the third hour! One hour of dancing coverage will be enough to capture the joy of your reception.

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