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Your guests are at your wedding to witness the coming together of the Bride and Groom, but the really fun part for them boils down to the dinner and reception. Making sure your guests feel taken care of is always the goal of the reception. Below are 7 tips you may consider as you plan out this part of your day.
1. Free seating seems cool, but your guests will love your more if…
…you at least assign a table for them. When your guests show up at your reception, they’re not expecting to make any decisions, let alone potentially fighting for their seats. We’re all adults, but then again you can’t control other people’s behaviors, especially when it comes to their “seat entitlement”. When your guests are assigned to a specific table by you, then there’s no question asked.
2. Make sure the music is not too loud…
…so that your guests can socialize if they choose to. If your guests have to shout on top of their lungs for the next person to hear what they’re saying, they probably will find it too frustrating just to make conversations with their table-mates and won’t have a good time. An alternative is to have a quieter lounge area where your conversationist guests can enjoy their chats with others.
3. If it’s a more casual setting, make sure your guests have enough place to put down their food
Some couples opt for their guests to freely “roam around” without a formal sitting-down dinner. When this is the case, just be sure to provide enough surface area for your guests to place their food. Avoid the types of food that would be tough to eat without sitting down like steak, because that will create difficulties for your guests to enjoy their meal!
4. Recruit a family member to MC your reception
It’s usually the DJ’s job to announce all the activities during the reception, but wouldn’t it be so much more personal if one of your family members or friends is given the honor to do it for you? It doesn’t have to be close family or friends because they’re probably in the wedding party, but an uncle/aunt or a college friend who is a great public speaker would probably be more than happy to MC the party for you.
5. Hire a dance instructor for your First Dance and also for…
…your guests! The Cupid Shuffle can get old pretty quickly, so why not organize a mini dance lesson for your guests. It can be a super easy and fun salsa lesson that everyone can follow. And guess what? That fills up your dance floor immediately after your First Dance and would make for great pictures of everyone having a great time at your party.
6. Save the appetizers/finger food until later in the evening because…
…your guests would REALLY appreciate a little snack after they get a bit buzzed 🙂 and have been dancing! And you would love it too as the Bride and Groom! Your caterer may think it’s weird, but just let them know the reason and it would make little difference to them.
7. Speaking of favors, something edible is highly recommended over…
…most other “things”! We are fortunate enough to live in abundance where most people already have what they need. Food, however, can always be consumed and is usually happily received. Cup cakes, mini champagne bottles or bottles of gourmet olive oil are some great ideas you can entertain for favors that would probably not be wasted. Oh and guests forget to take their favor most of the time! Place a sign that says something like “Don’t leave without your favor!” or something similar at the door so that your guests can see it on their way out.
Hope these tips are helpful to you as you plan your reception. Happy wedding planning!
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