A fun wedding reception doesn’t just happen, it is planned.
It’s not hard to create a fun wedding reception, but it’s also easy to blow it and create a boring affair you’ll lament for years to come. You need to put some irresistible, positive elements in place at the same time that you eliminate the possibility of potential monkey wrenches.
These ideas are presented in no particular order.
Create a smart seating arrangement
You know your guests. Nothing launches a reception better than comfort and compatibility. By seating people next to others with whom they’re compatible, you enhance their enjoyment of your celebration. Shy guests in particular love having seating arrangements pre-established so they don’t have to worry about finding someone with whom to sit.
Carefully manage the toasts
You don’t want too many toasts, and you don’t want any of them to ramble on too long. That’s why Denon & Doyle has written on this subject in previous blogposts [“Here’s a great script for a wedding toast“]. Your rehearsal dinner is the time for longer anecdotes. Your wedding reception is the time for short, sweet toasts.
Anticipate children
If you allow children at your wedding reception, you might consider making arrangements for a side room with baby sitters to entertain the kids. The kids will have more fun with coloring books, games, or movies, and their parents will have more fun on the dance floor than keeping the kids out of mischief. [Check out our earlier blogpost on a similar subject, “The definitive guide to babies at weddings.”]
Find a great DJ
Music makes the event, and a great DJ knows how to make the music work! Find a DJ company you like and trust (like us!). It really helps if you connect personally with a company before you decide on your DJ. A phone call or personal consultation is worth its weight in gold.
Play danceable music
Don’t fall into a trap where you load up your DJ with a list of your favorite, obscure Indie songs your guests may not appreciate as much as you do.
Trust your DJ. Denon & Doyle DJs know how to read your guests and play the familiar, danceable tunes that pack dance floors. Of course we’ll play the tunes you like, and we’ll take requests, too. But balance is the key. We’ll make your celebration rock with customized entertainment tailored to your style.
Hire a wedding coordinator for the day of your event
If your budget can handle it, a wedding coordinator takes a lot of heat off of you on your wedding day. But even without a wedding coordinator, Denon & Doyle provides the pre-planning tools for our clients that eliminates so much of the stress of your big day. We’ll coordinate with other wedding vendors to be sure everything is in place so you can relax and simply have fun!
Serve great food that complements your budget
People love to eat at weddings! But it’s your biggest budget item, so plan a menu that you can afford. There is nothing wrong with a nice buffet if that fits your budget best. Besides, people won’t even remember the food once we pack the dance floor with our guest-pleasing entertainment. We specialize in wedding receptions. It is the entertainment that makes the difference at your wedding reception, not the food. Your friends and family are going to remember the fun they had, not the vegetable served by your caterer!
Decorate with lights
Lighting simply creates a wonderland regardless of the size of your budget. It’s also a simple and effective way to add atmosphere to an outdoor wedding reception. If you’re hosting the reception in your back garden, for example, all you’ll need to do is contact an electrician like SALT Light & Electric / electrician in West Lake Hills to get a couple of outdoor power sockets fitted and you’ll be able to string fairy lights anywhere you want, giving you an instant warm and welcoming feel. Not only fairy lights, you could even opt for customizable name neon lights for the newly married couple! This could provide a photo opportunity and would brighten up the ambiance like no other. Visiting websites that specialize in creating personalized neon light fixtures like Neon Filter (and alike) could prove helpful to you. It’s such an easy and affordable way for you to create a fun and atmospheric environment for your wedding reception guests that you’ll likely need little else in the way of decoration. We offer quite a selection of creative lighting options. We can customize the look to match your style.
Provide guests with food and drink while you’re getting photographs taken
Hungry, thirsty guests are not happy guests. If you’re having photographs taken between the ceremony and reception, provide for your guests. Open up the bar. Provide snacks or appetizers. Prime the pump for the greatest party of your life!
Are you planning your wedding right now? Check us out. It’s easy, just go to our contact page. Or give us a quick call at 1-800 944-9585. Personal contact is always the best way for discriminating brides.