Your wedding reception is the culmination of your big day. It’s the party that signifies your union, that means the serious stuff is over you can move onto enjoying this milestone with your friends and family. With the plethora of options available for a wedding reception these days, it’s possible to make your reception entirely unique. However, there are some hiccups that can happen if you neglect to outline an adequate plan. We’ve put together five tips and tricks to ensure your wedding reception best reflects you, and runs as smoothly as possible on your big day.
1. Pick a venue that represents you
Before you start looking for reception venues, ensure you have a solid date and that your wedding venue is locked in. That way, you will know exactly what time frame you need your reception venue for. After you’ve locked in the date and the time you’re going to be arriving at your venue, you can decide what nature of reception you’re looking to have. Do you want it to be a day time venue? Do you want it to be held outdoors or indoors? Are you going to have a sit-down meal or cocktail food? Do you want live music or a DJ and a dancefloor? There are many wedding venues for you to choose from. All of these decisions will help you figure out the sort of vibe you’re going for with your wedding reception, and can help you choose a space accordingly.
2. Stick to your budget
The venue you choose will also be based on your budget. Often, couples choose to have a small wedding and a larger reception, but some do choose the other way around. Which option suits you best? Are you going to have a lot of people, or only a close knit group at your reception? These are all crucial decisions that you need to make, whilst considering your budget. Outline how many guests you are looking to invite to your reception and based on that, how much food, alcohol and equipment hire you will need. This way, your guests will be left happy and you won’t come across any nasty surprises on the day.
3. Decide on the type of reception you’re going to have
Similar to the decisions that helped you pick a venue, it’s important to decide what nature of reception you want to have. Nowadays, the two main types of reception are sit-down meal or cocktail party, but other variants such as picnics, a simple cake-cutting, or a beach reception might are also commonplace. Choose a reception based on the type of vibe you’re aiming for, and the budget you have laid out.
Thankfully, if you are planning a wedding in Austin, TX, there are many different options available for whatever type of reception you want. Exploring various event venues in Austin, TX, can be both exciting and overwhelming due to the wide array of choices available. Whether you dream of an intimate outdoor gathering or a grand ballroom affair, you’ll find an option that perfectly suits your vision and requirements in this vibrant city.
4. Plan the process of the reception
Often, wedding receptions will involve toasts, a meal, cutting the cake, dancing, as well as various other traditions that you may want to include. It can be helpful to plan out in what order you would like these events to play out, and how long they are going to last for. A handy tip can be to employ an MC on the night, to ensure you move through each phase of your reception in a timely yet smooth manner.
5. Organise photography
Photos are a beautiful and necessary way for you and your guests to remember your big day for years to come. Often, couples will hire a wedding photographer to shoot both the wedding ceremony and the reception. Make sure you speak with your photographer beforehand and have outlined the style of photos you expect them to take. This will ensure that you are left with the most pleasing wedding album possible. Another fun, unique way to remember your wedding is to hire a photobooth. Increasingly common and so much fun, photo booths allow your guests to have some fun whilst creating lifelong memories. There are a wide range of photo booth hire services in Perth and Australia wide for you to choose from.
Your wedding is an important and special day to celebrate love, family, friends and the future. Often, when planning events, things can go wrong or pop up at the last minute if you don’t adhere to a well thought out plan. Ensuring you have a specific date, time and venue is the first key steps to executing a great reception. Once those elements are sorted, you can concentrate on the nature and process of the reception, as well as how you’re going to document. Keep these five helpful tips handy when you’re planning a wedding reception, to ensure the day is as carefree and memorable as possible.