The wedding reception is an important part of your big day, so it’s crucial that you make sure to have everything in place to ensure it runs smoothly. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with these six tips to help you stay organized and stress-free on your special day!
Start with the guests
Getting your wedding party and immediate family members to the reception venue is an essential step in making sure that the reception goes off without a hitch. Your DJ or MC will play some upbeat music, and the bridesmaids, groomsmen, bridesmen, flower girls, and ring bearers will line up outside the doors to make their grand entrance.
Once they’re in, it’s time to begin seating your guests. Escort cards are a simple, yet effective way to let people know where they need to sit. If you’re having a formal reception, you can opt for place cards that indicate specific places to sit, like the’sweetheart’ table or ‘wedding party’ tables.
Next, it’s time to seat your parents and siblings at their respective tables. If you have children, be sure to set aside a kids’ table where the little ones can be occupied while the adults enjoy their meal.
This also gives your parents a chance to mingle with their grandchildren and other children who might be attending the wedding for the first time. It’s also a good idea to make sure that your grandparents aren’t too far from their other family members, so they can easily talk with them when they need to.
After your parents and siblings are seated, it’s time to sit down for dinner. A delicious, full-course dinner is one of the most memorable parts of a wedding reception, and your guests will be sure to remember it!
You may also want to serve a dessert. A slice of cake is a lovely addition to your meal, and it’s also something that your guests can take home with them afterwards. You can decide when to cut the cake, but it’s typically saved until about an hour before the end of the reception.
Afterwards, it’s time to dance!
A lot of couples choose to have a first dance as a married couple at the reception, and it’s a great opportunity for the bride and groom to show off their new status and bond with their guests. Whether you’re dancing to a choreographed song or just a slow, emotional moment, this is the perfect time to showcase your love for each other!
It’s also a great time to celebrate your newlywed status by sharing a toast with each other. A toast is a chance for the couple to thank their friends and family for being there and supporting them through this exciting time in their lives.
It’s also a good time to share a fun memory or story from your own wedding day. This will give your guests an interesting perspective on the special day and will help them to connect with your new family even more. If you’d like, your friends and family can also get involved in the toast by delivering words of wisdom to the bride and groom or reading a poem or song.