Planning a wedding reception is a major undertaking, and naturally you want your guests to have a fantastic time. As is said, time flies when you're having fun, and that should be the goal of your reception. Hopefully, your reception will be so great that people do not start trickling out after the first hour. You truly know you have planned a successful reception if your guests do not want to leave!
The following are some tips you can implement into your big day that will keep your guests entertained so that they will want to stay for your entire reception:
Keep the Formal Events Short and Sweet
There is nothing wrong with having the best man and maid of honor giving a toast, the father and bride dance, or the cutting of the wedding cake. Those things are really nice traditions that you should not sacrifice if you wish to have them at your reception.
However, go ahead and do those things right away at the beginning of the reception so that you can keep everyone excited and energized. Once the formal traditions are over, crank up the party and get your guests involved!
Have Great Music
The key to any awesome wedding reception is amazing music. It should be at just the right volume and be in the right type of style that lends to a fun party. To best achieve this, make sure to use a reputable DJ with the proper type of equipment and a wide collection of music. When planning the music, make sure the DJ knows the type of guests you are entertaining so that the best music list can be mixed for your event.
Provide a Late Night Snack
A trendy idea that many brides are including in wedding receptions is the late night snack. Typically, the main meal at the reception is served toward the beginning of the evening. After a few hours of fun and dancing, it is fun to provide a nice snack to your guests to keep their energy up and partying all evening long.
Think outside the box when choosing your late night snack. Think of things most people would typically like to nosh on late at night. Things like mini pizzas, cookies and milk, and popcorn are just a few examples. Make it extra special and provide a way for your guests to personalize your choices. For example, if you choose to have a popcorn bar, provide different types of popcorn flavors along with different toppings. You may even want to have boxes of movie candy on hand as well to complement the popcorn.
Pick one of these tips to implement at your wedding, or you could also talk with your venue director or other event centers in the area for different ideas to make your event the wedding of the season!