5 Reception Hacks to Ensure Guests Have a Great Time at a Wedding

wedding-reception-hacksThrowing a fabulous party that all your guests enjoy is part of the fun in planning a wedding. Thinking about your guests’ comfort will show them you care and not only will they love the experience more, you will too. When it comes to the dinner and dancing portion of the night, it’s important to keep a few key details in mind. Here are my top 5 reception hacks to ensure guests have a great time at your wedding.

1. Have signature cocktails waiting before the guests arrive. Avoid lines at the bar by tray passing wines, champagne and signature cocktails upon arrival. That way, not everyone will run to the bar and create a bottleneck. Then, throughout the evening, make sure you’ve arranged enough bartenders and bars for your guest count and the intricacy of any cocktails you may be serving that take time to create. No one likes to wait!

2. Set centerpieces that are no higher than your elbow. Low centerpieces allow guests to talk across the tables without any visual obstruction. Keeping your floral decor low encourages conversation and guests enjoy dinner more.

3. Get a friend to MC the night. If you’re opting for an MC for the reception, consider asking a fun friend to do it. Your DJ will do a great job as well, but when someone can share personal details and connect with the audience on that deeper level, it lifts up the energy and really gets the crowd going. Just be sure to leave the tunes to the experts.

4. Keep toasts to no more than 5-10 minutes total. Don’t let loved ones ramble on and on when it comes to a toast. Plan ahead and limit the number of toasts that are given and talk through the schedule with each person so they can write a speech that fits within a limited scope of time. Too much time on the microphone can take the energy down in the room.

5. Serve late night snacks. Consider a shorter dinner service so guests don’t sit in boredom and eat too much and then not feel ready to get their dance on. Then, late in the evening serve a late night snack to soak up the alcohol and surprise and delight your loved ones. This keeps the dancing going and bellies full, but never too full.

And a bonus hack, when planning your playlist, make sure to think of all the generations in the audience and select a song list that has something for everyone.

xoxo,

Mindy