1. Plan Ahead – But on the Wedding Day let everything go, Eat, Drink and Be Merry, don’t worry about the little things that may go wrong like the cake knife going missing etc. No more planning.
2. Select an ideal venue for your wedding – Some venue’s may have noise restrictions, time constraints, they might have booked another event in the ballroom right next to yours. If you want the music loud select a venue that has no noise restrictions/sound ordinances and isn’t right next to another party where you hear their music and they hear yours.
3. Keep the photo booth and bar in the same area/room as the dinner and dance floor – The party goes where ever the bride and groom go so if the bar is outside and the photo booth is outside the party would follow the bride and groom to the bar/photobooth, the crowd gets spread out.
4. Use a wedding app or hashtag – Creating a wedding hashtag can make it easier to see all the photos from your wedding.
5. Don’t make guests wait – try to create the timeline where guests aren’t waiting more than 10-15 minutes for each event to keep the energy up.
6. Greet Each Guest – It’s important to connect with your guests, whether it is a quick greeting over a cocktail, at their table and on the dance floor.
7. Splurge on the Open Bar – While open bars can be pricey, there are ways to make it work on any budget. Consider offering just beer and wine or a few cocktail options if you need to cut back, but don’t ask family and friends to open their wallets.
8. Have a Signature Cocktail – Create one or two custom cocktails selected by you and the groom to add a personal touch. It can also save you money at the bar. Try to select a tasty drink for the ladies and a manly drink for the gentlemen.
9. Don’t plan too many events during the reception – Most wedding receptions have traditional events that must take place, the entrance, first dance, parent dance, toasts, cake cutting, bouquet and garter toss and exit. Do not add too many other events that will interrupt dance time.
10. Create a DIY Bar – Whether it’s an outdoor cigar bar, mashed potato bar, a build-your-own-biscuits bar during cocktail hour, or a sundae bar at dessert, your guests will love making (and eating!) their own treats.
11. Make sure your entertainment is right on the dance floor, not in a corner but definitely close to the dance floor. Of course, the entertainment is not the main focus of the day, but your guests will respond better if they can interact with the band or DJ.
12. Make sure your feet are comfortable. Every bride wants to have stunning shoes on the wedding day. Usually the most stunning shoes have a three inch heal and straps or a skinny toe. They look great for the ceremony and beautiful in photographs, but they don’t do well on the dance floor. Make sure to bring some flat shoes, sneakers or flip flops to give your feet a break.
13. Hire A Day Of Wedding Coordinator – One of best ways to ease the stress and to help make your wedding run smoothly is to have a day of wedding coordinator. He or she would be able to help with making sure everything happens on time, on point and in style.
14. Skip Traditions That Don’t Fit Your Style – Some brides don’t want to toss the bouquet or the garter, while others would prefer not to wait until the ceremony for their first look. If you’re a girl who just can’t image partaking in one of these traditions, don’t do it! It’s your wedding; you can skip what you want to.
15. Eat, Drink and be Merry! Your guests will take their cues from you. If you are eating, dancing and enjoying yourselves, your guests will too. When I see a packed dance floor, typically the bride and groom are right in the center of the crowd.
16. Serve Late-Night Snacks – Yes, you’re serving dinner and dessert, but those are typically devoured hours before the reception actually ends. And with couples extending their parties later and later, it’s likely that more than just a few of your guests will be thinking of a tasty late-night snack. Book a Taco Man, In-N-Out Truck, Food Truck or have your caterer bring out hand-held options like sliders and fries, mini grilled cheese, or coffee and donuts about an hour before the reception ends to revive revelers.
17. Give a Favor People Will Use – Trust us, people don’t want a framed photo of you and your new husband. If you’re going to spend the money on favors, select something that your guests won’t leave on the table. Mini bottles of bubbly, a yummy snack like cookies or popcorn, a treat they can enjoy once back at home like jam or syrup or a custom wedding mix CD by DJ Wrex are all crowd-pleasers.
18. Have a Photo Booth – Not only is a photo booth a fun activity for your reception, it’s also a great alternative for your guestbook or favor. The options are literally endless, but we love a great selection of props for your buddies to play with.
19. Stay together with your new husband/wife – You want to enjoy your special day with your special someone as much as possible.
20. Make a Memorable Exit – No one wants your wedding night to end, but since it has to, go out on a high note. Do a fun and festive farewell, like a firework show, sparkler exit, light stick or confetti send-off! Your guests will love it, and it will make for some amazing photos.
Wedding Coordinators
For All Time EventsStephanie Chin Events
Wedding Photographers
Sessions By Anne SalasLex and the Lotus
Jose Delgado Photography
Rodney Ty
I like your idea of making sure the entertainment is on the dance floor during a wedding reception. I would imagine that having the option to interact with the band or DJ would be really important. My fiancee and I are looking for a band for our wedding so when we find one we’ll have to be sure to put them right out on the dance floor.
I liked that you talked about how you should try getting a photo booth. It does seem like a fun thing to have at your wedding if you want to create fun pictures. I know that my sister would love to have fun pictures of her friends and family member doing fun things at her wedding.
Hello everyone here!
I have read your post. After reading your opinions and points, I couldn’t control myself for appreciating them.
There is no doubt in that wedding is important event in every one’s life and it essential to plan it well to make it remarkable. To make any event perfect it is necessary to pay attention to all of the aspects. The points, you described about guests are important of all because guests plays significant role to make any wedding event standout. If you entertain and relax them well then they will make your event more enjoyable and remarkable till the rest of your long life. I want to express that the 20 points you have told are valid and very important and I will recommend each and every couple to read and try to apply them that guests plays important role in every event.
I really like your advice to try to have a band or DJ that the audience can interact with. I have a close friend who has been chosen to organize the details of a wedding, and because of that, she is nervous about choosing the right DJ. I will be sure to tell her that the guests will want to be able to interact with the DJ!
I like how you suggested planning ahead. I was thinking of scheduling an artist for my reception. Thanks for the tips on planning your wedding reception.
I thought it was great how you said that some brides don’t want to toss a bouquet or wait until the ceremony for their first look. My brother is getting married next week and he has been stressing out because he doesn’t have anything planned out. Hiring a wedding planning service may be his best option to ensure that everything is prepared when his wedding date arrives.
I like your tip to book a food truck or cart to help bring out coffee and other treats before your reception ends to help revive everyone and keep everyone going. My fiance and I are trying to plan our wedding reception right now and we want to do something that is kind of unique that everyone will enjoy. I think that it would be smart to look into getting an espresso coffee cart for our reception so that everyone can have coffee and can stay energized while also getting to enjoy a yummy drink.
Thank you for your tip to give people a party favor they will use. I’ve been trying to think of what sort of decorations and favors I want to put at the tables. I also have found a reception venue yet but I will keep this tip in mind for the day of the reception.
My sister and her fiance are getting married in three months. I like how you mention selecting a venue that has no noise/sound restrictions. Thank you for the advice. I’ll provide this information to my sister so she can have the wedding of her dreams and not a bad night.
I like how you stated that you should plan ahead. My sister just got engaged and needs help in planning her wedding. I will definitely pass along all of your great tips and information to my sister so she can successfully plan her wedding.
I really liked your tip about making sure that the entertainment is right on the dance floor along with the rest of the guests to make sure that they are able to interact with the band or DJ. My boyfriend’s cousin just got engaged and is planning her wedding for next year. I think I will let her know how important it is to have a DJ with a good stereo system to make sure everyone is able to enjoy themselves.
I never took into account the fact that some venues may have booked other events in rooms close to another event, and due to that could have more restrictions. My brother got engaged this month and the wedding planning has officially begun. I should let him know that other events and restrictions are an important thing to keep in mind when choosing a reception venue.
I thought that it was smart that you suggested getting a venue with no noise restrictions if you want a loud dance party and to not add too many events other than the traditional ones to your reception. My youngest daughter and her boyfriend love to dance and are planning their wedding for November. It’d be so fun if they could find a wedding DJ to host the dance party they are dreaming of!
I like that you suggested hiring a wedding coordinator or planner can help ensure that your wedding plan will go smoothly and the event day will be nothing less than perfect. My friend is planning to propose to his girlfriend soon. I will keep this tip in mind when he tells me the lady has said yes.
Thanks for explaining that it’s important to be aware of sound restrictions when choosing the venue for our wedding. My fiance and I plan on being married next summer and are currently looking for a local banquet hall to book for the reception. I’m glad I read your article and learned what kinds of questions to ask as we start the process of looking at venues soon!
I like this article. I was searching wedding planning ideas and found your blog and its really helps thank you very much.
Great article. I highly agree when you mentioned ensuring the entertainment is right on the dance floor. I think having a DJ or live band for your wedding really makes the day more fun for everyone. Which do you prefer between the two, DJ or live band?