15 Ideas for Wedding Reception

After the sacred marriage ceremony, finally it’s time for wedding reception. While it is definitely less formal than the ceremony, it is not less important. Wedding reception is the part when you and your guests celebrate your union and have fun together. It is the part that everybody will remember.

Unlike ceremony that can hardly be customized, reception is the place for you to unleash every bit of your creativity. You can apply the theme you’ve chosen for the wedding during the reception. What kind of reception do you want to have?

There are many ideas for wedding reception. Depends on your personality and preference, maybe you want a simple traditional dining with your closest people or maybe you want to have a loud dancing party with as many people as possible.

Or maybe you’re still not sure about what you want in a wedding reception? Then lucky, you, we’ve compiled 15 ideas for wedding reception that surely will give you an inspiration or two.

  1. Fireworks and Sparklers: We’re starting the idea with a bang. Fireworks and sparklers are fun thing to do in a reception and beautiful too. If you have a nighttime wedding, then fireworks will provide more entertainment for your guests. It makes a good background for wedding photo as well. Of course, before you decide to go with this idea, check first with the venue whether they can accommodate fireworks or not.
  2. Make a Candle Path: Again, this is an idea for a nighttime wedding. To upgrade your wedding venue into a straight from fairy tale magical place, put candles on glasses. Use them to make a path from the entrance to the seating area and light them on. Your guess will feel like they are entering a different universe, walking on this candle path from the reception.
  3. Polaroid Reception Desk: Reception desk can be so boring with a mere guestbook to sign. Instead, put a Polaroid camera on the desk and leave a big direction on the table: “INSTEAD OF SIGNING, PLEASE PUT YOUR POLAROID PHOTO ON THE GUEST BOOK”. You’ll win twice this way: your guest will feel a fun experience and you will have their photos!
  4. Wish Tree Reception Desk: This is another way to spice up your reception desk. Instead of a guestbook, place a deck of empty card with ribbon and stationery. Next to the desk, put a tree with barren branches. Also put a direction on the table: “INSTEAD OF SIGNING, PLEASE WRITE A MESSAGE FOR US AND HANG IT ON THE TREE”. Not only your guests will feel more involved with the wedding, but you can actually read their congratulation word. The wish tree will serve as the décor in the venue as well. Triple win!
  5. Promote Your Wedding through Instagram: There is another way to make your guests feel more involved with your wedding – let them be your photographer! Of course, you still have to hire photographer to take most of the photo, but encourage your guests to do the same. The easiest way is to place an announcement board and write a hashtag for your wedding there. Write the direction, for example, like this: “IF YOU INSTAGRAM, YOU CAN SHARE OUR WEDDING PHOTO #EVAN&LILY140317”
  6. Let the Dead Attend the Wedding: To show your appreciation and gratefulness to your loved ones that have been passed away, put a special table for them. Fill the table surface with the photos of your late grandfather, grandmother, parents, siblings, or even old friends. You can even add handwritten notes about them so your guests who may not be familiar with them can learn about them.
  7. Make a Schedule Board: To let your guests know what events you are planning for the wedding and the exact time, make a schedule board and place it on a specific location. Of course, you have to make the board stylish. Maybe you can use a chalkboard and decorate it with ribbon and flowers. You can also print the words in A3 paper and frame it.
  8. Serve Taco Bar: Taco bar lately has been rising in popularity and it is affordable as well. Not to mention, the assorted filling will look pretty with their various color. Add decoration on the bar with little card indicating the ingredients, or even a framed fun facts of taco.
  9. Dessert Buffet: Dessert buffet is also a trend. Have a table full of sweet delight and confectioneries to fulfill the craving of your guests and they will speak highly of your wedding for days. Have various types of dessert – from the less sweet to the very sweet – to accommodate everyone’s various level of sweet tooth.
  10. Popcorn Bar: Popcorn bar not only delicious, but also cheap and they look pretty. You can have various flavor of the popcorn: have them buttery, salty, and sweet to accommodate the broad range of your guests’ preference. Put the popcorn in a large basket with scoop. Place paper cup on the side and let the guests scoop the popcorn as much as they want. This is perfect for after party.
  11. Food Truck: Want to have both food and decoration in an instant? Food truck is your answer. If your neighborhood have any, order them to provide food for the after party when everyone is feeling hungry again and need little food for replenishment. Not only they taste good, they usually look stylish as well.
  12. Have outdoor cinema to play your movie: Made a short movie about how you first met – five minutes will do – then play it. If you have outdoor venue, building an outdoor cinema is not difficult. This will be fun and entertaining for the guests, and sweet and memorable for you. The set for outdoor cinema will be another point for your decoration as well.
  13. Bonfire and Folk Dance: If your town has a local festival where folk dance is involved, why don’t recreate the festivity? Throw a bonfire and dance around it with the rest of the guests. This is perfect opportunity for you and them to mingle and share laugh. If there is no folk dance, the usual dance will do as well. For those guests who don’t fancy dancing, they can just sit next to the bonfire or even roast some marshmallow there.
  14. Fly Lanterns: If your venue allow it (for example, you are on the seaside), this is a most amazing and beautiful activity. Preferably, do it at nighttime wedding so the dark sky will highlight the lantern perfectly. You and your spouse can write your hope on the lantern and light it as the guests watch. The sight of lanterns flying to the sky is really pretty. If you have budget, you can even give the lanterns to the guests and let them fly the lanterns together – that would be a magnificent sights.
  15. Fly Kites: This is the alternative for flying lanterns if you are doing your reception in the daytime. Flying kite is no less beautiful and definitely more exciting. Write your hope on the kite and fly it soar in the sky. The same with lanterns, if you have budget (and if the venue is wide enough), let your guests have their own kites. The sight of kites above the wedding venue will be most remembered.

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