Planning a Memorable Reception.
What makes a great reception?
Thoughtful Touches Your Guests Will Love
Your wedding day is a celebration of love, but it’s also an opportunity to create lasting memories for your guests. A truly unforgettable wedding reception doesn’t just happen; it’s the result of thoughtful planning and creative touches that make everyone feel special. Here are some ideas that Iv’e seen in the past to inspire you as you plan your perfect wedding day.
1. Make an entrance worthy of celebrating!
A fun dance with props, confetti bombs, sparklers and your favourite dance tunes, get the party started by making a fun entrance to kick off the celebrations with your family and friends.
2. Set the Mood with Live Music
Nothing transforms the atmosphere of your wedding reception quite like live music. Whether it’s a string quartet during dinner, an energetic live band for dancing, or even a roaming acoustic duo who mingle with guests, live music adds a personal and vibrant touch. Want something unique? Consider a jazz trio, a mariachi band, or even a singer-songwriter performing your favourite songs.
3. Capture the Moment with Live Painting
Hiring a live painter to capture your wedding day in real time is an incredible way to create a one-of-a-kind keepsake. Guests will be mesmerized watching the artist’s progress throughout the evening, and you’ll have a beautiful piece of art to treasure forever.
4. Add a Touch of Glamour with a Champagne Tower
Few things say “celebration” quite like a champagne tower. It’s an elegant and visually stunning centerpiece for your reception, and it’s a fun activity to kick off the evening’s festivities. Plus, your guests will love the chance to toast with a glass of bubbly!
5. Delight Guests with Interactive Food and Drink Stations
Interactive food and drink options can be a hit with guests of all ages. Here are a few ideas:
Ice Cream Carts: Perfect for summer weddings, an ice cream cart with a variety of flavours and toppings is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.
Coffee Carts: it can be a long day for travelling guests and this is a great idea pre and post ceremony for that afternoon coffee hit!
Cocktail hour grazing board: A great kickstart post ceremony for your guests to mingle while you get photos.
Build-Your-Own Cocktail Bars: Let guests mix up their favourite drinks with a selection of spirits, mixers, and garnishes.
Cake station: Why settle for one cake when you can have several? get creative with flavours and allow guests to serve themselves.
Late-Night Snack Stations: Think mini sliders, gourmet fries, or even a pizza oven serving fresh slices into the night.
late night dumpling bar: was an absolute hit at a wedding I shot at The Island Gold Coast
6. Surprise with Roaming Entertainment
Surprise your guests with roaming entertainers who bring energy and fun to your reception. This could include:
Magicians who perform close-up tricks.
Caricature Artists creating quick, playful sketches of your guests.
Roaming Bands who bring live music directly to tables or the dance floor.
7. Create Cozy Spaces with Lounge Areas
Not everyone will want to dance all night, and that’s okay! Providing comfortable lounge areas with sofas, chairs, and ambient lighting gives your guests a space to relax and chat. Decorate with plush cushions, throws, and side tables for drinks to create a warm and inviting vibe.
8. Light It Up
Lighting can completely transform your reception venue. Fairy lights strung overhead, candles on tables, and strategically placed uplighting can create a romantic and magical atmosphere. Lighting also helps your photos ( where it can often be too dark) look even better! For something extra special, consider:
Neon Signs with a fun or meaningful phrase.
Projection Mapping to display custom designs or images on walls or ceilings.
Sparklers or Fireworks to end the evening with a bang.
Coloured Lights make for some fun reception pics
9. Offer Unique Keepsakes
Let your guests take a piece of the day home with them. Consider personalised favours like mini bottles of wine, potted succulents, or even a photo booth where they can snap and print photos as mementos. Or what about a cake box so your cake doesn’t go to waste!
10. Think About the Flow of the Evening
One of the most important aspects of a great reception is ensuring the night flows smoothly. Work with your coordinator or MC to create a timeline that keeps things moving without feeling rushed. Allow time for speeches, dancing, and enjoying the thoughtful touches you’ve planned. Ask the people giving speeches how long they will speak for or allocate them a timeslot. This can be really important so things always run smoothly and to time, which is really important for your catering and vendors who may be on a time schedule.
11. Make It Personal
Finally, don’t be afraid to let your personalities shine through in your reception details. Whether it’s incorporating your favourite foods, a nod to your shared hobbies, or a theme that reflects your love story, pictures of your pets on the tables …personal touches make your wedding truly unique.
Planning a wedding reception with thoughtful and creative elements doesn’t just make your day memorable—it makes your guests feel like an important part of your celebration. Use these ideas as inspiration to craft a reception that’s as unique and wonderful as your love story!
12. First dance under the stars
If your venue has the facility, and its ideal weather, having your first dance outside is a great way to break up the evening and craete a bit of atmosphere. It allows your guests to get on their feet, mingle and provides an amazing backdrop for your first dance.
If you’re keen on sparkler photos but don’t want to wait until the end of the night to capture it, a great idea is to gather your guests for a sparkler entrance into your first dance! Thst way you get magical images and don’t have to wait until the end of the night.
13. Make it Traditional
Whether it’s a nod to family or cultural tradition or purely pleasing the parents, I find adding a touch of your culture and tradition makes for a very memorable celebration for everyone attending. Roll with it, embrace it and have fun!
14. fireworks… why not?!
There is nothing quite like the surprise and drama that fireworks ( and often fog machines) bring! Its fun, creates excitement and atmosphere to your reception. Whether its for a dramatic entrance, first dance, cake cutting or all of the above, dont be scared to go a bit extra and delight yourselves and your guests for memorable moments for years to come.
REAL WEDDING IDEAS
I recently attended a friends wedding as both a photographer and guest! I think Carolynn and Zak did some pretty awesome things, that you can incorporate into your day too, to make it as memorable as possible for everyone.
Face the people giving a speech
It sounds obvious, but what I really loved was that they pulled up some chairs, and sat in front of the lectern. No side eye, stiff and sore neck from turning . I felt it made them be really present in the moment, soaking it all in and not just being “on display” sitting at the bridal table.
A slideshow
Its a reality at a lot of weddings that many of your friends won’t know the past like your family will. They had a slideshow of images that related to the speeches which was interactive, and kept the guests interest and entertained. Sometimes speeches can be long and emotional, but having imagery was the perfect way to keep everyones attention . ( and made for some hilarious moments too!) . It just made sense and bought the whole moment together for everyone in the room.
A Band
If you really want to get the party vibes going, consider budgeting for a live band. Hot Potato Band featured at this wedding and it was honestly one of the best wedding receptions I’ve been to, ( and maybe because I was a guest!) I had a trustworthy colleague capture most of the reception for me so I could relax! The party vibes got EVERYONE up on the dance floor enjoying themselves.
Props
Want fun pics? Props is your answer! From photo booths to the dance floor- fun sunnies, confetti, a feather boa, a sparkly jacket…it made for some epic shots of a very fun evening!
Lighting
Receptions can get DARK! So you better get an experienced photographer ( me!) when it comes to shooting form bright sunny days to dark as can be receptions! What most people miss is that a well rounded and experienced photographer will be able to accommodate and change between most lighting changes and challenges. To get those super cool light reception shots, be sure to have fairy lights/ festoon lights on the ceiling or adequate lighting with props to be able to nail these shots!
