Most wedding receptions consist of dinner, cake, and dancing. All of those things are fun for everyone, but when you add a few extra creative wedding planning ideas to those activities, then you're putting together a wedding reception that is not only fun for you and the guests but also incredibly memorable. WhereBridesGo.com put together a few ideas here today that will help you plan an event no one will soon forget!
More Than Just Dancing
In addition to dancing the night away, consider adding a few fun activities for guests that don't dance. (Or, those guests that have danced so much they need to stop for a while and catch their breath!) Lawn games are popular at wedding receptions and you can even add a shelf full of tabletop games for people to pick out and play.
You could get the entire room involved in the gaming and host a wedding-specific Bingo game with silly prizes for the winners. Think about the things you enjoy doing when you're not on the dance floor and come up with a way to incorporate one or more of those.
Pictured: Memory Blocks Wedding Guest Book and Gold Confetti Themed Bridal Shower Games
Designate a Lounge Area
For those wedding receptions that get really loud and crazy, you might want to designate a side room or a corner of the reception area as a place for guests to chill out and relax away from the chaos.
Possibly rent a couple of couches and set up a plush seating area or even fill the space with a couple of cocktail tables and extra seating. From simple to elaborate, it's a spot to take a break and visit with other guests before heading back to the main party.
Keep Toasts Short & Sweet
Toasts are wonderful at weddings for saying thank you to the people that helped to put the special day together and also for honoring the bride and the groom. Keeping these short and sweet will keep guests from getting bored with too much talk and not enough celebrating.
It's also a good idea to limit who will be allowed to give speeches. Opening the floor to everyone can lead to too many toasts or the kind filled with stories that are embarrassing for the couple.
Click here to browse beautiful Wedding Toasting Flutes & Wedding Party Glassware
Take Guests By Surprise
It can be fun, both to plan and for your guests to enjoy, to come up with at least one surprise element that nobody expects. It could be special entertainment, like a dance troupe or a hypnotist, or a choreographed first dance by the couple or the whole wedding party.
Another idea is to offer special late-night snacks between dinner and the end of the night. Maybe even hire a food truck to show up. Once again, look to your favorite things for ideas and share those in a surprising way with your guests.
Find the perfect containers for your candy bar in our Wedding Favors section online.
Make the Guest Book Functional
A wedding guest book is wonderful for keeping track of the family and friends that join you for this special day. Incorporating some type of wedding guest book alternative in place of the traditional book full of signed names looks great at the wedding and, depending on what you choose, could leave you with a lovely piece of home decor to display after the wedding. Another terrific idea is to use a container to collect not only signatures but also some helpful marriage advice or great future date night ideas from guests.
Discover lots of different Wedding Guest Book Alternatives here.
Make the Favors Playful
Wedding favors should be something that guests want to take home and keep after the reception or can at least have a good time with during the reception. If you're hosting a wedding at a winery, give away wine stoppers with a cute saying like, "All you need is love... and a bottle of wine!"
Photo spots with goofy props allow everyone to take lots of great pictures and create many memorable moments. Those pictures make incredible favors. You could also set up a colorful table full of candy for everyone to enjoy for an added dessert plus let them pack up a few treats to take home too.
Find more whimsical Wedding Favor Ideas in our online wedding store.
Hire a Coordinator
This final tip is for making sure you, the bride and groom, have as much fun as possible at your own wedding reception! Hiring a professional to take care of the wedding details allows you to stop thinking and start enjoying yourself.
Even if it's just a day-of coordinator, that extra help will take a huge weight off of your shoulders so you can focus on the important stuff - your brand new marriage and the people you love that are sharing this day with you!
The best way to make your wedding fun for everyone is to incorporate "you" into it. Make a list of all the things you enjoy and imagine ways to incorporate those elements or activities into your wedding ceremony and reception. If they're fun for you, guests are bound to enjoy them too!
Once you have a good idea of how you'll add a few creative and unique wedding ideas to your special day, head on over to WhereBridesGo.com to find the perfect wedding decorations and accessories to make those ideas a reality. While you're there, you may even be inspired to come up with all kinds of new, amazing ideas to add to your own!
~The WhereBridesGo.com Team
Post by Deanna Powell, Certified Bridal Consultant