15 Secrets for an Unforgettable Reception

What couple doesn’t want their wedding to be a once-in-a-lifetime party for everyone? A bride or groom may have spent their whole lives planning the perfect reception, and know precisely what they want. Alternately, a couple may feel pressure to have a grand wedding reception, but not know where they should begin.

At Adagio Djay Entertainment, our goal is to ensure your wedding and reception is memorable for you and your guests. Contact us for more information.

Here are the 15 best practices for successful wedding receptions. We encourage you as you read these to keep in mind the most important thing about weddings: they are celebrations! Imagine each of these tips ends with the advice, “And don’t forget to have fun.”

15) Let Your Imagination Run Wild

Of course, there are two kinds of “unforgettable”: the good kind and the bad kind. Couples want their reception to be the good kind of unforgettable, which means thinking about preventing mishaps. 

This one is probably easier than it sounds; many brides and grooms lay awake at night imagining worst-case scenarios. There is a saying in the military: “No plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Thinking about things going bad can help you prepare for them. The key is not to get carried away.

Instead, you should also focus on all the amazing things that could go well for your wedding reception. Spend your time imagining and envisioning the positive possibilities–which can help bring them into reality.  If you prepare for the best you can expect the best.

14) Speeches: Keep Them Short and Sweet!

If your enemy’s an embarrassing Best Man or Maid of Honor speech, consider a gentle request to keep it clean. You could politely ask that the wedding party limit themselves to a couple of drinks until the toasts are over. 

Worried about a long speech letting some of the air out of the reception’s vibe? Think about using a trick from comedy clubs: ask that speakers stick to a “tight 5” of concise material. If they go over, don’t ask them to stop or make them feel bad. 

Remember the wedding party, your family, and friends are there because they love you.

13) Signature Cocktails

You may want to opt for a signature cocktail to add an original personal touch. If you met or got engaged on a cruise, you may want the cocktail to evoke that trip. 

Get creative! Think about different parts of your story you could add to your signature cocktail. Would you like to include a popular liquor or mixer from your home state or where you went to school? The options are endless. For more ideas in this realm, check out our tips for “Creating A Signature Cocktail.”

12) Open Bar, Obviously, but What Kind?

Your guests expect an open bar, but what the bar offers is up to you. Maybe you want to skip the signature cocktails and offer beer and wine. The beer and wine option is especially wise if you’re going to avoid the rambling speeches mentioned in tip #14.

If you would like to offer mixed drinks at your open bar, you can still opt for specific cocktails. Think about four or five mixed drinks or cocktails and create a drink menu. A few simple drink choices will help guests decide on their order quickly and get back out on the dance floor.

Your guests will appreciate the personal touch, and the shorter lines at the bar!

11) Food Bar

Bars don’t only have to be for drinks. Search the internet or think about things you have seen at other weddings. Dessert bars, appetizer bars, tapas bars – these ideas put a fun spin on the traditional wedding buffet.

A food bar can also be a couple’s chance to share their culture or traditions with their guests! Check out these fun ideas for a food bar at your reception.

10) Wedding Reception Songs

Think carefully about wedding reception songs (your entrance song, your first dance song, and any other musical cues you’d like). Music is a dynamic way to let your personality as individuals and as a couple shine through.

Keep in mind, however, that your guests want to dance. Couples should ensure that their wedding reception songs are something everyone can dance to.

9) Keep Those Feet Happy

Your guests who opt for fancier footwear may appreciate a basket of flip flops or slippers at the reception. Veteran wedding-goers know there is always a point at the reception where the shoes come off. Why not let them slip into something comfortable?

8) Spend Time on Seating Charts

Deciding where your guests sit during the reception is probably the least fun, most important part of the planning process. Why? Because the table is a guest’s base of operations for the whole evening.

Make sure seats and tables are spaced wide enough apart that guests can move freely. Do not overcrowd tables with guests.

7) Avoid Dancing in the Dark

If you are planning an evening reception, make sure you have plenty of mood lighting for the dance floor!

6) Make Sure Your Theme and Color Fits the Venue

The rustic DIY-barn reception of your dreams may not vibe with an ornate old-fashioned country club. Find a venue that matches the motif and color scheme you want.

5) Traditions

Engaged couples should discuss whether there are any cultural or religious traditions they would like to incorporate into the reception. The dances, wedding reception songs, and dishes you serve are all things that can reflect your shared or individual backgrounds.

4) The Cake

Who doesn’t love cake! For many couples, choosing the wedding cake is one of the best parts of wedding planning. There are so many ways to go with cake these days from traditional to naked to themed. 

Choose a cake style that shows your personality in a flavor you like. It is your wedding reception, after all. You should want to have your cake and eat it, too.

3) Or Should We Say, Cakes?

These days couples are getting more innovative with wedding desserts. From a donut tower in lieu of a wedding cake, to tiers of cupcakes or a buffet of finger-sized desserts, there are lots of nontraditional options. If you or your partner are not cake fans, feel free to pick some other dessert to take its place!

You may also want to consider a groom’s cake, an additional, whimsical cake reflecting hobbies or interests.

2) Have fun!

The most important part of an unforgettable wedding reception is you! If you are having fun, it shows. Plan the reception you want to be at. Your guests will get a glimpse into who you are as a couple and enjoy the day all the more. 

If you plan the reception you want, it will be unforgettable to you and that is all that matters.

1) Let Adagio Djay Entertainment Help With Your Big Day

Contact us for help with everything from DJ services to mood lighting, all the way to dance lessons and videography!  Making your unforgettable wedding reception ideas a reality is our business. 

We can’t wait to assist in creating the wedding reception your friends and family will talk about for years afterward. Reach out to Adagio Djay Entertainment today!