Wedding Reception Ideas

The traditional wedding reception is held directly after the wedding. The reception is a way of showing thanks and hospitality to the guests that came to the wedding.A traditional reception has some basic components. A large group of tables. Decorations around the room and tables. A band, DJ or wedding singer on a stage. A dance floor or room for dancing. A place where the cake sits. And a buffet area, if the caterer has buffet style food.

A typical wedding reception will have a band or wedding singer who emcees the event.The host,or MC, makes sure guests follow a timeline for the reception and tells jokes etc to keep the audience occupied between songs. The timeline varies for each reception and is set to coincide with the bridal couple's departure to their honeymoon suit. It's up to the host to make sure that everything that needs to be done, toasts, bouquet tosses etc, has been completed before the bride and groom leave the reception. If there is a band, instead of a wedding singer, the best man or maid of honor is responsible for taking the host/hostess job.

A reception event center is decorated a few hours before the big event. Sometimes by friends and family, but most times by professional wedding planners and professional decorators. They decorate just before, because a couple usually pays for a block of time at the reception hall. If they were to need an additional day to set up, there would be another charge tacked onto the event center's bill. The decorators set up all the table cloths on the tables and then the reception decorations. If you're doing this yourself, it's important to note that you do not want to put down the table settings until the last minute, as dust and particles from your decorating will get on the plates. Once the lights and flowers are set up, and the other decorations, the catering company begins to dress the tables with dishes and flatware. One reason to have flatware and dishes already set on the table, is that it becomes part of the decor. The finishing touches on the wedding table decorations are then added. Each table setting has a carefully wrapped or specially folded linen napkin, and a wedding favor. Additionally, some wedding tables will have flower petals sprinkled on the tables at the last minute (so they do not go brown before the guests arrive).

Once the bridal pair arrive, the reception timeline begins.The reception timeline varies from wedding to wedding, however, there are a few key components.The toasts, the announcement of dinner, the announcement of the cutting of the cake, the bridal couple's dance, the throwing of the bouquet, the garter throw and finally when the bridal couple leaves.

Guests begin arriving soon after the wedding ceremony ends. At this time cocktails are usually served at the reception tables. After approximately half an hour to an hour, when guests and couple have had time to receive the guests, the couple is presented to the entire room by the emcee and sits at the wedding table.The dinner should be announced soon thereafter.

Before dinner is served, the father of the bride welcomes the guests and lets everyone know a bit about the reception timeline. Then the buffet is opened or the first course is brought out.

The first course nearly finished, the band announces the first dance and the bridal couple takes the floor.Guests can join in once the song is over.

The toasts are randomly announced during the next few hours of dancing. The immediate family has precedence, then wedding party, then guests.

After a while, about an an hour or two, depending on how long the events center is rented, the bridal couple cuts the cake and it's served to the guests.

After the cake the bridal pair makes a toast and speech to the guests giving thanks for the support.

A special dance with the parents and the bridal pair can take place just after the bride's and groom's toasts.

More dancing or the fun activities can take place now (depending on how much time is left).

Fifteen minutes before the end of the evening, the emcee should announce the last dances and that the send off will be coming. This prepares the guests to get outside or near the exits to send off the bride and groom.

After the send off, its important that guests understand if the event center is still open or must be closed to prepare for cleaning.

Other than the timeline, a traditional reception's decorations are usually flower centerpieces chosen to match the colors of the wedding. White linens and plain dishware are common so as not to clash with colors and styles of wedding decor. And some basic streamers and balloons.

There are ways to spice up tradtion and make a truly it truly interesting with other wedding reception ideas.

White is not white-hot anymore. Today the colors are purple, peacock, orange, red, pink, green. More and more weddings are having themes instead of just colors. Popular themes are vintage, garden, western and modern.

I've put some wedding reception decorating ideas here with great tips on unique wedding reception ideas, and some great cheap wedding reception ideas.

If you have a wedding reception idea to share, please leave a comment for the readers!

Orange wedding reception ideas: Complimentary Colors:

• Brown
• red
• yellow
• green
• other orange shades
  

Orange wedding reception ideas: Songs:

• Nat King Cole's Orange Colored Sky
• Johnny Cash's Orange Blossom Special
• Sonic Youth's Orange Rolls
• Bob Dylan's Orange Juice Blues
• Van Morrison's Orangefield
• 10,000 Maniac's Orange
• REM's Orange Crush

Orange wedding reception ideas: Centerpieces:

• Orange Blossoms
• Orchids and lily centerpieces
• Baby harvest pumpkins
• Orange candles
  
• Sliced oranges in a clear vase hiding the stems of the flowers (pressed against the wall)

Orange wedding reception ideas: Other Table Decor:

• Orange candies in the secondary color boxes
• The large orange shaped chocolate bars (Terry's Chocolate Orange)
• Orange liquor drinks
• Tequila Sunrises at every table setting with an orange on the lip
  

Orange wedding reception ideas: Lighting:

• small orange lanterns hanging from the ceiling and orange candles filling the room.
  

Orange wedding reception ideas Other:

• The new style orange blossom cakes.
• Orange liquor flavored frosting
• Crepes Suzette
  

Wedding reception ideas: Complimentary Colors:

• green
• brown
• black
• other shades of purple
• white
  

Wedding reception ideas: Songs:

• Prince's Purple Rain
• Red Hot Chili Peppers' Purple Stain
• Jimi Hendrix's Purple Haze
• They Might Be Giants' Purple Toupee
  

Wedding reception ideas: Centerpieces:

• Purple grapes hanging out of fruit bowls
• Purple votive candle holders in the shape of eggplants
• Purple peonies
• Lavender and baby's breath in woven baskets (country feel)
  

Wedding reception ideas: Other Table Decor:

• Lavender sachets with purple ribbon
• Grape Mojitos or Grape Juice Cocktails at every table
• Small bottles of wine at each table setting

Wedding reception ideas: Lighting:

• grape lighting (see picture)
  

Wedding reception ideas Other:

• Grape snow cones
• Wine Flavored desserts
• Sangria bowls
  

Wedding Reception Ideas: The Speakeasy:

Bartender wears suspenders and slicked back hair.

Guests have to use a password at the door

Pearl necklaces at the tables next to small fake toy guns and fedora hats

Have old time jazz music playing every once in a while

Your wedding singer is a lounge singer

Hang 1920's posters out on the walls

Wedding Reception Ideas: The Hollywood 50's party

Sparkling diamonds on the table (glass beads available at amazon)

Candelabras

See more ideas on my vintage wedding table decorations page

If you're planning a wedding, it essential to get all the information you can ahead of time. Choose your colors around themes you like.

If you want a more modern wedding theme try black and white or black and red. These colors fit into the modern themes very well. As do silver and black. If you try and bundle your colors into a theme you become interested in at a later period, you will have a hard time finding things to go with that theme. For example if you choose orange and modern, you may have a hard time finding matching orange items with a 'modern' theme. While it is relatively easy to find things like chrome, for a silver modern wedding theme.

For outdoor weddings, make sure the candles can stay alit. Otherwise its wise to choose small lights. Wedding lights are quite common and can be uncommonly beautiful. Wrap them around pillars and you will have the best decorations ever.

For more wedding reception ideas, please visit any of my blog links below.