Does it seem to you that the wedding reception has become a more important event than the wedding ceremony itself? Although the ceremony is where the marriage is actually created with promises and sealed with rings, it's easy to spend more energy, time and money on arranging the big party that takes place after the ceremony.
Wedding receptions usually consist of lots of food and large bowls brimming with punch (plus maybe a bar serving alcohol depending on your convictions and the location). There is music and there may be dancing. Several toasts and speeches are made to honor the couple and their parents. It's also traditional in America to toss the bride's garter and bouquet into the crowd. Of course the wedding reception is where the family cut-the-cake-and-stuff-it-into-each-others-faces tradition is observed. Well-planned and well-executed wedding receptions can be as memorable as the wedding ceremony itself.
You may want to coordinate your wedding reception theme and decorations with your wedding's theme. Or you may want to go with something completely different. You can choose to hold a traditional reception with a full dinner, you could just offer finger foods, or it's possible to opt for a simple cake and punch reception.
One area of wedding receptions that often occupies a great deal of the bride's planning time are wedding reception favors. Providing favors to the wedding guests can also account for a large portion of your wedding budget. Wedding reception favors are small presents that express your appreciation to your guests for attending your wedding. Sure, it's your big day, but each of your guests probably made some sort of small sacrifice to be there. Sending them home with a wedding reception favor is a nice way to thank them for moving you up on their priority list.
Some brides choose to make their wedding reception favors by hand. This adds a nice personal touch and can help you save money, but whether or not you can pull it off depends on how much time you have and how long your guest list is. Personalizing your wedding reception favors is an outstanding way to make your guests feel special. The list of possibilities for wedding reception favors is nearly endless. Brides have used everything from candy to personalized CDs to bubbles.
After the favors, another big decision for couples concerns wedding reception decorations. What you're able to do will depend a lot of the location where you plan to hold your reception. Some venues may have rules about wedding reception decorations and how they can be attached to the walls and furnishings. In some cases, your chosen reception location may be nice-looking to start with and help you save some of your wedding reception decorations budget.
You can get wedding reception decoration ideas from bridal magazines, the internet and even movies. Whether your wedding reception decorations match your wedding theme or not, you should at least follow a single theme for the reception. Keep this in mind as you plan for the entry way, the walls, the lighting and even the wedding reception decoration centerpieces on each table.
Sometimes your wedding reception favors can do double duty as decorations. One of the really nice things about this idea is that as your guests leave with their wedding favors, they're also helping you take down the decorations.
The wedding reception is definitely a major part of what might be the most significant day of your life. But don't stress too much over the pressure of planning--after all, you're really just planning a really big party. Have fun with the planning, and your guests are sure to have fun when the day comes.
Planning wedding receptions takes a lot of time, but the result should be a festive, fun occasion for everyone
