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8 Ways To Plan A Great Wedding Reception

At a fun-filled, smooth-flowing wedding reception, there is a certain energy that develops and intensifies as your guests experience the facility you've selected, the menu you've planned and the entertainment you've chosen. Phoenix DJ Billy James offers ten tips to energize your wedding reception.

1. Dim the lights when it's time for dancing. Soft lighting during dinner creates a more comfortable atmosphere. Dimming the lights after dinner will motivate your guests to dance. Determine the desired lighting levels for dinner and dancing when you meet with your reception facility's coordinator. Consider light levels that will compliment any candles you plan to use. Ask that your lighting preferences be included in your contract with the facility.

2. Don't let photographs dominate your day. Select a photographer who has the professional skill to capture your special moments efficiently and unobtrusively. Don't be held hostage at your own reception by a photographer who will dominate your time with lengthy photo sessions while your guests become restless. Choose a video company willing to use comfortable lighting unless you want your guests to be squinting and covering their eyes throughout the reception.

3. Place your DJ next to the dance floor and avoid sharing facilities. Avoid seating guests between your DJ and the dance floor. Placing your DJ adjacent to the dance floor maximizes your DJ's ability to control the sound and interact with the dancers. Be wary of situations where the dance floor is in the next room or access is not convenient for your guests. Also, avoid facilities where you must share an area with restaurant diners or other parties. Such arrangements almost always generate requests to lower the volume, which will diminish the energy of your reception.

4. Make sure your DJ has a reception planning form. Traditional reception events such as the grand entrance, toast, special dances and the bouquet/garter toss must be carefully coordinated. A professional wedding DJ should have a comprehensive reception planning form with suggested music. If the DJ you're considering doesn't have one, find a DJ who does.

5. Invest quality time in planning your Grand Entrance. The Grand Entrance sets the tone and establishes the energy for the entire reception. Work closely with your DJ and Catering Director to stage a Grand Entrance that reflects your style and personality. Decide who will participate, where they will assemble and in what order, where they will go after being introduced. Clarify pronunciation of names, determine appropriate introductions for blended families and, of course, select the perfect music.

6. Do the formal toast immediately after the Grand Entrance. At no other time during the reception will your guests be more attentive and focused. Your DJ should provide a wireless microphone to allow the toast to be given by the best man directly from the head table. Decide if you want others, such as parents or friends, to propose additional toasts. Let your Catering Director know when you plan the toast to allow for timely pouring of the chosen beverage. Also, consider welcoming your guests following the toast. Your guests are still attentive and focused on you and the microphone is available. This is an excellent but often overlooked opportunity to share your thoughts and feelings and thank your guests for attending.

7. The First Dance - don't wait forever to do it and don't do it forever. One of the special moments of the reception is the bride and groom's first dance. Having your first dance after the grand entrance, or right after dinner, is a great way to start the party. Don't delay your first dance to visit with your guests. Doing so will deflate the energy of your reception. You've selected your favorite ballad, but that five-minute song may seem like an eternity both to you and your guests. Have your DJ fade out the song at a designated time if it lasts more than a few minutes. All of this applies as well to the newlyweds' dances with their parents.

8. Don't try to select every song your DJ will play. Choose the song for your first dance and other songs for specific reception events. Tell your DJ what artists and styles of music to feature or avoid, but don't micro-v

 

Affordable Wedding Reception Ideas

Wedding receptions don't have to cost a fortune. Many families are on tight budgets these days, limiting the parents' ability to contribute financially and placing much of the burden of wedding expenses on young couples who are just starting out in life and on limited budgets themselves.

When planning a wedding reception, location is key. Depending on how many people are invited, you may need a sizable place to have the reception. Weather permitting, your wedding reception could be held in someone's back yard or at a local park. My own wedding ceremony and reception were held at a local park in a specially reserved area (including gazebo) that cost only about $60 for the entire day. My mother and I recently hosted a wedding reception for my sister in our mobile home park's club house. A $150 deposit was required, but the deposit was returned after we cleaned up and left the club house the way we found it. We had full access to a fully equipped kitchen, sitting area, tables, chairs, and restrooms for an entire day. Everything we needed was right there and didn't cost us a dime.

Decorations that can be used after the reception is over more than pay for themselves. For my sister's reception we created beautiful centerpieces for the tables by buying some glass Pyrex cereal bowls ($1 each at a local outlet mall) and placing green glass marbles from the craft store in the bottom of each. We then filled the bowls half way with water and placed a white rose- shaped floating candle in each. These attractive centerpieces were very easy to assemble in just a minute or two and in addition to lending their candlelight to the room made a wonderful inexpensive gift for the bride and groom–a complete set of matching cereal bowls!

Food also doesn't have to require too much effort or added expense. My own wedding reception was a pot luck luncheon. My mother provided the sandwich rolls, sliced meat and cheeses, and condiments, and close friends and family members were asked to bring side dishes and salads. My husband's aunt made the most beautiful multi-tiered wedding cake for us, and our expense was minimal! No one went away hungry.

My sister's reception was more of a sit-down affair, but still did not cost us a fortune. Knowing the reception would take place in October, we thought that it was taking place close enough to the holidays to have a Thanksgiving-style dinner. Most of our relatives don't have the opportunity to see one another during the holidays anyway, and we knew this would be a great opportunity to get everyone together and spend some time visiting and eating a wonderful meal.

My husband barbecued a turkey, my mom baked a ham, and we again asked close friends and family members to bring their favorite holiday salads and side dishes. The dinner was a huge success. A family friend made the wedding cake and let us borrow her punch bowl. The wedding cake included the cake top that had adorned our own parents' wedding cake more than 30 years ago. This was a surprise for my sister, as was the crystal cake plate that had been a wedding gift to our parents from a great grandmother.

All of our family's wedding receptions have been huge successes, and while requiring a lot of effort on the part of many friends and family members, have never cost any one of us more than $100 or so. When planning your next wedding reception, don't focus on the lavishness of the event, focus on creating a memorable day that will live on in your family's memories for years to come.

If you'd like some ideas to get you started, I found some neat web sites you might want to take a look at. The Wedding Crafts Page is a compilation of links to do-it-yourself wedding crafts, including decorations, centerpieces, flowers, albums and keepsakes, and much more. WedNet.com has some great ideas for wedding favors, and here's a great article about cutting food costs, including some great ideas for different food themes.

Article Written By

Rachel Paxton
Creative Homemaking

Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For recipes, tips to organize your home, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints and more.

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