Wedding Receptions
There are five general types of wedding receptions
a couple can hold including breakfast/brunch, luncheon, tea reception,
cocktail/appetizer party, dinner reception. A breakfast/brunch wedding
reception is a cheap option that also allows them to leave for their
honeymoon on the same day.
A luncheon wedding reception is also cheap, while giving guests
more time to get ready and head on over.
If a couple is really looking to save money, a tea wedding reception
is the cheapest option, which means it's perfect if they have a
huge amount of guests. Light food is served between 2pm and 5pm.
Cocktail/appetizer wedding receptions are a less expensive evening
option and can be either formal or informal. The pricey dinner wedding
reception is the most popular reception, mainly because people are
ready to celebrate at this time of night, and it offers a dance
floor, DJ or band and lavish dinner.
The receiving line is a very important ingredient to enhancing
the new couple's celebration at the wedding reception. This is because,
without it, the bride and groom would feel the need to talk with
each and every guest at the reception, leaving them little time
to do much else.
The receiving line, on the other hand, cuts meet and greet time
to less than an hour. The setup for the receiving line usually goes
mother of the bride, mother of the groom, bride, then groom. To
make the experience smoother and less awkward, it's good to go over
the guest list the day before the wedding to refresh one's memory
on names and who everyone is.
If one still forgets their name, they should just politely ask
them what it is or simply give a big smile as no feelings will be
hurt. Everyone in the receiving line should keep their comments
brief to keep the line moving along.
Perhaps the most symbolic event of a wedding reception is the newly
married couple's first dance, which usually brings lots of nerves,
especially to a bride and groom who aren't prime dancers.
For beginners, at least five hours of private dance lessons are
recommended just to learn a few steps. It's smart for couples to
start taking lessons several months before the wedding to assure
themselves enough lessons and leave themselves some practice time.
If a more complex dance is desired, lessons should begin at least
six months before the wedding reception.
Organizing and implementing a seating chart is a natural requirement
for the wedding reception. It's good to start with a floor plan
of the reception site that shows how many tables there are, and
how many guests can sit at each one. In general, it's good to keep
certain "groups" together (immediate families, mutual
friends, etc).
The hardest part is choosing where to seat people who don't match
up with any group. It's best to seat these people with others who
the bride and groom think would be compatible with them. Guest factors
in deciding such arrangements are marriage status, age, and interests.
No matter what, though, wedding receptions are supposed to be parties
to celebrate the marriage and as long as a party atmosphere is maintained,
most will go along without a hitch.
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