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Unique
Wedding Reception Ideas
The reception is an important part of the wedding. You've made your vows
in front of everyone. Now is the time to really wow them with an
interesting, creative reception. We're no longer bound by the standard
reception – you can really let your imagination go. Here are just a few
ideas for truly unique wedding receptions that will have all your guests
talking.
- Themed receptions are becoming more popular as a way to express your
interests as a couple. Whether it's a Renaissance theme, Western,
Polynesian, or Roaring 20s, you'll have a chance to have fun and show
off. Invite your guests to come in costume, and serve themed food and
drinks, as well as offering appropriate favors.
- Offer a cocktail hour as an event to kick off your reception. You can
play with your wedding colors, offer tasty drinks and snacks, and give
everyone the opportunity to mingle together. Remember that if you use
floral decorations, sturdier blossoms are best, and incorporate the
theme, if you have one. Also, make sure there's food available –
drinking on an empty stomach can get everyone just a little tipsier than
they've planned.
- Look for a unique location. Your wedding reception will be enhanced by
a setting that lends it atmosphere, instead of the same old reception
hall. Even if you don't have a theme, consider the different feelings
you can give to your reception by setting it in a historic mansion,
garden, or ballroom. If you want to really go all out, you can even hold
the reception in multiple rooms, decorating each one differently, and
serving food and drink to go with the décor.
- Make your guest book memorable. If you choose to use a traditional
book, get one with some personality. An aged tome or decorated book will
encourage your guests to be creative when they sign it. Or, consider
using a photo booth to capture those memories on film, creating a visual
guest book that you can treasure and remember more clearly than a
written one.
- Make sure your reception is unified. This doesn't have to be as
elaborate as the theme weddings mentioned above. However, a simple
descriptor, such as a set of colors, mood, or adjective can help give
your wedding a unique atmosphere. Don't be afraid to get creative with
your colors or decoration. Allow the unifying thread to permeate all
aspects of the reception – from favors to food.
- Favors are a good place to let your personality show. You can make
them handmade, eco-friendly, glitzy, or customized. For a themed
wedding, small appropriate items are readily available. Consider small
mason jars full of candy or other treats for a Western wedding, ornately
decorated favors for a Victorian one, and favors themed in your colors
for a wedding with a less rigid theme. Edible favors are becoming very
popular, and are available in a wide variety of customizable forms,
unlike the stale mints of years past. Consider having your own specially
molded chocolates, or tins of nuts with your names and the date of your
wedding printed on the outside.
- Music doesn't just have to be a DJ. Consider singing a special song
together in front of the audience, and inviting musically inclined
family members to offer a song of their own. This shouldn't be the only
musical entertainment, of course, but it can add a personal flair.
- Consider decorating different parts of the reception uniquely. No one
ever said all the tables had to look alike. Consider giving each one its
very own identity, so that guests can remember the one they sat at.
Change the centerpieces and decorations a little for each table, and
you'll get a surprisingly dramatic effect.
All it really takes to make your wedding unique is some imagination and
the willingness to do something different. Let yourself dream when it
comes to planning a special reception that your guests will remember for
a long time to come. Your special day should be something that stands
out, and reflects your personality as a couple. A unique reception is
one important part of making that happen. With the many different
options available to couples today, there's no reason you can't have the
reception of your dreams.
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