Your wedding reception is a huge part of the best day of your life. But if you’ve never held one before, how are you supposed to get it right? With our tips, even if you are a novice party planner, you can avoid some of the most common mistakes and achieve a fantastic wedding reception.
Who to invite
The guest list can be a real bone of contention when you get married. Deciding who to ask at the service, the reception, and the evening party can sometimes be a nightmare. Make sure you keep on top of the planning by using an excel spreadsheet. You can also use a wedding website which will record the guests replies and their food and music selections. Make sure you invite all those that are close to you, people can get really upset if they think they are being left out. Also, remember to keep a record of those that have declined the invite. Then you can fill those places with others people, that they might not have been room for otherwise.
Going over budget
One of the biggest mistakes in planning your reception is going over budget. It’s really easy to get go crazy and end up starting your married life in debt. To avoid this, take a look at our post here and thoroughly discuss with your partner what your need and wants are. For some couples getting the right venue is paramount. For others, the entertainment like a DJ or band is key to their day going off with a bang.
Not booking things early enough
It’s The unfortunate truth that when you are organizing a wedding reception, you need to get going fast. All things wedding get booked up super quick for the June – August season. So you may have to book several years in advance if there is something that you have your heart set on.
Research specialist companies to get the best service. You will want to use established wedding caterers with a few years experience. Companies like We R DJ’s provided skilled DJ’s and Sweet Hollywood are masters at making your wedding cake. Remember each part of the wedding industry is a specialism in itself, so don’t be fooled into going for a one-stop shop service. Nobody wants a ‘jack of all trades and master of none’ for their special day.
Not ordering enough food
Another killer at a wedding reception is not ordering enough food. It’s easy to try and cut corners here and save some money by not catering for as many people are as attending. But trust me don’t do it. Above anything else, people remember the food they are given and whether there was enough of it. So make sure that there is plenty to go around by ordering enough per guest plus 10.
A quiet room
Lastly, be considerate of all your guests. Granny might well be up and dancing with the best of them, but just in case she isn’t, why not make sure that there is a quiet area on hand. This is ideal for the older guests and nursing mothers who may need to get away from the action for a bit and get a bit of peace and quiet.
