Wedding Reception Ideas and Planning Guide

No-Stress Ideas for Planning Your Wedding Reception

Planning your wedding reception doesn’t have to be a headache. Yes, there are many details to deal with, but with a little preparation and this quick ideas guide, you’ll have everything under control.

Selecting the location of your reception is the first thing you need to do. If you’re going to have it at your ceremony site, this makes planning your reception a lot easier. If you want to have it at a different location, however, you need to decide where and soon.

Some popular choices are local hotels, restaurants, private homes, clubs, and museums. Whichever you select, keep in mind that the location tends to set the tone for your reception.

After you’ve decided on your reception location, you need to find out about fees, and make sure they fit your budget. You also want to be certain the space is large enough to accommodate your reception needs. Many locations will cover everything from food to parking for a flat fee. Other locations will only rent you the space or provide partial services. These ideas will require you to work with multiple vendors in order to have everything you need. And they will have their own fees and charges. Make sure you know everything each company will supply down to the last fork and how much they charge.

Now, you’ll need to decide whether to you want to have hors d’ oeuvres or a complete meal at your wedding reception. Keep in mind any budget constraints when making this decision. Also, before you start making calls, know how many people you’ll be providing food for. Then you’ll want to begin looking for caterers if your location doesn’t offer food service.

You can find catering services in your local Yellow Pages, online, and through recommendations from your friends and family. Interview them first, and after you select one, be sure you know if they provide dinnerware, glasses and flatware in their costs and what those costs are. If your caterer doesn’t provide these, they will be able to offer suggestions on suppliers.

Finally, here are a few other ideas you’ll want to plan for to ensure your wedding reception is stress-free and enjoyable for everyone, especially the bride, you!

• Tips and gratuities
• Gift attendant
• Parking
• Valets
• Music and equipment
• Wait staff
• Bartending services if alcohol is to be served
• Shuttle or cab service after if alcohol is served
• Rose petals and rice