The season is crucial, particularly if you’re on a tight budget. Planning your wedding reception in winter, at the end of January for instance, will save money or earn you a discount. In some cases, planning your wedding reception requires you choose between Saturday and Sunday as the most convenient days of the week. Usually, Sunday is less expensive.
Buffet: Lots of food will be served, and people sometimes have a tendency to take too much food or there might be a lot of food left over. Sit-down: It’s traditional, guests tend to really appreciate it and it works well for speeches. On the downside, it can feel stuffy and over-planned. It can also be the most expensive option. Cocktail reception: It’s hip and modern, and it’s also enjoyed a lot by guests. It may cost a lot less than a sit-down, but it can suffer from feeling a bit disorganized and hard to gain the attention of guests for cake cutting and toasts. Picnic: Great for nature-loving couples, and easy to arrange catering can be done using your local favorite sandwich place. Since it’s outdoors, there can be a risk of rain and some people might find this too informal for a wedding. Simple cake cutting: For those leaving the registry office, a simple affair of cutting a cake in the foyer, or in a local cafe or even at home might be enough to finish up the occasion with friends who have attended it. This tends to be suitable for very small parties and for people who really didn’t want to have any reception fuss at all. Have tea, coffee, and few cookies or cupcakes as well. Beach or yacht reception: Like a picnic, this is outdoors and risks a change of weather but it can be a lot of fun and make for beautiful photos. Again, it may be too informal for some and sand or water may definitely get everywhere!
If you do have one, this is the order: Bride’s mother or parents, groom’s mother or parents, bride, groom, maid of honor, then bridesmaids.
Ask all toasters to keep it short and have someone in the wedding party time keep - and be strict about it too. The bride and groom can speak just before cutting the cake.
Does the bride wish to dance with her father and does the groom wish to dance with his mother? You could have a father and daughter as well as a mother and son dance sessions.
Do you want guests to take photos too? They could each be asked to email digital photos of the evening that they’ve taken; give them a central wedding photo email set up just for this purpose.
The bride and groom can sit at the dais or raised platform at whatever goes for being the “front” of the room. The bridal party sits with them and they all face the rest of the room. This is not as popular as it once was, as placing the table amid the guests is beginning to take on a more acceptable and modern feel. Parents tend to be seated with other, or they can have respective family and friends at their tables. Elderly people shouldn’t be seated too near anything that makes noise. Consider using place cards to help people know where they’re going to sit. It’s not essential but it can be very helpful. In doing this, take great pains to avoid seating people who don’t get along next to one another!
Sit-down dinners usually have menus printed up for them. Buffet style (help yourself) or serving at a table? There are also variants such as placing larger servings on the table for guests to help themselves from (family - or Russian service if the waiter holds the food), or plated (arrives at table already done), or French (waiters serve at the table), etc.
Do you want guests to share the cake as part of dessert or to take a piece home instead? Perhaps both? Ensure that the photographer is organized to take a photo of you cutting the cake.
