Seven
Unique Wedding Reception Ideas
For an Unforgettable Evening
There’s no room for MEH in your wedding reception. As a Dallas wedding photographer and videographer, I’ve captured some amazing wedding receptions and unfortunately witnessed a few that left some things to be desired. The key to an unforgettable wedding reception is incorporating pieces of you and your groom into the wedding reception décor, food and experience. You’re inviting guests to cheer you on for the most important day of your life. It’s only fair that you open up yourselves to them and invite them into your world for the evening.
Do you love games? Or Picnics? Or have a favorite cookie recipe? Include it in your wedding reception experience. Read below for 9 unique wedding reception ideas that will keep your guests entertained for the whole evening.
The Table or 2-Song Wedding Photo Dash. Ready. Set. Go. During the duration of two songs, the couple gets a photo with every single table at their wedding reception. Depending on your guest count, you can make it three songs, but a good DJ will keep the crowd cheering you on the entire time as you dash from table-to-table. This is a great option if it is important for you to have as many of your guests as possible in your photos as it can be very difficult to capture all your guests during the reception.
Photo Booths. But make it cool. Just because photo booths have made their rounds at wedding receptions, doesn’t mean you should write off the idea. It’s all in the props. Search for a photobooth company that offers unique props. And ask if you can bring your own. Clown glasses, signs, arrows, frames and even wigs are the secret sauce to making a photobooth wildly entertaining! If you’re a Gingersnap Bride and need suggestion, shoot me an email and I’d love to give you some!
Games. Who can deny that games are FUN and there’s nothing like a little friendly competition among friends and family to up the energy level at a wedding reception. Talk to your DJ beforehand to see what games he has in his back pocket. A great DJ knows this is one way to get a party started. But don’t rely on just your DJ. You can mix games in with your wedding reception decor. Corn hole is popular at wedding receptions in the south. You can pre-purchase the board or find instructions online to DIY. And if you’re bringing old friends together from college, there’s nothing like a ferocious game of beer pong to get the room spinning and relive the glory days!
Cigar Smoking Lounge. One of my all time favorites! Set up a lounge area complete with cracked leather chairs and a chesterfield sofa offering guests a place to enjoy hand rolled cigars. It’s a sophisticated, mad-men, roaring-20’s experience your wedding reception guests will not forget! Plus it makes for some pretty cool pictures!
Something Other Than Cake. Let them eat pie, donuts or hot fudge sundaes! Have fun with this idea of a non-traditional dessert bar. What are your favorite cookies? Are you having an outdoor wedding? Have Smore kits waiting for guests at their seats. When it’s time for something sweet, light up fire pits outside and create memories roasting smores with friends and family. BONUS: If you are hosting children, this will be a fun activity for everyone to do together.
Caricature Artist. Turn your guests into a cartoon character. Hire an artist to draw your wedding reception guests as caricatures. These are SO much fun for wedding guests. If you’d like for your guests to leave with a parting gift, this can kill two birds with one stone. PRO TIP: Ask the artist to take a photo of every caricature he creates so you have a copy of each one as a memento.
Share Your Favorite Cookie Recipe. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe? Maybe one that you always make on date nights or made as a child? Print it out and use it as wedding reception table décor! You can also include a single boxed cookie as a parting gift or as part of your wedding reception desert offering.
Once you’ve settled on your wedding reception décor, food and entertainment, create a wedding reception timeline. Timing is important to the flow of your wedding reception and keeping your guests committed to the events of the evening. You don’t want to cut the cake (or offer desserts) right after you eat and before dancing begins because some of your guests will take it as their cue to leave. If you’re incorporating an experience like smores roasting, you should print a reception itinerary for guests to follow.
And if you are not hiring an event coordinator, all vendors will need a firm reception timeline so they know when they are expected. A great DJ can work wonders to usher your wedding reception guests through the events of the evening.
Now, get out a pen and paper and start planning your unique wedding reception ideas! Have a fun wedding reception table décor idea, wedding reception food idea, or wedding reception activity idea that I didn’t mention? Send an email so I can pass it along to my Gingersnap brides and grooms!