Planning the Perfect Wedding Reception
Adding a few essential pieces to your wedding, will in turn make your wedding most memorable for your guests. I recently attended my friends wedding, in a lovely barn, the table card holders were simply some pine cones which we have kept, the favours were little sachets of herbs & spices for some mulled wine making… which we have used, and for their amazing keepsake they asked all their guests to fingerprint a lovely drawing of a peacock and to add a signature to each little feather.
The bride & groom don’t need to spend a fortune on the on the ‘little’ touches that make the day memorable, they just need you to enjoy the day as much as them! I’m sure seeing the peacock all framed on their wall every day brings back just as many memories as the bar bill!
Top 10 Unique Wedding Reception Ideas
We’ve put together a list of our top ideas for your wedding day and wedding reception to make it really stand out and ensure everyone remembers it.
1 - Vintage Affair Finger Print Tree
Having to start with my personal favourite, this romantic and everlasting alternative to the traditional guest book would fit in well with any vintage wedding ideas. Each guest uses the ink pads to leave a lasting memory with a fingerprint on each branch of the tree. The tree is printed on canvas so will be just perfect to frame once the wedding is over. Not to be used if you may suspect one of your guests to be a criminal and you have police officers attending as guests?! Don’t forget to give your guests something to clean their fingers with afterwards or you may be facing some hefty dry cleaning bills at the end of the night!
2 - Vintage Affair Mr & Mrs Signs
These perfect
little vintage signs are great on the back of the happy couple’s chairs. They can also be used in your dining room at home after the event, we do also have a matching ‘The I do’s this way’ which will make a lovely keepsake.
3 - Candy Buffet
The
candy buffet is becoming increasingly popular at weddings, as they are simple, stylish and very effective. Invite your guests to choose a candy-striped bag, and select some nostalgic sweets with the little handy scoops. Perfect to keep the children entertained at the wedding & also to add some shabby chic decorations to your wedding venue.
The candy buffet is something a little different and a cost-effective way of making your wedding day memorable for anyone with a sweet tooth!
4 - Personalised Love hearts
I’m sure we have all given a special love heart to that someone special in our lives? I always remember opening a pack & discarding the rubbish ones to find the best ones. Actually I still do that now… giving the children the rubbish ones & keeping the best ones. These
Love hearts are extra special, these can be personalised on the labels to say ‘Bill & Ben’s Wedding’ your guests will love them & you have yet another keepsake from your wedding. They would also be good to use in the Candy Buffet.
Personalised love hearts may well give you inspiration for other ideas for your big day. If all your guests are of a certain age then they may appreciate a
boom box centre piece or an
inflatable boom box cooler! Or perhaps you might like to add something even more retro. You may be the traditionalist, but a wedding with floral centre pieces and candles might not stand out in guest’s memories as well as something really unique.
5 – Disposable Cameras and Group Photography
What better way is there to treasure the memory of your most important day than with photographs. A simple way to get the most out of this without having to pay for a photographer for the night, is to stock the guest tables with
disposable cameras. Then you can invite your guests, friends and family to snap away until their hearts are content. Of course, actually printing the photos might be an expense, but you’ll get a wonderful view of your big day from their angle rather than yours.
In modern times, you can pretty much guarantee that all of your guests will have a camera or smart phone with them and be happily snapping away all night long. So another alternative is to create a Facebook page for the big day and ask people to upload the photos there. Alternatively ask people to upload their photos to Flickr or a similar photo sharing site where you can then download the photos you like and save them for prosperity. The joy of Facebook of course is you can tag all your friends and family members too. The danger is you might not want everything appearing in public!!!
6 - The Photo Booth
The photo booth at the wedding… the photographer may find the booth empty to start at the beginning of the reception, but after a few drinks being consumed, the guests will become braver. My friend had one at her wedding, and I can honestly say I haven’t had so much fun in a long time! Using plenty of props, like feather boas, inflatable’s, hats, facial hair, we all climbed onto the sofa and the camera starts clicking, even the shy guests didn’t want to leave that sofa. We have 2 versions to make it easier selecting a
photo booth pack on the site, made up of all the most popular costume accessories, which will equal the most fun for wedding entertainment!
7 – The String Quartet
Every wedding has a DJ, but how many can boast a string quartet? If you’re looking for something really classy, this might be the way to go. Even if they aren’t the main entertainment, they’ll certainly be memorable!
8 – Sky & Candle Lanterns
In the summer when it’s really nice and the evenings are pleasant, there’s nothing sweeter than moving the wedding reception outside for some fresh air. If you really want to grab attention then some people choose to fill the sky with fireworks, but for something a little less costly, more peaceful and utterly pleasant,
sky lanterns are a wonderful addition to the night. Get the timing right and make sure you’ve got an MC to let everyone know when it’s happening, then get all your guests outside to watch as your lanterns float up and into the sky – a glowing testament to your love, affection and happiness on your big day.
9 – Fish in a Bowl
Nearly every wedding features a centrepiece in one shape or another. Why not do something different and adorn your tables with big glass bowls with 2 gold fish in each – representing the bride and groom and their swim through life together. Of course you might worry what drunken guests might do with the fish or what to do with them afterwards, but you’ll probably find a place that’ll hire fish by the night and hopefully your guests can be kept in order! Your fishy surprise will certainly help your wedding stand out from the crowd!
10 – Belly Dancers & Entertainers
What’s a wedding without entertainment? You’ve got the usual music, speeches and first dance, but why not dazzle and entertain your guests while they eat with an ensemble of belly dancers or a stand-up comedian? Something simple like this could really make your wedding unique and keep people talking about it for weeks to come. Of course if you want the day to focus exclusively on you, then you might think about choreographing your wedding dance as is so popular nowadays. Get the whole family involved!
So that’s our top 10 list of unique wedding ideas. Each idea varies in cost, but probably will cost you less than the wedding invitations, less than the bells being rang, and much less than the wedding dress! Plus each one will make your wedding a little different for your guests and each one will provide a smile from your guests. Which is all that is required on your special day.
For a range of wedding accessories, gifts and decorations, take a look at
our wedding section for even more inspiration!
