These are the Top 10 most recommended things NOT to do at your wedding reception. While some of these are hard to avoid, the rest may not be. These are a matter of opinion of course.
1. Having the Bar outside of the room from where the reception is. The atmosphere is in the room and on the dance floor. If your guests are old
wedding bar set up
college roommates and they haven’t seen each other in a while, they will be hanging out in the bar area and most likely can’t see or hear the dance floor. Keep the energy and focus in your room
Utilize the Djs talent and experience
2. Controlling the entire music selection. The goal in hiring quality entertainment is to utilize their knowledge, talent and skill along with your input in creating the perfect mix of music. If you are in too much control and you don’t have any experience with choosing wedding music, then how are your guests going to react if it’s not working. Trust the pros, but give them input.
- Utilize the Djs talent and experience
Elegant wedding cake
3. Cutting the cake after dinner: too much time goes by and by the time they serve it, 1/2 of your guests either don’t remember the cake cutting or don’t even get to enjoy it, cause the festivities and dancing have started. Cut the cake after the introductions. Everyone sees it, and they are cutting it up while the guests are enjoying dinner so it can be served immediately following dinner. (providing you are having it for dessert or serving it)
4. Party favors: one of the biggest wastes at a reception. Here’s the hint: do something that they can use and won’t
wedding party favors? do they really care?
sit in the bottom of their drawer for years to come. No to picture frames, yes to candy.. The best and newest trend is to make a monetary donation to a cause in your guests honor and not only will they furnish little cards to place at the table, but it is a very classy gesture.
5. Top shelf Bar.. Unless of course you are rich and have extra money. Middle to lower shelf is fine. The money is the same in the envelopes and unless you’re trying to impress someone, you don’t need it.
6. Huge, expensive cake: really? Why not just get a small beautiful looking cake and have sheet cakes in the kitchen where the venue can serve. Think anyone will notice? no one except you and your mother in law? so unless you have extra money and the cake us THAT important to you?
7. Doing shots with your guests: Truthfully we say, don’t allow shots at your wedding at all. In the past 5 years, we have had more than a dozen weddings end early or get closed down because of drunkenness. IN addition to that, we have had countless brides and grooms over the years, pass out, get sick and even not make it to their own reception because of excessive drinking.
8. Greeting guests at tables after dinner: Here is one that we will get the most frowns upon. take this into consideration.. 30 seconds you may spend with each guests, 100 guests, that 50 minutes JUST for 100 guests. WOW! and to top it off, your guests are sitting there after dinner with nothing to do. If you must greet guests at each table after dinner, do 1/3 of the room, then get into some dancing and go back and finish. DO NOT go through the entire room and EVERY table, It will kill the mood and your guests WILL be bored to tears.
9. Single sided buffet service: Read this closely: if having a buffet dinner for over 125-140 guests, find out if there is going to be a two sided buffet line, if not ask them if it can be done.. In addition, if you decided to add a carver for roast beef or Turkey or something like that, there should be one carver for each 100 guests (if not, ask for 2) they may charge you an extra 50.00-75.00, but it will be WELL worth it. Your buffet line will be gone through in 1/2 the time, which means more time for dancing and having fun.
wedding disposable cameras
10. DO NOT buy or put cheap disposable cameras on the tables. Yes, you heard it, NO.. Why you ask.. Simple, there are most likely 25% of your guests that have a camera and are taking at least 20 pictures each. The way you collect these, is there are free file sharing sites that you can customize online where ALL of your guests can upload their photos and everyone can share.
These are just a few examples of some things we have learned over the years. These are opinions only and I surely welcome some opinions from everyone else.
