The
real goal of the wedding reception is to ensure
that your wedding guests enjoy themselves. It
will most like be what stands out in people's minds in the days
after your
wedding. They will remember how much of a good
time they had and if any extraordinary events happened at your
wedding. If you take the time to make sure your
wedding guests are comfortable and entertained
throughout the wedding reception it will be a
smashing success.
Wedding
Reception Setup
It
is helpful if you can get a floor plan of the
place of your wedding reception
ahead of time, or if you make your own with measurements of the
premises. 
With
a floor plan you can plan ahead on how 
you
want things to be set up and decorated at the wedding
reception. Make note of the locations of the electrical
outlets, windows, doors, kitchen, stage, bathrooms, bar, light
switches, and ceiling fans. When you’re checking the facilities
out don't forget to checkout the bathrooms for the condition and
upkeep. Make sure the bathrooms are large enough for your wedding
party to use to freshen up before the wedding
reception and also to accommodate the number
of wedding guests you are expecting. See our
Questions
for the Place of Wedding Reception for
things to ask when choosing your place of reception.
Don't underestimate the importance of lighting throughout the
place of wedding reception. It really sets the
mood and helps to highlight focal points in the room such as the
wedding cake location. You may wish to dim the
lights enough to get a romantic atmosphere but make sure to keep
them bright enough for things to function well, especially during
the dance.
If
you are setting up the wedding reception and/or
place of ceremony, make up a container to take with you. Include:
Duct tape, scotch tape, masking tape, string,
ribbon, extension cords, safety pins, glue gun with extra glue,
plastic ties, ribbon, wash cloth, all purpose cleaner, paper towels,
a measuring tape, flame starter, marker, hammer and trash bags.
This way the setup won't be delayed while someone goes for duct.
Always make sure extension cords on the floor are taped down so
that no one knocks things over or worse yet, someone gets hurt.
Also see our tips on the cleanup below.
It's
important when setting up your tables for the reception, that
you take into consideration that all your wedding guests will
need to be able to see the head table during the reception. Some
couples choose to place their head table up on a stage so all
their wedding guests can have a great view the wedding party.
Don't forget the layout of the place of reception must also allow
for any band or disc jockey at the reception to set up and/or
perform. Sometimes it is just better if you work with the design
and setup of the tables on the same level.
Entertaining
Your Wedding Guests at Your Wedding Reception
Besides having outstanding music to entertain your wedding
guests at your wedding reception, here are a
couple of other ideas that are becoming more popular and can make
your wedding reception a little more special
and memorable. Check out our Wedding
Guest Page for more ideas. The first idea is having ethnic
dancers perform at your wedding reception.
Many cultures have dances from their heritage that are both beautiful
and unique. This is a great way to pay tribute to your heritage
that also fills the room with fascination. Another nice idea is
to have a slide show of photos of the wedding
couple or even wedding pictures of grandparents
and parents present before or after the speeches. This kind of
slide show can be done on a laptop computer in a slide show presentation
program and then just have it projected on a large screen visible
to all your wedding guests. It is best if you
can have someone doing some commentary on the photos as they come
up. The commentary should be creative and bring out the humor
and sentiment of the photos.
Wedding
Guests Place Seating
At
your wedding reception there are a few ways you
can choose to seat your wedding guests. Open Seating is where
you let your wedding guests sit wherever they wish. There are
usually a few special tables set up near the head table that are
reserved for immediate family or special wedding guests. This
is usually one of the easiest ways to seat your guests.
Reserved Table Seating is where your wedding guests are reserved
to a particular table, but they can sit anywhere at that table
they please.
Finally the Reserved Seating is where each wedding guests is reserved
a particular chair at a particular table. For both Reserved Table
Seating and Reserved Seating you will require a seating board
to inform the guests where they will be seated and the Reserved
Seating will also require place cards at each place setting. For
Open Seating you may only need place cards for the reserved tables
for close family and/or friends located close to the head table.
How
to Plan Your Wedding Guests
Seating
Cocktail wedding receptions do not require a formal seating plan,
but buffet and served meals do require it. The best way to work
out who will be sitting where is to use a visual aid to help you.
You can use our Place
Seating Form to organize where you would like your wedding
guests to sit or take a large piece of Bristol board and draw
the layout of the tables at your reception location. If you are
using the Bristol board method, draw the tables in the shape they
will be, usually they are circular, square or rectangular. You
will also need to know how many people can comfortable sit at
each table. Number or name each of the tables, see tips on naming
tables below. For 
Reserved
Table Seating, pencil in a list of the names of people you want
to sit at that table. Work through your wedding guests list and
the tables on the board until you are happy with everyone's place.
For Reserved Seating place circles around the table to represent
the guests' chairs. Again working with a pencil and eraser, work
through the guests list and table seating until you are happy
with everyone's placement. Once your chart is finalized, make
a small and large copy of the chart that list the guests seating
by both alphabetical name and the table name or number, and a
list of each table name or number with a list of each guest seated
at that table in Alphabetical order. The small chart will be used
by you and the large chart can be posted at the wedding reception
location entrance. If you have a wedding website
you can post your seating plan on it to inform
your wedding guests of their seating beforehand
to save time and confusion at the wedding reception. Be
sure the plan is finalized before posting it on your website.
Seating
Plan Tips
Head
Table
At the head table, usually the Bride sits with the Groom in the
middle of the table with the Groom to the her right. Then her
attendants sit in descending order to her right starting with
the Maid of Honour. The Groom's attendants sit to his left also
in descending order starting with the Best Man. Some couples choose
to mix things up a bit by alternating the men and women attendants
with the Best Man beside the Bride and the Maid of Honour beside
the Groom. Both seating arrangements are proper etiquette. Small
children in the wedding part can also have a place at the head
table. Depending on their age and ability to sit for long periods,
you many want to ask the attendants that will be sitting with
them to help them if they need it. Usually small children loose
interest in sitting still for so long, especially during speeches.
You may decide to have them sit at a table close by with their
parents and/or have some items to help keep them entertained with
drawing, a craft or Play Doe.
Place
Card Ideas
The ideas for place cards are endless. They can be as elegant
as calligraphy written on special card paper placed on a specially
folded linen napkin or more casual like bread sticks wrapped in
name tags for your wedding guests. Even something
as simple as a delicate ribbon or wire holding the name tag and
a few dried flowers can be used for your place cards. You may
even want to integrate your place cards with your favours for
your wedding guests at each of the place settings.
Some examples include chocolate bars with their names on the wrappers,
your chosen favours with the guests' names typed or written neatly
on attached labels or wedding shaped cookies
with your wedding guests' names printed with
icing in your wedding colours. The internet is
a great way to get ideas for place cards but remember to coordinate
your name tags or place cards with your wedding
colours, themes, and formality if possible.
Dripless
Candles
Always use dripless, enclosed candles kept up high and away from
flammable items like clothing, curtains or dry plants.
Most places of wedding reception only allow enclosed
candles. Keep candles away from the bar. You don't want anyone's
sleeve catching on fire. The Bride should also be extra cautious
around candles if she is wearing a veil. After wearing the veil
for awhile it's easy to forget it's there and veils catch fire
extremely quickly.
Gift
Table Idea
If you want to make your wedding a celebration
of your families you could display family wedding
portraits on your gift table. If you can, include both sets of
parents and grandparents. Don't forget to label them with small
folded cards in front of the portraits with the names of each
couple and their wedding dates.
Check
out craft supply stores for ideas for decorating at your wedding.
The ideas are truly endless. Shop around and watch for sales and
coupons in flyers.
Napkin
Rings
Napkin Rings can be used for a more formal meal. They can really
add to the overall look of formality to the tables. An idea for
napkin rings is to make them from lengths of ribbon looped and
then sealed with a dab of wax impression with your initials. Stamps
and sealing wax are available at some stationary stores. You can
also use the sealing wax to close your invitations. The napkin
rings can also be decorated with a few dried flowers tied to the
ribbons. I've even seen crystals or beads glued to see through
ribbon or lace in the initial of the couples last name.
Decorative
Table Runners
Table runners are a way to add interest to a table’s decor.
They add a splash of colour to the table. They can be made of
lace or glittering gold or silver material. Another nice touch
that adds a romantic feel to the room is to drape shears behind
the place of wedding ceremony or behind the head
table.
Chair
Covers
Chair covers are one of the things that cost extra but really
add to the overall look of your wedding reception.
If appearance is important to you, you may wish to invest in covers
for all the chairs. Some wedding reception locations
have chairs that really lack appeal so chair covers are a great
way to handle this problem. Some rental companies offer these
while there are other companies that specialize in chair covers.
Compare the prices, selection and the quality of the covers.
Wedding
Guests Table Labeling
Wedding guests' tables can be assigned different names
or even the titles of love songs instead of numbers at the wedding
reception. This is great if you have a theme for your wedding.
Once your guests are all seated you can remove the table labels
for the extra table space. If your reception setup will allow
it, you may wish to have the wedding guests'
tables setup on the two outer sides of the room with the dance
floor in the middle. Number the tables like houses, even on one
side and odd on the other. It will help people find the tables
and it will also help the waiting staff when serving.
Ice
sculptures made with flowers or greenery frozen within the ice
add sparkle and decorative interest to a table. Ice bowls with
flowers frozen in them are fairly easy to make. Make sure you
have it setup with a catch tray so that as it melts it doesn't
make a watery mess. There are companies that specialize in ice
sculptures. They can make beautiful pieces of ice art for your
wedding guests to admire. You can also buy ice
molds to make your own sculptures.
Centerpieces
Centerpieces are the focus of each table. They also are an important
part of the decor of the room. There are so many options for centerpieces.
Whatever you choose for your tables make sure they go with the
theme and overall feeling of your wedding. They
should always be either short enough that when people are sitting
at the table they can see each other over them, or tall enough
that the bulk of the centerpiece is high enough that the guests'
view is not block by them. Any combination of items can be used
in your centerpieces. Be sure to use your wedding
colours and items that relate to the theme of your wedding.
Flower bouquets, potted plants, mini wedding
cakes, floating candles, fresh cut flowers, ivy spread, coloured
water or sand, uniquely coloured or shaped vases can all look
very elegant. 
The
centerpiece ideas are endless. A beautiful way of combining flowers
with candles is to glue a small piece of oasis flower foam to
the bottom of a midsize vase to hold a flower. Remove the leaves
from the stem and place the flower in the glass. Fill the vase
with water, complete covering the flower. Then place a floating
candle on top make sure the candle doesn't touch the flower. These
can be made into a centerpiece by using three vases of the same
type together. It's best if you can use different vase sizes for
design interest. Another interesting centerpiece idea is to use
glass bowls with a couple of small goldfish in them. To get twice
the look out of your centerpieces, place them on a piece of round
or square mirror. The mirror makes things sparkle and gives off
twice the amount of light. Your centerpieces will also look bigger.
Glass stores can make them up for you to the appropriate size.
Some craft stores also supply them. Also available are battery
operated colour disc (drink dazzlers) that light up and change
colours. You can place them under your water filled vases and
the light from the disc changes the colour of the water throughout
the night. Another great centerpiece idea is framed photos of
the Bride and Groom growing
up. Start with baby pictures and end with recent pictures. Wedding
guests seem to really enjoy this one.
A Little Extra Sparkle
For added sparkle, sprinkle a little wedding
theme confetti on the wedding guests' tables.
This is available at most party supply stores. Or to add a splash
of colour, see if you can rent glasses that are coloured in the
same colour as your theme colour. This really adds a lot of colour
to the room when all the tables are set.
Back
to Top
Bartenders
Smart
Serve certified bartenders are required in most halls in Ontario.
Some wedding reception halls supply the bartenders
while at other halls you will have to hire your own. Always ask
for credentials and references when hiring bartenders. Having
Smart Serve certified and experienced bartenders will help keep
things safe and in control. You may have to register for your
own special occasion permit or liquor licence if your place of
reception doesn't supply this. When renting your place of reception,
ask if you will need to obtain your liquor licence or if they
supply it. Link to the
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for more information
about Liquor licensing in Ontario.
Receiving
Lines
Wedding receiving lines are less popular than
they use to be. They can take up a lot of your time depending
on the number of wedding guests you are having
at your wedding. It will take approximately 2
hours per every 100 wedding guests. Receiving
lines are a very formal introduction of family and friends to
the wedding party. It is usually done right before
the wedding reception at the entrance of the
reception location but can also be done near the exit of the place
of wedding ceremony right after the ceremony.
There are a couple of alternatives to having a receiving line.
You may wish to have only the Bride and Groom
with their parents line up. This will speed things up considerably.
Then you may have the wedding party introduced
as they enter the reception or before the speeches. Another alternative
is to have a host/hostess to greet the people and to help with
the introductions as people arrive at the wedding
ceremony and/or reception locations. Then the Bride
and Groom can make rounds during the reception
making sure they have a little visit with everyone. Some take
this opportunity to hand out the guests' favours but keep in mind
that this will take up most of your evening and will not leave
much time for joining in on the fun. It is a personal choice.
Keep in mind your wedding day schedule and the
number of wedding guests you are expecting.
With
the receiving line you can have all the bridesmaids and the Brides
parents on one end and the Grooms parents and
groomsmen on the other or you can alternate the wedding
party throughout the line. If only the parents and the Bride
and Groom are to be in the receiving line, the
order usually goes as follows: Mother of the Bride, Father of
the Bride, Bride, Groom,
the Mother of the Groom, and then the Father
of the Groom. You may wish to change this order
if there are any divorced parents or if you think it would be
best to have a parent from each side of the family on either side
of the receiving line to help with the introductions. Stepparents
can also be included if any of the parents have remarried. If
you are having a full receiving line and you have children in
your wedding party, you may or may not want them
to stand in the line. Usually, they don't have the stamina to
stand in line for such a long period of time. You may wish to
have them included and then have their parents close by to escort
them away if they get tired.
It's
also a good idea to hint to your parents and wedding
party to keep the line moving quickly. The receiving line can
get very long and backed up when people stop to catch up on the
past few years with people they haven't seen for a long time.
Tell the members of the receiving line if they could quickly greet
people, do any introductions and then mention that they can catch
up with them later at the reception. If this is done in a warm
and inviting way people will understand.
Throwing of Garter and Bouquet
If you are planning on throwing a garter and/or bouquet at your
wedding reception let your music provider know of 
your
wishes. Most will have you fill out a schedule
for the night so that they can announce it when the time comes
if your Master of Ceremonies isn't going to announce it. There
are many ways of having the throwing play out. Sometimes the lucky
catchers have a dance together or some even have the woman place
the garter on the man's leg with some music.
Romantic
Touches
Having your wedding guests blow bubbles at you
instead of throwing confetti, bird seeds or rice is becoming more
popular. Many facilities don't allow confetti or rice on the premises.
Bubbles are much more environmentally friendly and don't require
any cleanup. Bubbles can also be fun and romantic. Remember to
make sure the bubble mix is the non-staining type especially made
for weddings. Assign someone to hand out the
small bottles to your wedding guests and instruct
them when you would like them to blow the bubbles. It could be
when you are leaving the church, when you are announced at the
wedding reception or around you as you have your
first dance together. You could also leave them on the wedding
guests' tables with instructions on when to blow the bubbles.
Keep in mind that some bottles may be opened before the time you
have asked for. If you are planning to have your
bubbles blown outdoors you may even consider taking a larger bottle
of the non-staining bubble mix and putting it into a child's bubble
machine that makes an amazing amount of constant bubbles. Only
do this outdoors where the bubble solution will not make the floor
dangerously slippery.
Sparklers can also add a romantic touch to your wedding
reception. You can have your wedding party hold
lit sparklers around you for your first dance. In a darkened reception
hall the sparkling light gives a very romantic atmosphere for
you to remember. Have your wedding party make
a loose circle around you so your wedding guests
can still see you dance and make sure they don't light the sparklers
until just before you start dancing. Also remember to keep in
mind that sparkers are hot to touch even after they go out, so
take care with them.
Another great idea to add some romance to the atmosphere is to
rent a fog machine for the dance floor. Have it going during your
first dance together as a married couple. Make sure it is running
enough to add a little magical ambiance but not too much that
it makes it hard to see you dancing.
Making
a Memory Box
Be sure to save a wedding invitation, wedding
program, paper serviette, a few flowers dried or pressed, and
other mementos as keepsakes. A nice idea is to arrange them in
a Victorian shadow box so that they are all together on display
for the years to come.
Wedding
Guests Signing and Well Wishing Ideas
Some couples have moved away from the traditional wedding
guestbook, or in addition to it, opt for other ideas like having
an 11 X 14 engagement picture on the guestbook table and letting
the wedding guests sign the matt around the photo,
or having a white tablecloth with a laundry marking pen available
for the guests to sign along with warm wishes. The tablecloth
can then be brought out at every anniversary for those romantic
dinners for two. Another alternative or in addition to the guestbook
is to have a calligraphic poster of your wedding
vows by the wedding reception entrance for your
guests to sign. If you prefer having photos of people, consider
having someone take a Polaroid photo of your wedding
guests as they arrive to the reception. Then
have them write a message to the Bride and Groom at the bottom
of the photo. The photos can be put in an album or scrapbook to
look back on in the years to come. Another idea is to have a large
art book at the guestbook table for people to write their best
wishes in. You can even get a reliable volunteer to take it around
to your wedding guests throughout the evening
to make sure everyone has had time to write in it. One more scrapbook
idea is to have your guests write notes to the Bride
and Groom with gel pens on black paper. Place
the paper, gel pens, and instructions on the guests' tables. Have
a container made up especially for the notes or have a small tree
or decorative branch set up for guests to tie the notes to it
with ribbon that is provided. Then the couple can take the notes
home and put them together in a special scrapbook to keep and
display. You could even have a silver tray and engraving tool
available for your wedding guests to sign right
into the tray itself. You should probably have someone assigned
to help with any of these projects and to be there to instruct
the wedding guests of your wishes. All of these
ideas are much more interesting than a list of names in a book
that you tuck away and hardly ever see again.
Wedding
Gift Care
More
and more people are asking for the wedding gifts
not to be brought to the wedding reception but
to be taken to the home of the Bride before the
wedding. Some Brides and Grooms
still arrange for a gift opening party. Gift openings are usually
planned for the day after the wedding
so people can come and see the wedding gifts
opened by the Bride and Groom
before they leave for their honeymoon. It isn't proper etiquette
to open wedding gifts at your wedding
reception. You should have a gift table set up in case people
do bring a gift to the reception. Have someone responsible transport
the unopened gifts to your home after the wedding
reception if you are not going home after the reception. For security
reasons, you may wish to open the wedding cards
discreetly. If there are any cheques in them write on the back
of the cheque "For Deposit Only". This way the cheques
must be deposited into your account and may not be cashed.
Wedding
Toasts and Your MC
The
order of the wedding toasts varies from wedding
to wedding. Remind everyone that will be making
a speech at your wedding of their responsibility
about a month before the wedding date. This will
give them enough time to get their thoughts together. Let them
know that you would like the speeches to be both respectful and
no more than 5 minutes long. Toasts should be short, witty, even
sentimental, but people loose interest if speeches go on much
longer than 5 minutes each. Usually, the first toast is done by
the Best Man, then the Groom, then the Bride, the Maid of Honor,
followed by the Bride's parents, the Groom's parents, and then
any other guests. The Master of Ceremonies, also known as the
MC, is to introduce each of the toasters. Make sure the MC has
a list of people wishing to make a speech in the order you would
like the speeches to occur. Also include a list of what and when
you would like them to make any announcements. The Master of Ceremony
may do the introduction of the Bride and Groom as they arrive
to the reception, introduce the wedding party
as they arrive or before the toasts begin, help with announcing
dinner, special dances, throwing of the garter and/or bouquet
and/or announce the sendoff of the Bride and Groom at the end
of the evening. Make sure the list they have has the full names
of people being announced and that the MC has the proper pronunciation
of difficult names to read. Your MC should be someone who is very
comfortable with public speaking, motivating and respectful. Usually
a close friend or family member is chosen. Try not to pick someone
who is involved with the wedding. It will make things too crazy
and stressful for them if they have two roles to fill. Most disc
jockeys offer MC services but you should still choose a MC for
special announcements and for times when the disc jockey isn't
there.
Alternative
to Clinking of the Glasses
The tradition at a wedding is to have the wedding
guests clink their glasses to have the Bride
and Groom kiss. A couple of alternatives, because
we all know how annoying the sound of clinking glasses can get,
are to have your wedding guests at a table, stand
and sing a song with the word love in it or to have your guests
stand and tell a funny or meaningful story about the Bride and/or
Groom. Both of these options are much more entertaining and memorable
than just clinking of glasses.
Using
Video as a Tool
You can video or audiotape record the wedding
reception speeches and some thoughts of thanks. It can be a nice
keepsake for parents and other special guests.
For
far away relatives and friends that can't attend your wedding,
consider 
having them send a video or audiotape that you can play at the
wedding reception. It will feel like a little
of them is there with you and all your wedding
guests. Make sure you have all the equipment to play the tape
at the location and that it is tested and working properly. You
may wish to send them a copy of your wedding
video if you feel it would mean a lot to them.
Not
Your Typical Wedding Day
Some Brides and Grooms are now opting to have their wedding
on a Friday or Sunday. Although it may be harder for some guests
to attend your wedding, you can save a lot of
money by planning a wedding
on a day that has fewer requests for weddings.
Be aware that many businesses are closed on Sundays meaning that
you will have to plan well, making sure there
are no last minute needs or errands to run on your Sunday wedding
day. It's also a good idea to talk to your wedding
party and parents about having a Friday wedding.
Sometimes people just can't get a Friday off work. Also, if you
plan a wedding later in the
day, realize that your wedding day will be 
more
rushed and over more quickly. Consider your preferences and priorities
when it comes to your wedding day.
Cleanup
Have someone who is organized be in charge
of the wedding reception cleanup. Give them detailed
written instructions of what goes where and who's responsible
for what. Give them the instructions before
the wedding. You may also
want to have a copy at the place of reception incase they forget
their copy at home. There is a lot involved with organizing a
wedding; however, a lot of people underestimate the work involved
after the event. Being informed and organized will help the cleanup
and returns go more smoothly.
