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I recently had a client ask me this very question and it made me think about putting together an all-inclusive "Do's and Don'ts" list for prospectively newlyweds to think about. Now please understand that these are generalities and the reality is: venue, formal / informal, crowd personality, personal preference and budget will have a lot to say about how strictly you adhere to these suggestions.
I decided to informally "poll" friends and family, both married and unmarried, to get the answers. The best suggestions, combined with my own experience, are compiled here and, let's just say, if you follow these suggestions you are setting yourself up for the party of the century! Here we go!
Make a reasonable schedule and stick with it. Try to keep your wedding venue close to your reception venue (if not the same place), and make arrangements for transportation if necessary for guests that will need it. Nothing will agitate your guests (especially your "aged" guests) more than waiting an hour or more at a reception before the bride and groom even arrive! (This is typically caused by picture sessions AFTER your ceremony.)
Keep your timeline running! Whatever you choose to include or not, DO NOT make guests stand around for long periods of time wondering what is going to happen next. Having a well thought out itinerary and a quality MC to ensure that the sequence of events have smooth, quick transitions is PARAMOUNT to your guest's enjoyment of the party. 15 minutes of downtime (except they are eating) feels like an hour when you are a guest.
Serve GOOD food, and a lot of it . Make sure you have a lot of drink options too. Food and drink are something that guests remember, and can make or break your party. This is notoriously one of the most expensive aspects of the party so take some careful consideration here. First, do not serve meat and cheese platters from a grocery store or those pinwheel things from Costco. I get that they are inexpensive, but c'mon … they're gross. This is your wedding reception. If you are going to skimp on anything … skimp on venue, flowers, # of wedding party, guest count, etc. but DO NOT skimp of food (or DJ!). There are some cost-effective ways to serve good, memorable food … get creative.
Second, have drink options. Happiness comes in the form of choices. If you are going to serve alcohol, a cost effective way is to stick to beer, wine and champagne. If you have an open bar, you will have an open (aka, massive and unpredictable) bill. If you have a cash bar, guests usually resent that they have to pay. Regardless of whether you serve alcohol or not, your guests must have options such as coffee, tea, water, soda, lemonade, juice, iced tea, etc.
Have a great DJ ! Rule # 1 here is to make sure they are local! If you Google for a DJ, 7 out of the top 10 results will be national sites that take the bookings and "dole" them out to DJ's in your area who pay them a referral fee. You have no idea who you are getting in most cases other than a guarantee that they will be impersonal and crappy.
Stepping off my soapbox now …
The food and the entertainment are the two most memorable parts of your party according to your guests. Make sure the DJ knows how to keep a crowd happy all night. This is key! Call around, get referrals. A good DJ will know how and when to play what. They will also be able to handle guest's requests, run your party's flow as the MC, dress and present nicely, act professionally, understand how diverse your crowd is, pay attention to volume and profanity for the young and old ears, and so on.
Lastly, make sure your DJ's personality / demeanor is such that you and your guests will not mind listening to them on a microphone ALL night. Get a non-smoking DJ and be sure to feed them. The DJ / MC is there for up to 6-8 hours and you do not want them leaving for 20 minute "breaks" to get food and a smoke.
Keep spikes, slideshows, etc. short and sweet . 1 or 2 really funny short speeches will impress your guests more than 8 really long boring ones that go on and on right through the dinner hour. Also, spread your speeches out so guests can eat and drink between speches.
Some last notes … Make sure you get a chance (even if it's only 5 seconds) to personally thank and talk to EVERY guest. They will be very appreciative and will not forget it if you do not. Dollar dances … sure it's a great way to raise a quick buck, but most people, when asked about this part of a reception, agreed on one word … tacky. No games. Your guests did not come to play games. A disposable camera on each table can really get some neat, candid shots of your party that your photographer will not. Avoid heels. Have comfortable chairs. Know when it's the end of the night and do not be afraid to wrap it up!
Lastly, have fun! It will be over soon, so eat, drink, and be merry!
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Source by Sean Antonius
