Reception Tips and Advice [ Submit a Tip and/or Advice | Wedding Reception Index | Tips & Advice Index ]

Bridal Sneakers Submitted by: T. E. of Houston, Texas I saw this in a catalog and thought it was a really good idea: Make a pair of "reception shoes" out of a pair of plain white tennis shoes (like Keds) or white ballet shoes. Decorate them with sequins, ribbons, etc. You can wear these while you dance so your feet won't hurt all night long.

Sticky Addresses Submitted by: CJ S. of Fargo, North Dakota Here's a tip from my soon-to-be sister-in-law's wedding this past October (I'll be marrying her brother in Sept. of 2000). She had the disposable cameras on the reception tables, but also put sticky address labels on each camera. If any camera accidentally made it home with a guest, the address was right on the back and it could be sent to the bride and groom!

Rolls of Film Submitted by: Melissa of Farmington, Connecticut The disposable bridal cameras are pretty expensive - particularly when you add in developing costs. Rather than put out the cameras, we gave rolls of film to a few friends and asked that they give us the un-developed film after the wedding. Our friends were very happy to help - particularly since it was at no cost to them - and we got many additional candid shots at about half of the price of those disposable cameras.

Facing Forward and Looking Back Submitted by: Lisa S. of Vincent, Ohio I have two (2) different tips that I think are unique things. Number one: While at the alter at the beginning of the ceremony, our minister had a GREAT idea Instead of me and my husband with our backs toward the guests, he suggested that HE have HIS back to the guests and we would be facing the guests (as usually the minister would). It was GREAT! After all, the guests come to see YOU and YOUR husband's wedding, not your backs! Number two: At our reception, I took a standard big sheet of poster board and drew a line down the middle. On one side, I put my husband's pictures (starting from when he was a baby, all the way thru high school) and of course on the other side my baby pics thru high school (usually about 10-12 each is sufficient... it is up to you). The guests at the reception LOVED it... a good "ice breaker"... also heard a few giggles too!

Double-Side Placecards Submitted by: Dian of St. Louis, Missouri If you're using placecards for seating arrangements, print the guest name on both sides of the card. When the person sets their card down in front of them, the guests across the table don't have to worry about forgetting a name!

Bring Your Own Liquor Submitted by: E. W. Columbus, Ohio Rather than waiting for the unknown bar bill at the end of the reception, choose a place where you can bring in your own liquor. We were able to buy bottles of beer, liquor and pop at the local Sam's Club at a much cheaper price. We hired our own bartender and got to take home the leftovers. We were afraid of being stuck with a huge bill at the end of the night on our way to the honeymoon. This way, everything was paid for in advance, we saved money and our guests were satisfied by having an open bar.

"Save Money" Submitted by: L. F. of Fort Mill, South Carolina To save money for your reception, have friends and family members help make hors d'oeuvres and borrow punch bowls. It saves a lot of money and you know exactly what is being served.

"Custom Place Mats" Submitted by: Tish of Danville, Illinois I made custom place mats on my computer with a word search, questions, etc about us, to entertain our guests at the reception while they wait for us to arrive from pictures.

"Disposable Cameras" Submitted by: N. W. of Walterboro Take the disposable wedding cameras that are put out by Kodak on the tables and tell the guests at each table to pass the camera around and take candid pictures. When the camera has no pictures left, remind the guests to leave the camera on the table so that you can have the pictures developed. You might have some good pictures of your reception!

"Beautiful Memories" Submitted by: L. B. of Sunnyvale, California My parents surprised us by placing various photos on the cake table, such as their wedding photo, my grandparents' wedding photo, and a picture of me as a little girl, all in nice frames. It was a nice touch, and added interest and sense of history and family tradition.

"Trivial" Placecards Submitted by: L. B. of Kannapolis, North Carolina For my daughter's wedding in May, I researched wedding trivia (ex: how the stacked, decorated wedding cake came to be). I found approximately 60 different facts/customs/and, using my word processor, typed four to a sheet of ivory paper. I cut them apart and folded each one over to make a 3 1/3 by 4 1/2 inch card. I used two colors of tissue paper to make envelopes slightly larger. These will be placed at each seat at the reception as conversation starters. I only had to repeat each trivia fact three times.

Cake Centerpieces Submitted by: T. S. of Columbus, Ohio One of the best tips I've received while planning our wedding (coming in April :)), is to have individual cakes on each table to serve as a centerpiece. Each cake will be on the top level (only) used in a traditional tier cake - to raise it about 6 in. off the table. It will be marbled in gold paint and sitting on a cloud of tulle on the table. Extremely economical and unique. You can add candles around it and put a tulle tuck with different flowers from your bouquet on top of the cakes.

Disposable Cameras Submitted by: Bliss!™ We placed disposable cameras at each table (one per table) so that guests could capture the candid moments that the official photographer could not take. Make sure you place directions on the camera indicating how to take the shot and how to use the FLASH. We processed 20 cameras - the shots looked great but many did not turn out well because the guests did not know how to use the flash!

Non-Edible Decorations Submitted by: Laurie of Vancouver, Canada Have you seen the champagne glasses rimmed with coloured sugar in pictures? Looks great, but in real life when you drink out of a glass rimmed with coloured sugar, the colour ends up on your lips and teeth -- not to mention the lips and teeth of the bride, groom, attendants, parents. Yuck! Save your face and keep the colour scheme to the non-edible decorations.

Picture CD Submitted by: Marcia of Waterford, Connecticut I took the idea of placing disposable cameras on each table a step further by developing my pictures on a Picture CD for under $10. Then, I made photo album on GatherRound.com to share the pictures and stories with my guests. It was an easy and free way to show everyone (especially far away family) my pictures without having to make and mail expensive reprints.

Edible Centerpieces Submitted by: D. A. of the Trophy Club Have a bottle of champagne or Martinelli at each table next to a compote filled with grapes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and cheese cubes. You can make inexpensive compotes by using a clear plastic or glass plate set on top of a plastic cup or wine glass.

Reception for Kids Submitted by: Debbie R. of Erie, Pennsylvania, USA We are having our wedding reception at a large beautiful park so we can welcome children. When doing the garter toss and bouquet toss we will also toss a football for the younger boys and a beanie baby for the younger girls.

New Way to Decorate Bottles of Bubbles Submitted by: Shannon M. of Emlenton, Pennsylvania, USA Because many churches today are not permitting wedding guests to throw birdseed, rice, or flower petals, many people are faced with using bubbles. Although these are commonly used, there are ways to decorate the bottles other than using tulle. I made tiny satin bags to put each bottle in (actually very simple to make, even if you don't sew). On the front of each bag, I put a monogram of their last name using a stencil and acrylic paint in their wedding color. I finished it off with an organza ribbon tied around the top of the bag. This looks so much more elegant than the plain old tulle and was actually less expensive than pre-cut tulle circles!

Ways to Decorate a Reception at a Firehall Submitted by: Shannon M. of Emlenton, Pennsylvania, USA For a reception at a firehall, there is a way to have nice tables using the long rectangular ones. By putting two or three together lengthwise to make a large square table, you are able to get an elegant setting like you would with a round table used at a more formal hall. Put 3 or 4 people on each side of the table. This allows everyone to talk. Also, it cuts down on the number of centerpieces that you will need!

Show Video of Bride and Groom While Guests Wait to Eat Submitted by: Shannon M. of Emlenton, Pennsylvania, USA For a buffet style meal, guests are always bored waiting in line or waiting to get in line. Showing slides of the bride and groom growing up and setting it to music is a sure fire way to keep everyone laughing while making the wait time appear shorter.

Memory Album Submitted by: Clifton Park, New York, USA My mother and sister are creating a memory album to display at our reception. Since my fiancé and I are from different states, our respective families don't know much about how the other grew up. So the memory book will start with our childhood, include some small anecdotes, and progress through our years until we culminate with pictures of us and our life together. They will also be leaving some blank pages for our future, and we'll use lined pages from the book as our "guest book" and those also will be a part of our memory album! We hope also to encourage our guests to write "marital advise" on small tent cards which we will also include in the book.

"Picture" Guestbook Submitted by: Liz of Ft. Pierce Instead of a guest book, I'm having a friend take Polaroid® pictures of each table and then place the instant photo on a wedding scrapbook page. Then, the people can each sign and write a message. I'll leave instructions to put the scrapbook photo page at the gift table.

Unique Wedding Favors Submitted by: Lauren of South Africa My fiancé and I are getting married in April 2001. I know... it is rather early to start worrying about these things already, but seeing as I am paying for the majority of my wedding, I have decided to do the sensible thing by buying something for the wedding every month. So yup... I have already ordered my wedding favors. We are getting married in a garden gazebo in the most beautiful setting, and our reception will be at a country club. Our table centerpieces are wrought-iron candle stands (with the candles) but no flowers. The stands have fresh ivy wrapped around them. So to bring a bit of colour and floral sense to the table, we have chosen tiny terra cotta color pots with dried mini roses inside for the women guests. It is the woman who attend weddings and cannot wait to see what the favors are while the men couldn't really be bothered. So for the men, we have chosen the same terra cotta pot, but inside will be a champagne chocolate bottle covered in gold tin foil. We worked the prices out, and decided beforehand that we couldn't afford anything over R10 per person. In the end the woman's gift is R14.50 and the men's gift is R5.50, so it works out to R20.00 per couple. Which is what we were looking for anyway!! Then for my bridal party (at the main table), I have secretly ordered glass-blown bells for each person. They were really expensive at R34.00 each, so ordering 13 of them hurt my pocket, but they are really worth it. And as the legend goes... whenever the bells are tinkled, my fiancé (or should I say husband by then) will kiss. Good Luck!!

Scrapbooks at each Table Submitted by: Shar of Minneapolis, USA We've decided to make a small scrapbook for each table. We are creating the scrapbook on our computer with pictures of both of us as babies up until now. We also will have little tidbits about us such as our astrological signs, favorite movies, etc. Each of us will do an interview with questions like, "When did you know he/she was the one?" and "What do you love most about him/her?" We are scanning the pictures onto white paper, they aren't black and white, but the color pictures will looks great. Very inexpensive and takes little time. It will keep your guests occupied while the wedding party kidnaps you and your new husband.

Kids Table Submitted by: Amy of Texas, USA I am getting married in March 2001. We are having a significant amount of children at our reception. As we all know, children eat very little - especially adult food. We decided that we are going to have a "kids food table" at which peanut and butter sandwiches, Cheetos®, animal crackers, etc. will be served. That way you are not wasting the paid catered food.

Sundae Bar Submitted by: Chris M. of Mobile, Alabama, USA In addition to having a kids table with crayons and chicken fingers, we are going to have a sundae bar just for them. I am enlisting my two nieces who wanted a part in my wedding — to be in charge of serving and helping the kids make their own sundaes. We will have lots of sprinkles for the kids!

Votive Candles Submitted by: S. Smith of Houston, Texas, USA If you are planning to have an evening wedding and would like to incorporate candles in your theme, have each bridesmaid carry a small vase with a votive candle placed in the middle of the vase. This will save you from having to purchase bouquets for each girl and it makes for a beautiful and romantic setting at the altar.

Holiday Decor Submitted by: Amy of Rock Island, Illinois, USA My fiancé and I are having a Christmas wedding. When I called the florist to see how much the decorations would cost, the bill came to $1500. Since I am paying for the majority of the wedding this was not feasible. What we did instead was to wait until the Christmas decorations went on clearance (50-75% off) at the local stores. For the big decorations, there are nine (9) Christmas trees each decorated witih all the ornaments, bows, gold rope, etc. The total cost was $6.50 a tree. To help decorate the head tables and railings, I wrapped the leftover garland with the extra lights. The total cost was $10. I made the table centerpiece out of evergreen garlands by twisting it into the shape of a wreath while attaching small gold ornaments and a large ribbon bow. In the center of the garland wreath, I placed a battery-operated candle. The whole effect is beautiful. The total cost for the centerpieces was $2.33 for each table centerpiece. On each plate, I will place a candy cane tied with a ribbon displaying our names and wedding dates. Total cost $12. For the children in the wedding, we decided to have Santa bring presents for the children and then take them upstairs (in the hotel) to the babysitter(s) for pizza and movies. That way the adults can enjoy themselves and we don't have to worry about kids running around. A friend is going to play Santa and the money that we will save by not having to buy childrens dinners at the reception will pay for the pizza and babysitters. For the outside decorations, I am going to freeze water in Bundt cake pans. Then, place them outside with candles in the center depression of the pan. They make inexpensive luminaries that are easy to clean up afterwards.

Photos Submitted by: Debra A. B. of Montebello, California, USA Last year, my brother and I put together a 50th wedding anniversary party for our parents' and I came up with the idea of using a photograph of our parents' wedding as a table centerpiece. I had a candid photo of my parents' wedding and I made copies and put them in inexpensive frames and placed them in the center of each table. I added small tea candles on either side of the frames and sprinkled golden 50's confetti on each table as well. I was on a very tight budget so I had to come up with something nice but inexpensive as well. I decorated my parents' table with pinecones that I sprayed gold and sprayed them with vanilla scent. I then put the pinecones in a glass bowl and placed a short fat gold candle in the middle of the pinecones. To say the least my parents' thought it was the greatest. By the way it was a surprise to them when they walked into the reception hall.

Caterer as Wedding Consultant Submitted by: Tina of Springfield When booking your reception with a hall or hotel ballroom, the catering manager can act as your "wedding coordinator" omitting the cost of actually hiring one, saving big bucks! Your caterer can provide services such as cakes, DJ's, florists, even make up artists at "wholesale" or vendor prices. This can all be added into the cost of the reception, making it one stop shopping, not forgetting the "small stuff", and getting a good value at the same time.

Menu Choices Submitted by: Andrea of Canterbury When deciding the menu for your reception, a great way to save money is to watch the foods you decide on. Try not to choose seafood like oysters and fresh prawns. If you really want seafood, choose a prawn cocktail, or lasagna or some other pasta. Also choose foods like lamb and chicken, and roasts with baked vegetables, it is so much cheaper. With desert, most of the guests are too busy dancing to eat. So a platter of cakes and fresh fruit on each table will be efficent and it will save you a lot of money.

Labels Submitted by: Jean of Faribault, Minnesota, USA A very easy and sweet way to add something a little extra with little time and money - use the address label maker on your computer. Print names and date with a picture that fits the theme. Wrap the label around Hershey's® "treasure nuggets". The colored foil sticks out from the ends. At Easter and Valentine's Day you can get pastel colored foil. You can wrap several in netting and tie with ribbon for a favor. Or just scatter them around your center piece.

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