On to the Wedding Party
Once the serious business of the ceremony and vows has been taken care of there is the natural release of energy and need to celebrate! Your wedding reception will follow the theme of the day and require some good planning on your part to ensure a wonderful experience for all.
If your theme was classic and elegant, then your reception would best be held in a stylish venue such as a hotel, resort or country club. Be sure to check out the resort option, as they can offer a unique setting with the same services as hotel ballrooms. Your reservation timing is crucial when deciding on these venues. Start making a list of questions to cover when talking to your prospect.
Available times/dates? Follow with, when will you be allowed in to decorate and set up? How long will your party be allowed to use the facility?
Full service package: What services are included in the rental fee and what is the payment policy? Be sure you are clear on who is going to set up the table and chairs for instance. Does the facility allow outside catering? Is there a refund policy? (tip from previous brides would be to never pay the full amount before the reception)
Guest Convenience: Are they covered with liability insurance? Do they have convenient bathroom facilities that accommodate children and handicapped guests? What about the parking facilities? This is an issue when you are in a city where streets are narrow and mostly one-way.
Outdoor weddings provide the natural setting for your reception with fewer restrictions on house rules and less concern over spilled punch. However, you do need to plan how you will provide comfortable seating and food presentation for your guests. Anything can be incorporated for seating guests: from white garden chairs, park benches to hay bales. Having a tropical beach theme wedding? This can be done with or with an actual ocean. Setting up picnic tables on the sand floor of your pole shed is a great option for the relaxed atmosphere of a beach reception. The trade off for the saved expense in renting a ballroom is that it will require more effort on your part to pull this off. Usually there are more than enough friends and family members who love to lend a helping hand, so that the party set up becomes an event unto itself.
One new trend in decorating for receptions is the use of bold color and lots of it. This does not necessarily have to follow the wedding color theme. Bolts of fabric rich in golds and earth colors can present a beautiful backdrop for any dinnerware. Mix and match dinnerware and goblets of different hues. As long they are in the same color family, it is all good.
Another trend that is almost the exact opposite of this bold and rich color idea is the “Zen harmony” theme. This makes use of relaxing, soft hues of pale greens, ivory and ocean blues. Rock gardens and waterfalls with pools of floating lilies help set the mood of a tranquil celebration. Soft light from candles set on trays of stone are the perfect accent
Loading ...
