Aside from the actual ceremony, the other important part of the day that you’ll need to consider is your wedding reception. This is often the time to let down your hair a little and relax into your newly married status, with the pressure of the legal formalities all sorted. As such, it’s traditional to have some form of entertainment, to help create a happy atmosphere and keep everyone occupied whilst the couple go round and speak to their guests.
So what should you consider when planning this part of your wedding? We share some top tips.
Consider who you want to entertain
Unless you’re opting for a micro wedding, it’s likely that there will be plenty of people at your wedding reception. At a typical wedding, the reception is the busiest part of the day, with some couples choosing to invite more guests just for this section.
However, the increase in the number of guests means that it can be hard to know who to target the entertainment at. Do you want something that you will love, even if it’s not a hit with everyone? Do you want to keep things family-friendly with a DJ playing a list of hits? Will you need to provide separate entertainment for any children? Answering these questions first can help you establish what style of entertainment you’re looking for.
Budget correctly
Weddings are rarely a cheap event, and it’s easy to allocate a larger proportion of your budget to the venue, outfits, flowers and food. However, this can leave things feeling a little tight once you get to booking your reception entertainment, which may well come later in the wedding planning process.
Especially if you have a good idea of what activity or music you’d like on your big day, it can be well worth getting a few quotes early on to ensure that you have the funds to do what you want. You don’t have to commit to these vendors until you’re ready, but having a rough cost can be helpful.
Have a range of options – or book early
Good wedding entertainers are in high demand, especially in the peak summer months. This may mean that you aren’t able to get the exact band or DJ that you want – unless it’s the most important part of your wedding, you’re unlikely to switch the date to match their availability. Having a few backup options can mean that you don’t have to start from scratch, and can simply call the next person on the list.
If you’re really set on one vendor, then this should be one of the first things that you book. You may need to be prepared to place a holding deposit, which you may lose if you need to change the date for any reason.
Your perfect evening
A great reception only adds to the fun and joy of your wedding day. Follow our top tips to get started, and utilise recommendations and online reviews to find the vendors that are right for you.
Written by Wed2B.
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About Naif Productions:
Naif Productions is a strategic event planning, design and production firm specializing in corporate, live coaching sales events, social, non-profit, and weddings. Based in New York City, we produce events worldwide from Fortune 500 clients and coaches to families and charities. Naif Productions specializes in helping clients attain their goals, realize return on investment, and achieve the most unique, creative experiences.
About Annette Naif:
Since 1986 Annette Naif has been designing and producing custom events, helping clients create their unique style that translates into a memorable and profitable experience. Annette spent 17 years producing events in the motion picture industry where she helped coordinate numerous productions for film and episodic television programs. Since then Annette’s been running her own event production company, coaching other event planners, teaching an event operations and production course at NYU, and now is the CEO & Creative Director of Naif Productions.