The Reception

Below are some of our favorite ideas for the reception - we'll be adding more
ideas soon.

The reception is usually the most fun and most expensive part of the wedding. When you look at how much a lot of brides and grooms are willing to spend on this portion of the event, you might think that the reception is more important than the ceremony. There are a few things you should keep in mind when planning your reception. First, you need to consider the number of guests and your budget. The location you end up choosing will largely be determined by these two factors, as well as your preferences - such as outdoors or indoors - and the availability of the site. One thing is for sure, book the site as early as possible. Popular reception sites book up fast, sometimes as much as a year and a half in advance. If you have a particular place in mind, call them right away. Chances are other brides have also had their heart set on the same location. While looking for a reception site, ask everyone you know for recommendations.

Following is a list of possible ways that you can save on your wedding
reception site:

• Have the reception at home.
• Have the reception at your ceremony site.
• Try a civic site, it may be less expensive.
• Choose a site that allows you to bring your own alcohol.
• Consider an off-peak time such as Friday or Sunday.
• Have a reception lunch or brunch instead of dinner.
• Choose a site that allows you to use an outside caterer.

The guest book is usually placed on a table near the entrance to the reception. Traditionally, a member of the family, close friend, or honor attendant usually stands beside the table to remind guests to sign it. (Note: we advise simply having your DJ or MC, make an announcement reminding guests to sign the guest book.) Some brides choose to have the guest book at the ceremony instead of the reception because they are having fewer guests at the reception. If you decide to do this, you should not have another guest book at the reception.

Unless you are having a dinner or luncheon, you shouldn't worry about seating. If, however, you are having a sit-down meal, you need to consider the Bride's Table, the Parent's Table and Place Cards.

The Head Table

The head table is usually a long table decorated with the brides and bridesmaids' bouquets. The bride and groom sit in the center of the table facing the guests. The Maid of Honor traditionally sits on the grooms left and the best man sits on the bride's right. However, this tradition is often replaced with the more contemporary seating arrangement of, The Maid of Honor seated to the right of the Bride, and The Best Man seated to the left of the Groom. Tradition also holds that the groomsmen and bridesmaids' should be seated alternately. However, this tradition is often replaced with the more contemporary seating arrangement of, all groomsmen seated to the left of the Groom, and all bridesmaids' seated to the right of the Bride. Attendants' dates usually do not sit at the head table.

The Parent's Table

The Parents' Table is usually placed near the Bride's Table and is for the Bride and Groom's parents, the grandparents, the minister and his spouse and any godparents if possible. Sometimes there are too many people for the table. In this case, the bride's parents would host one table and the groom's parents would host another. The minister would sit with the bride's family unless the groom's parents specifically invited him to perform the ceremony. If the parents are divorced, they should sit at separate tables with their special guests. The minister should sit with the hosting parents.

Place Cards

Place cards are traditionally chosen for a seated dinner. They are absolutely necessary for the Head Table and the Parent's Table and usually for the guests' tables. The easiest way to do this is to number the tables and place cards and then arrange the cards alphabetically on a side table. This prevents guests from searching for their names on the tables. When choosing table numbers, seat guests who know each other together, they will have more fun. It is a good idea to mix the tables so that the bride's side and the groom's side are not separated.