The best bit about the actual wedding day? Aside from the ceremony, we think it’s all about letting loose and having bucket loads of fun at your wedding reception.

After swapping vows with your new spouse, this is your opportunity to celebrate with all of your nearest and dearest!

We’ve put together a bunch of tips to help you plan an epic wedding reception.

If planning’s not really your thing, consider hiring a wedding coordinator who will make sure all the details come together, without a thing being forgotten. Hooray-After-Dark-Wedding-Photography-Edit_Emilie-White_20

Photography by Emilie White 

Create and Follow A Timeline

Start the wedding reception planning process off right by creating a timeline you can follow on the day of.

This will help you think through all the logistics of the evening and make sure you don’t skip or miss any important steps.

You’re going to want to keep the reception moving along at a steady pace, so guests don’t get bored. Having a plan in place will allow you to relax and enjoy the reception instead of feeling stressed out and panicked.

Designate Space for A Dance Floor

Designate a specific space for the entertainment and revelry to unfold.

Your reception is going to be that much more fun when guests have a specified spot to enjoy the music and get wild on the dancefloor.

Make sure it is large enough to accommodate the number of guests attending, and don’t forget the DJ!

Prepare For Mishaps

You want to be able to enjoy your day as much as possible, so factor in the fact that occasionally, things can go wrong.

This may be to do with the food, or the venue itself, or somebody could experience a trip or fall.

If you, your partner or a guest is injured or experiences a similar incident during the day, you shouldn’t let this spoil things as you can get the help of those who are experts in such injuries.

It’s a wise idea to keep the contact information for www.the-compensation-experts.co.uk handy should an incident occur that could have easily been avoided.

Include A Cocktail Hour

You’re also going to want to designate a specific time to host a short cocktail hour at your venue before dinner.

This will give you and your wedding party time to go around town and take pictures as well. You want your guests to feel welcomed and entertained while you’re busy with your photographer, and this is also a nice, unobtrusive way to make your first appearance.

Mix and mingle with guests once you arrive and thank them for coming before you make your official grand entrance.

Decide on the Table Layout and Food

No wedding reception is complete without you serving guests a meal and making sure they leave feeling full and satisfied. Work with your venue to come up with a table layout and configuration of the room that will be most desirable and won’t cause any crowding or congestion.

Also, you want to confirm that there’s enough food to go around for everyone to enjoy. It doesn’t matter if you select to have a buffet or seated dinner, as long as you have food options for guests and everybody is catered for.

Be mindful that some people may be allergic to certain foods or might have dietary restrictions they have to follow so be sure to collect this information in advance of the reception.