12 things not to forget at your reception

After all the official ceremony has been done and you are now married, it’s time to let loose and have some fun with your family and friends at the wedding reception. This is the time to unwind and let loose; all of the planning and worry has paid off and now you can (hopefully!) enjoy yourself with some delicious food and a few cocktails.

But before you put on your dancing shoes, be sure you end the night without any regrets by doing these 12 things at your party:

Eat something  

You can be caught up in the whirlwind of the day and don’t take time to sit and eat and enjoy the food and wine you have chosen for your guests, remember it’s your party and you need to enjoy the efforts of your planning, the reception is a large part of your budget too.

Take It All In

One big regret most couples have is not seeing the reception space to take in how it looked before the guests arrive. Months go into planning the styling, design and décor of the reception and often you don’t get a moment to admire what .

Alysia from Celebrations from Alysia had arranged for Jasmine and Emile to see the room before their guests. "We walked into the room and were blown away by it. It was such an emotional moment for both Emile and I. It was beyond perfect and more than I had imagined for our day. As we entered we were amazed by all the decorations and also the beautiful scent throughout the room."

Spend some alone time with your new groom

Photo Lara Hotz

Unless the couple works with their photographer for a first look pre-ceremony, the pair will not have any time alone the entire day. Couples should be sure to talk to each other during the reception--not just to guests.

Mariam and Christopher featured in Issue 8 “Lara Hotz, our photographer, took us aside and told us to go and have a moment together to take it all in. I will be forever thankful for this advice.”

Choreograph the first dance

You might not think it, but a lot of couples have wished they would have added a little flair to their first dance instead of just swaying back and forth.

Hire a photographer for the whole reception

It’s after the day when you going through your photos you realise that the photos stop when the party just got started and some of your best times. Don’t regret not hiring a photographer for a longer period of time if you want to capture all the moments of a day you have spent planning for and when will the two of you ever have this big a party celebrating your love looking incredible!

Pay prior

No one wants to spend the end of their wedding party signing checks for catering. Tie up all loose ends the day before so you won’t waste a minute of your party.

Hire a videographer

You can’t be everywhere at your reception and you will miss many fun moments (and a great highlights reel) if they are never captured.

Mingle with all your guests

Be sure to stop to speak to all of your guests at the reception--even those you don't know very well including your new in-laws' friends or even your dad's boss. Everyone should know how much you appreciate their presence on your special day.

Plan transportation for guests 

A big regret is not hiring transportation for their guests at destination weddings. "When you arrange transportation for your attendees, you eliminate the margin for people to get lost, arrive late, or in some cases, miss the whole ceremony. Letting transportation pick them up at the at the hotel at a designated time is not only a great gesture, but also ensures that everyone gets to the 'church on time.'"

Honour your parents 

Parents can be instrumental parts of weddings and it should be a given that parents are acknowledged but there have been stories of forgetting to honour and thank parents. A perfect way to do this is work with your planner and DJ to do a couples dance for the parents or give a special toast to the parents and god parents in the room.

Hit the dance floor 

Brides and grooms love sweeping around the room, saying hi and taking pictures, which sometimes causes them to miss their favourite songs on the dance floor. Work with your DJ to have them give gentle reminders to get on the dance floor for 5-8 different songs throughout the night. That way the couple don’t miss out on the chance to groove to their favourite songs!

Plan a special exit

You are going to hate to see your wedding day end especially because the day will go by so fast. So the perfect punctuation to ending the day is by planning a special exit. Whether it’s sparklers, fireworks, a luxury car pulling off, or a human tunnel, couples should organise something special to end the evening on.