Are you in the process of planning your wedding?
If so, congratulations! It’s safe to say that this is going to be one of the most exciting days of your life. Once you’ve booked your venue, you can now move onto planning your reception.
While planning your reception may seem like all fun and games, it isn’t always a walk in the park. In fact, sometimes it can be really challenging to come up with unique ideas and designs that have yet to be done.
When faced with these issues, it’s easy to let your stress and anxieties get the best of you. If you’re nodding your head, it’s important to note that you’re not alone in your stress. In fact, 96 percent of couples admit that planning their wedding caused them stress.
If you’re in the midst of planning your dream wedding, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering nine of the most unique wedding reception ideas and how to incorporate them into your big day.
Not only are these unique ideas wallet-friendly, but they’re also bound to make your wedding a night to remember.
1. Herb Centerpieces
When you think of a typical wedding centerpiece, one of the first thoughts to come to your mind are flowers. Whether they are roses, peonies or daises, it’s safe to say that flowers have been done many times before.
So, why not switch up the game with your centerpieces?
This is where herbs come into play. This could be anything from basil and thyme to lavender and mint. Either way, herbs add a beautiful touch of greenery and offer pleasant aromas to the table.
As compared to your usual flower centerpiece, herbs are undoubtedly more unique. Of course, a herb centerpiece is best for a daytime reception in which plenty of natural light will be available.
As a keepsake from the wedding, you can offer your guests to take the herbs home. Or yourself and your partner may collect them at the end of the night, take them home and plant a special herb garden. This is the perfect way to toast to your wedding!
2. A Video Booth
It’s more than likely we’ve all been to a number of weddings with a photo booth.
While there’s no denying just how fun these photo booths might be, they’re admittedly starting to become overused. So, if you’re looking for something similar yet slightly more unique, it’s time to bring your attention to a video booth.
A video booth is a fun and exciting twist on your classic photo booth. Here, guests can record short videos for the newlyweds. This is a great way for your guests to express to you their excitement and communicate a personal message.
From here, you can get your videographer to edit the clips and add them to your wedding video. It’s safe to say these are clips that you’ll never forget!
3. Convenient Child Care
If you’re going to be opening your wedding to children, it may be worthwhile to budget for childcare.
While this may sound like a major expense, it certainly doesn’t have to be. Instead, you can look into hiring a few babysitters. More often than not, you’ll be able to locate a few well-trained and eager teenagers that are looking for babysitting gigs.
Once you’ve found your babysitters, you can decide a room or even a small corner of the reception to the kid’s corner. This way, parents can easily see and visit their children throughout the evening. However, this small break will give parents a rare chance to kick back and enjoy the celebration.
4. Outdoor Lounge
If your location and weather allow for it, why not consider an outside lounge?
Here, guests can enjoy the great outdoors all the whilst not having to leave the venue. For a large party, this helps to keep guests together and keep the party atmosphere alive.
If you’re opting for simplicity, this can be as simple as arranging comfortable seating and tables in a pleasant setting. Or, if you’re looking to spring for something a little more exciting you could incorporate a bonfire. This idea is perfect for weddings taking place in the cooler months.
Either way, your guests will be more than pleased to catch a breath of fresh air without having to leave the venue.
5. Hangover Helper Kit
It’s safe to say that there’s no better time for a party than a wedding!
If you’ve been to your fair share of weddings, you know firsthand that the following morning isn’t always so pleasant. Whether you had one too many Pinot Grigios or that notorious end-of-the-night shot isn’t faring so well, yourself and your guests just might be greeted with a headache the following morning.
So, why not prepare for this in advance and do your guests a favor?
A hangover helper kit is a perfect gift to send your guests home with at the end of the night. This type of kit can easily be DIY crafted and you can rest assured your guests will be thanking you. Here’s what to include:
- Light blocking eyemask
- Pain reliever such as Aspirin
- Water or ginger ale
- Snacks
- Mints
- Sunglasses
It’s safe to say that your guests are going to be oh-so-thankful waking up the following morning.
6. Social Media Integration
In this day and age, it’s not too often a wedding comes and goes without being streamed on the internet.
Let’s consider that Americans today spend an average of 2.5 hours each day on their social media profiles. When you consider this fact, it’s safe to assume that your guests are going to be pleasantly surprised as your social-friendly reception.
You can have your guests hashtag their photos or even live-tweet the reception from a computer at the reception.
7. A DIY Flower Station
We’ve all been guests at a wedding in which we’re unsure what to do with our party favors. More often than not, these gifts are long forgotten and are cleared out by staff at the end of the night.
Whether it’s a wine glass, shot glasses or even a deck of cards, these favors usually end up in the garbage. So, why not send your guests home with something they will actually look forward to using?
A DIY flower station is fun for the party getting married and the guests themselves. Here, guests can visit your flower station and put together their own DIY flower bouquet to take home. If you really want to go the extra mile, you can arrange for your guests to make their own corsage, boutonniere or flower crown.
You can work with a florist to arrange a number of different flowers to be available to your guests. Do yourself a favor and ensure that the flowers can survive when natural lighting is lacking. You’ll also want to ensure that you’re supplying ribbons and pins to hold the bouquets together.
8. Midnight Snacks
It’s not exactly surprising to note that some of the best weddings are those that have some of the best food.
Of course, the formal meal being served is typically the food that becomes the point of focus. But, what about the end of the night when your guests are eager for some much-needed fuel?
Midnight snacks are the perfect way to restore the energy in your guests that may be lacking at the end of the night. Some of the best midnight snacks are those that are finger foods and typically on the greasier side: pizza, french fries and hamburgers!
Just when your guests think the night is winding down, this is the perfect way to liven the party!
9. Confetti Send-Off
At the end of the night, a confetti send-off may be the perfect way to cap off your wedding night.
These days, confetti is easy to find online and there are a number of different variations and colors available. While this is bound to create a mess, the best event venues will be happy and eager to make your dreams come true.
As the end of the night presents itself, you can arrange for your wedding party to pop your confetti and bid you farewell! As for the photographers, this is also a worthwhile photo opportunity.
Unique Wedding Reception Ideas
Now that you have your ceremony details in place and the venue selected, it’s time to focus on the details of your reception!
For many couples, this is where the stress and anxiety of wedding planning may begin to take a toll. After all, it’s only natural to feel a small degree of pressure to host an exciting and entertaining reception.
But, after being the guest to so many weddings, it can be difficult to generate new and exciting ideas. When we consider that an average of 2.4 million weddings are performed each year in America, it’s easy to see why planning a unique wedding can be such a challenge for the newly engaged couple.
For those who are struggling, we have crafted the perfect guide outlining unique wedding reception ideas. Whether you borrow one idea or draw inspiration from all, we’re certain that your wedding day is going to be one you’re not to forget.
Are you eager for more unique wedding inspiration ideas? If so, be sure to read our blog post outlining the most unique and fun wedding themes.
