Tuesday, April 22, 2008

No Dancing at My Reception

What do you do if you don't want to have dancing at your reception but are afraid that your reception might be considered boring? Here are a few suggestions:


Play music anyway. Music helps relax everyone and set a tone for a party. Music can also help cover any awkward breaks in conversations while your guests are getting to know one another. Consider playing soft jazz, classical music, or love songs from the 50s and 60s.


Have an ice-breaker game for your guests to do at each table. Examples that could be used are describing how the guest met the bride and groom, general questions from conversation starter books, or a disposable camera scavenger hunt.


Have other things for the guests to do. For example, bring in a palm reader for fun. Hire a comedian or magician to entertain. Hire strolling musicians, a barbershop quartet or a string quartet. Hire a caricaturist to draw your guests.


Make up wedding time capsule sheets for people to fill out. Have your guests make predictions on how things will be 10 years from now and put the predictions in an airtight container. Have the bride and groom open it on their 10th anniversary.


Create a slide show of your and your future husband growing up. Be sure to include some of those funny pictures as well as some nice ones. This can either be set up on a table to one side with a TV and VCR/DVD player or shown to the entire reception at once. If you show it to the entire reception, be sure to not make the show too long.


If you have friends or relatives that are talented, consider asking them to share their talents with your guests. Ask your musical friends or relations to prepare a song or two for the reception. If you know someone who does balloon animals, ask them to make animals for reception guests. Be sure to buy the balloons for your friend.


If you or your husband come from an ethnic background, consider doing things that would celebrate that heritage. Research wedding customs and incorporate them into your reception if possible. Or incorporate other symbols of that culture. For example, if you come from an Irish background, hire some Irish dancers to entertain. Or if you are a bit more adventurous, hire a bagpiper.


Use games to replace the traditional clinking of glasses to get the bride and groom to kiss. For example, a putting green could be set up and every time someone sunk a putt the bride and groom could kiss.


Create a fake casino complete with fake money for the guests to use. The guests could use their "money" to buy their wedding favors or other prizes.

No comments: