Wedding Reception ideas???

I'm having my wedding reception next weekend. I'm so excited. And scared. And I wish next week will be here already...

Hi Dana, congratulations. Hope all goes well. If you're interested in a unique, fun addition to your reception party, Click on the blue link and see what you think.

Thank you.
Have a great time...

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Hi, Strolling maigc entertainment for your guest, about
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Stoil-Strolling Magician

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First Half-hour: While final pictures are taken of the wedding party, guests start arriving at the reception location, mingling, and getting something to drink. Non-dance music begins.

Second Half-hour to Hour-and-a-half: Guests sign the guest book, pick up their table cards, if any. Hors d'oeuvres are passed. The wedding party arrives and makes their entrance. A receiving line is formed (if there is to be one). Bar/drink service and music continues.

Second Hour: Buffet is announced or guests are seated for sit-down meal. The wedding party is seated and served. Food is served to guests. Bar service may continue, or may be replaced or augmented by wine service with the meal. At the end of the second hour, champagne may be served and music ceases temporarily so the best man may propose the first toast.

Third Hour: Any additional speeches are made. First course is cleared from head table. Bride and groom have their first dance, followed by the dances with the parents and attendants, if desired. Dance music continues, and guests may follow on the dance floor.

Three-and-a-half Hours: Tables are cleared. Guests may mingle or dance. Musicians cease playing for the cake cutting ceremony. The cake is cut and served. Dance music resumes.

Last Half-hour: Bride and groom participate in bouquet and garter toss, if desired. The couple may choose to change into going away clothes at this time, and then rejoin the party. The couple makes their departure and guests see them off with a shower of rice, birdseed, flower petals, or other ceremonial gesture. The bar has "last call" and closes, music stops, and guests start to leave. Parents and attendants gather personal belongings and gifts before leaving.

For more info check out "The Wedding Channel.com"
That's where I found the info.
Hope this helps.
Heather

On the topic of toasts. The best man usually starts, but there can be other toasts as well such as:

To the bride from the groom
To the bride from someone other than the groom
To the groom from the bride
To the groom from someone other than the bride
To the bridesmaids
To the newly weds
To the newly weds from parents
To the parents (from bride and/or groom)
To the grand parents
To the wedding guests

My favorite toast (groom to bride)
"Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss within the cup,
And I'll not look for wine."
- Ben Jonson

Hope this helps
Kathy

How about personalilzed candy bars to give to each of your guests. Kandygrams@hotmail.com

I was just at a wedding reception that had a "dollar dance". I never knew of this before but it was a neat idea!!! I don`t know the details but am sure you can figure them out. What it is... Is the guest chance to dance w/ the bride and groom. Each guest (that is interested) gets in line, pays a dollar (some guest give $10, $20, ect.) to your Maid of Honor, then gets to dance w/ you for about 20-30 seconds(how ever long you choose). It was alot of fun to everyone. Maybe ask around, I hadn`t heard of it, but everyone else knew all about it.

Sandra,
I would be very wary of the "money dance" idea. The folks at your wedding have aleady spent money on travel expenses, wedding and/or shower gifts, and possibly a place to stay. To blatantly beg for cash during your reception would be tacky as well as NOT a good way to be remembered.

I`m getting married in September and am hiring The Tiny Twins which are people dressed like a bride and groom with large heads and small bodies they do several dance routines and mingle with the guest. The website is www.Thosefunnylittlepeople.com

Good luck

In regard to the Money Dance, this is an ethnic custom that has been around for a very long time. I am of Lithuanian /Ukranian/ Polish descent, and the Money Dance is very much anticipated at weddings here in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Often times, the ladies want to also dance with the groom, too--even at my own wedding 24 years ago!!! It is not a blatant money making scheme. It is a very loving ritual, in which friends and relatives get one last chance to dance with the bride and to whisper their good wishes for a long and happy marriage. The bride is seated on a chair in the center of the dance floor, her mother takes off her veil and kisses the top of her daughter`s head before tying on a babushka, (a scarf), traditionally worn by married women. The bride rises and dances first with her mother, as the wedding polka is played by the musicians. Her maid of honor, wearing an apron, is now seated in the chair, and she holds open wide the apron for guests to toss in dollar bills--it is completely voluntary . Most often, people will return to the line to dance many times, in order to keep the groom from his honeymoon as long as possible! And the polka is played over and over... The last people to dance with the bride are her uncles, brothers, male cousins, grandfathers, and at the very end--her father. As her father dances with her, the other male relatives form a tight circle around her, arms linked, dancing. Women and children, form a second dancing circle on the outside. It is a very emotional show of their love and devotion to the bride. The groom must then break through both circles in order "to steal" his bride from her father and walk out of the reception hall with her in his arms.

The "Dollar Dance" as it is known in the midwest ( Iowa , Nebraska) is where the gusts get a chance to dance with the bride or groom for a dollar, it is very popular here and sometimes the women will dance with the bride or the men with the groom , as a joke! :) . It is pretty much expected here and no one will think you are trying to mooch more money out of them! The younger guests will get a real kick out of it because sometimes that is the only way they will get a chance to dance with either of you! Hope this enlightened you a little bit! Congrats and good luck!

In reference to the money dance, the weddings I have attended also offer a whiskey shot when you pay your dollar.

I have a couple of ideas that I used at my wedding. At the front of the reception room I had a table set up and put framed pictures of past family weddings. I had my parents and both sets of grandparents as well as my husbands family. It adds a nice personal touch. I also ordered these things from our invitation company (sorry I don`t remember who they were but I`m sure plenty places have this). It was a small sheet of very nice paper that was called "The future of the Newlyweds, our names and the date. Then your guest would fill in their name and the date that the bride and groom were to open this such as their 1st anniversary of 25th or 50th. Then they answered questions such as How many homes have they lived in, how many children do they have, what does the groom do that still makes the bride sigh, what do they like to do together best. Things like that. We are about to celebrate our 2nd anniversary and have only opened 4 so far. We can`t wait until we`re opening our 50th when we`ll be 70 and 73!!! Very exciting. Good luck!

My cousin just did this at his wedding reception. They took the response cards and cut out the couples` names and put them in a little bucket on the head table. Then whenever anyone wanted them to stand up and kiss, they first drew a slip out of the bucket and the couple that got chosen had to stand up and demonstrate how they wanted to see the bride and groom kiss. Then, of course, the bride and groom had to kiss the exact same way that the other couples did. It was really neat and got a lot of laughs. I`ve never seen this done before and I thought it was a very fun and exciting idea. I also think that if you have a DJ, see if he has blow up musical instruments. THen have the wedding party play along with a song and see how it works out. My husband was in a wedding that did this and it was a hit!!! I`ve also seen it where the DJ teaches the guests how to line dance and other fun things like that.

Program for wedding reception