Planning a wedding is tough; not only do you have a to-do list a mile long, but you’re probably putting a whole lot of pressure on yourself (because generally, you only get one shot at being a bride… right?). When it comes to planning your reception, it’s all about the little details and oftentimes when you overlook something small, it can end up being a big mistake; so, to help you avoid a #WeddingDisaster, we’ve spoken to the Weddings and Celebrations Manager at Luna Park Weddings, Rebecca Tolson to get the eight things brides forget when they’re organising their reception.
Table of Contents
1. Keeping guests occupied between the ceremony and reception
Whilst you’re off getting their photographs done, a lot of brides don’t think about what to do with your guests. It’s important to make sure you have activities for your guests or areas they can go to before the reception opens. It’s often quite hard for the venue to open doors early for guests as the events team can still be setting up. At Luna Park, we offer wedding guests rides passes, or can direct them to our public bar area for a cheeky pre-reception drink!
2. Timings for speeches and dinner courses
Consider splitting your speeches up between your courses for dinner so your guests don’t end up waiting too long for their meals if the speeches go longer than expected.
3. Collecting items after your reception
Check with the venue if you are planning on leaving anything behind after the wedding to be collected the next day, so they can ensure they have storage options available for you, or let you know if you need to make alternate pick-up plans.
4. Having a contact for the day
Sometimes the venue might need to contact you on the morning of your wedding to confirm final arrangements such as car drop off times and because the bride will be busy getting hair and make-up, it is best to assign someone to be ready to take a call. This would usually be someone who will be getting-ready with either the bride or the groom, such as groomsmen, bridesmaids or parents.
5. Who’s in charge of the tab?
If you are having a tab set up on the night for additional drinks or spirits, make sure you advise your venue who will be responsible for confirming any details about the tab. This will prevent us from having to approach the bride and groom during the night to advise if we have reached a pre-arranged limit. If mum or dad are footing the bill and will make the decision to top it up, let your venue manager or wedding planner know, so they don’t have to interrupt you during the big day.
6. Wet weather
Having a wet weather back-up plan doesn’t just apply to ceremony, it is also important to check that your venue has an alternate spot for your guests to go to if you’ve organised for them to enjoy pre-dinner drinks and canapes outside or on a deck.
7. Lighting in the room
Light doesn’t just create ambience, it is also important to think about how the lighting will accent the bridal table for your photography. Have a chat with your venue and AV specialist to discuss spot-lighting as this will ensure that all of your photos are well lit and your images are perfect!
8. Getting your guests to the reception
Is the reception within walking distance of your ceremony? If not, you’ll need to consider how your guests will get between the two. Is there plenty of car parking? Is there a coach bay close by? Can we arrive by boat?! It is also best to ask the venue their advice in regard to car parking, because if you’re sharing the venue with other weddings, it might impact on the availability for spaces.
Luna Park Weddings provides Brides with a choice of six unique, sophisticated and harbour-side venues. With a range of packages suiting a guest list as small as 60, or as large as 450, Luna Park Weddings offer a world of possibilities for your Big Day.
Images from Elise and Michael’s wedding. Photography by Inlighten Photography.
