Reception Perfection

Excellent planning will lead to a perfect reception ensure that everyone knows their roles and the wedding reception will go without fault. Photo source:www.sxc.hu

Receptions can make or break a wedding. Typically, a reception lasts between 2 - 4 hours and can be held in the mid morning, late afternoon or even early evening. The wedding reception is the time when your guests let their hair down and enjoy the wedding. So what needs to be done to make sure that the reception is impeccably executed and all goes as planned? Read on!

For the wedding committee/planner:

Ensure that the reception is set almost two hours before the wedding ceremony ends. The wedding service providers that will be on site will be as follows:

The Caterer: Is responsible for setting up the buffet tables, hand wash stations, garbage points, table settings, barbeque grills. Choose a location that is convenient for your caterer to access water points and electricity points.  The caterer’s buffet tables should also be well placed at an entrance point to manage guest traffic. You could always opt to have your guests serve their meals first before settling down in their seats to avoid the to and fro movement.

Tents, Chairs & Décor: Décor & tents ought to be setup by the time the wedding ceremony begins. It is always advisable to pitch your tents the day where the wedding venue gives you that leeway or in case you’re in a rainy season, always have your tents pitched three days in advance; you wouldn’t want your tents dirtied, muddied and fallen to the ground just before you make your grand entrance. Appoint an incharge to inspect the tents & linen that your tents and décor person shall provide. In the case of a restaurant setup the tables should be fully set with the essential crockery.

Some of the décor is often setup just before the beginning of the reception as it doubles up for church décor; please ensure that guests do not start filing in before this décor is set. In case the chairs being used are also doubling up as reception chairs, find a side path that you could use to transport them to the reception to avoid traffic jam with the guests.

The Cake: This is usually setup one hour to the end of the wedding ceremony but that largely depends on the type of cake that you have for your wedding. If you have an ice cream cake then it should be brought in just before the cake cutting session, if your cake is not as vulnerable to elements such as weather, it is safe to setup your wedding cake by the one-hour-before-end-of-wedding-ceremony standard. All essential elements of the cake should be ready and handy; this includes pre-cuts, side saucers, cake knife, toasting glasses, champagne and a corkscrew.

Also ensure that beneath the cake table are extra cake boxes that will be used to pack wedding cake for the relatives who shall be presented with cake during the cake cutting ceremony.

The Gift table: It is advisable to set up an onsite gift registry for your guests to deposit gifts with your ushers. The gift table is set up one hour before the wedding ceremony ends. The gift table should be located conveniently, either at the entrance of the wedding reception or next to the high table. Set up at the location you find ideal.

The gift table should be manned, and should include the following essentials: a gift box, guest book, thank you notes (for your wedding guests), a pack of pens, stickers, envelopes and a safe box (this is for storing money, but you could always come up with a decoy that could be made of a carton). Two ushers should be appointed for the gift table to ensure that all goes well.

The Entertainment: Ever gone to a wedding where they are doing the sound check as the wedding guests are having lunch? That is a complete unacceptable no-no. Your sound and entertainment unit should be setup one hour before the wedding ceremony ends. The band/ Djs should have a convenient location where they can easily access all the power points and have a vantage point where they can see what's going on in the reception grounds. The Djs should have time to go over the run through of the reception songs just before the wedding guests start arriving. The Dj should start playing music to get the wedding guests on the dance floor as soon as they start arriving.

The Mcee should then be briefed on the activities that will take place during the reception. A reception program with all the details of the reception afternoon should be prepared and submitted to him on the morning of the wedding or even well before.

Once all of the above are ready you are now set to embark on the wedding reception program which is as follows:

The Wedding reception program

Welcome Guests to the buffet tables; Wedding guests should have lunch on arrival.

Band/ DJ / Singers entertain the guests.

Emcee Announcements: The Emcee should make announcements with regards to restroom facilities, gift registry, security and any other important notices.

Arrival of Bridal Party: Lay out the red carpet the Mr. and Mrs. are in the house. The bridal party in Kenya is often met by the womenfolk is pomp and glamour. So ensure that the ladies are ready for duty.

Dancing: This is the best session for most wedding guests and the bridal party. Give a cue to the DJ when he can pump up the volume.

High table buffet: The bridal party is then served their buffet lunch.

Speeches: Often termed as the most boring part of the wedding reception. On average only four speeches are featured on the program with two representatives being chosen from each side.

Cake cutting/ Gifts

Bouquet Toss: This is a time for the single ladies to push and shove to be next in line.

Last Dance: This is a new trend in the local wedding industry. The last dance is usually slow and is a moment for the bride and groom to share a magical moment at the dusk of their wedding day.

Vote of thanks: This is given by the emcee on behalf of the wedding couple and is left for last!