There is a lot that goes into making a wedding a memorable event that everyone enjoys and has good memories of. One of the most important aspects of the day is your reception. It is the longest part of the day and the part that guests enjoy and remember the most.
There are a lot of aspects to a successful reception and the entertainment is one of them. People need to be kept entertained to be able to relax and enjoy the event fully.
Offer a choice of entertainment
Given the fact that people are spending so long at the reception you need to keep them entertained in a range of ways. During the canapés, offering the chance for your younger guests to let off steam outside on a bouncy castle can be a good move. It means that they are more likely to be ready to sit still when it is time to eat.
Other extras like a magician can really work well. Photo booths are also excellent. Everyone loves them and they help to break the ice. Multi-generational photos and cousin snaps help to get everyone mixing and laughing together.
The speeches and meal
Timing each aspect of the wedding feast and speeches well helps the reception to flow and keep everyone engaged. It is important to agree the timings with the venue staff.
If you are using a wedding organiser, they will map out the whole reception out for you. This may sound stiff and formal, but in reality, it has the opposite effect on the day. When things flow smoothly everyone stays relaxed and in the right frame of mind to enjoy themselves.
Hire the right band
The other aspect of the reception that it is important to get right is the dancing. Of course, not everyone will make music and dancing part of their wedding reception, but given the fact that most people do we need to cover it here.
Key to making this part of the evening go well is hiring the right band. You need a band like Vibetown that has plenty of experience of performing at weddings.
Playing at a wedding is very different from doing a gig at a local bar or club. The band needs to be able to adapt their style to suit the tastes of the couple they are playing for. They will be playing for an audience that has a mix of musical tastes, so they need to have a long playlist for you to choose from.
It is very important for you to liaise with the band well in advance of your wedding. You need to think about your guests and choose the playlist in advance. If there are favourite songs that always seem to get the family up and dancing adding them to the playlist can make a huge difference to how well the evening goes. Most good bands will learn a song or two to make sure that they give you what you want.
