After you’re officially married and the ceremony is over, most couples invite their guests to a gathering known as a wedding reception. Traditionally, the couple will offer their guests dinner, alcoholic libations, and some form of entertainment while everyone chats and mingles. Most commonly, there will be either a DJ or a band playing music during the reception while everyone dances, which can be a lot of fun for everyone. However, it you want your wedding to be truly remarkable, you’ll need to come up with some exciting wedding activities that not everyone has as part of their celebration. Here are a few fun ways to spice up your wedding reception and make a lasting impact on all of your guests.
Choreographed Dance Entrance
One of the most important parts of a wedding reception is the entrance of the newlywed couple. Usually, all of the guests arrive and mingle during what is known as “cocktail hour” while the wedding party finishes up pictures and cruises around in a limousine. Once they arrive at the reception hall, they are typically announced and make their grand entrance to an adoring crowd of their friends, family, and loved ones and make their way to the head table.
Though many couples choose to just walk in very plainly, doing something like a choreographed dance number as you enter can be a lot of fun and really catch your guests off guard. I’ve seen this type of entrance range from something very short and simple to full out dance routines that last several minutes and took months of special classes and planning to pull off. Though this type of feat is not for everyone, it can be a great way to add some excitement to your wedding reception.
Wedding Sparklers
Sparklers used to be reserved for only a handful of different holidays throughout the year, but they are quickly becoming a common favor at weddings in America. Nothing injects excitement quite as quickly as lighting a bunch of sparklers during a wedding reception, and all of your guests will love you for it. Though just lighting the sparklers is usually enough fun for most guests, you can take things a step further by coordinating special effects using the sparklers or even writing words in the air to be captured in pictures. Many couples use wedding sparklers during the send-off line after their reception in place of confetti, birdseed, or rice. Talk to your wedding photographer more about your options because they will likely have a lot of experience and ideas regarding the use of wedding sparklers.
Wedding Games
Games are fun no matter the occasion, and a wedding reception is no different. There are tons of great games that can be played at a wedding reception, and it can be a great way to fill in the time between eating and dancing. I’ve even seen some couples go as far as to bring in all sorts of casino style games like craps, roulette, and poker (not playing for cash, of course), but most couples just go with something simpler.
Regardless what you choose for your exciting wedding activities, you’ll immediately be glad that you chose to do something fun the minute you see the smiles on the faces of your guests. While eating, drinking, and dancing should make up the bulk of your wedding reception, adding in some other fun activities can really make a huge difference and allow your guests to more thoroughly enjoy the celebration.
