{"id":6923,"date":"2019-10-13T00:01:02","date_gmt":"2019-10-13T00:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/?p=6923"},"modified":"2021-11-09T21:25:39","modified_gmt":"2021-11-09T21:25:39","slug":"the-reception-experience-wow-your-guests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/?p=6923","title":{"rendered":"The Reception Experience — WOW Your Guests!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

By Sabrina Spears, Wedding\/Events\nPlanner & Designer<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Sabrina Spears Events \u2013\nsabrinaspearsevents.net<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

307.333.4676<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Ever attended a wedding and were completely bored out of your mind (not to mention the food was horrible?!) I\u2019m certain the thought, \u201cWhen are they going to cut the cake so we can leave?!\u201d crossed your mind. The reality is the blissful newlyweds probably didn\u2019t share the same sentiment as you did — they had an amazing<\/em> time!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nexperience a bride & groom have during their wedding is very different from\ntheir guests. I often remind my couples that while the marriage and ceremony<\/em>\nis all about them, the reception<\/em> should be designed with the guest\u2019s\nexperience in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\nare a few ways you can transform your wedding reception into an experience<\/em>\u2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sight\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s\nthe first thing that catches the eyes of your guests as they enter the room:  is it the welcome sign, seating chart or the\nlush floral designs, menu cards, cloth napkins on each table? Every bride wants\ntheir guests to say that her wedding was the most beautiful one they have ever\nbeen to. Having a well-decorated reception space will make your guest feel\nvalued. There is one area that is often forgotten:  the bathrooms. Adding a small vase of flowers\nand an air freshener can easily transform that space — but you don\u2019t have to\nstop there! Add a care basket filled with some essentials like mouthwash and floss\n(especially if you plan and serving brisket!), hand lotion, etc. Your guests\nwill feel special!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taste<\/strong>\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\nhave seen couples skimp on the quality food for their reception because it\u2019s just\nnot a priority for them. Well, I\u2019m here shouting from the mountain top that it is<\/em>\nand should be<\/em>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This\nisn\u2019t the time for the \u201cI found someone cheaper\u201d move. You don\u2019t want your\nguests leaving your wedding early because the only thing on their minds is,\n\u201cHow do we get to the nearest fast food joint?!\u201d Good food makes people happy.\nGreat food makes people dance. Consider including a late night s\u2019mores bar or\nnacho bar in your catering, especially if you plan on partying all night long.\nAll that fun can leave you and your guests craving a late night snack. And — let\u2019s\nnot forget about cake! Include a gluten free option for guests with dietary\nrestrictions; this gesture will be greatly appreciated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sound\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether\nyou opt for a DJ, band or the audio hookup at your space, music is an easy way\nto get your guests out of their seats. Schedule all your special dances, like\nfirst dance, mother\/son, during dinner service. This will keep your guests\nentertained while they eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep\nthe toasts and speeches to a minimum. Your second cousin Bill\u2019s son doesn\u2019t\nneed to make a speech, neither does every person in the wedding party. Remember\nit\u2019s not open mic night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Guest Experience\u2026<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your\nwedding is probably the biggest party you will ever throw. When I think party, I\nthink fun. Instead of party favors, give your guests the memories of a great\ntime. Make your event interactive! Two words: Corn. Hole. Although I haven\u2019t\nmastered the art of the game, that hasn\u2019t stopped me from loving it. The inclusion\nof games at wedding receptions has taken on a life of its own over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some\nother fun ideas to make your reception interactive include hiring a caricature\nartist, a slow motion photo booth, poker station and — my absolute favorite —\nan adult bounce house. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cliff Notes \u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine that you\u2019re a guest at your own wedding and it\u2019s the wedding day:  now take a walk in your guests\u2019 shoes!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Sabrina Spears, Wedding\/Events Planner & Designer Sabrina Spears Events \u2013 sabrinaspearsevents.net 307.333.4676 Ever attended a wedding and were completely bored out of your mind (not to mention the food was horrible?!) I\u2019m certain the thought, \u201cWhen are they going to cut the cake so we can leave?!\u201d crossed your mind. The reality is the blissful newlyweds probably didn\u2019t share the same sentiment as you did — they had an amazing time! The experience a bride & groom have during their wedding is very different from their guests. I often remind my couples that while the marriage and ceremony is all about them, the reception should be designed with the guest\u2019s experience in mind. Here are a few ways you can transform your wedding reception into an experience\u2026. Sight\u2026 What\u2019s the first thing that catches the eyes of your guests as they enter the room:  is it the welcome sign, seating chart or the lush floral designs, menu cards, cloth napkins on each table? Every bride wants their guests to say that her wedding was the most beautiful one they have ever been to. Having a well-decorated reception space will make your guest feel valued. There is one area that is often forgotten:  the bathrooms. Adding a small vase of flowers and an air freshener can easily transform that space — but you don\u2019t have to stop there! Add a care basket filled with some essentials like mouthwash and floss (especially if you plan and serving brisket!), hand lotion, etc. Your guests will feel special! Taste\u2026  I have seen couples skimp on the quality food for their reception because it\u2019s just not a priority for them. Well, I\u2019m here shouting from the mountain top that it is and should be.   This isn\u2019t the time for the \u201cI found someone cheaper\u201d move. You don\u2019t want your guests leaving your wedding early because the only thing on their minds is, \u201cHow do we get to the nearest fast food joint?!\u201d Good food makes people happy. Great food makes people dance. Consider including a late night s\u2019mores bar or nacho bar in your catering, especially if you plan on partying all night long. All that fun can leave you and your guests craving a late night snack. And — let\u2019s not forget about cake! Include a gluten free option for guests with dietary restrictions; this gesture will be greatly appreciated. Sound\u2026 Whether you opt for a DJ, band or the audio hookup at your space, music is an easy way to get your guests out of their seats. Schedule all your special dances, like first dance, mother\/son, during dinner service. This will keep your guests entertained while they eat. Keep the toasts and speeches to a minimum. Your second cousin Bill\u2019s son doesn\u2019t need to make a speech, neither does every person in the wedding party. Remember it\u2019s not open mic night. Guest Experience\u2026 Your wedding is probably the biggest party you will ever throw. When I think party, I think fun. Instead of party favors, give your guests the memories of a great time. Make your event interactive! Two words: Corn. Hole. Although I haven\u2019t mastered the art of the game, that hasn\u2019t stopped me from loving it. The inclusion of games at wedding receptions has taken on a life of its own over the years. Some other fun ideas to make your reception interactive include hiring a caricature artist, a slow motion photo booth, poker station and — my absolute favorite — an adult bounce house.  The Cliff Notes \u2026 Imagine that you\u2019re a guest at your own wedding and it\u2019s the wedding day:  now take a walk in your guests\u2019 shoes!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6927,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,7,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-blogs","category-inspiration","category-meet-our-vendors"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6923"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7140,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6923\/revisions\/7140"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wyoweddings.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}