Organising a wedding reception can be challenging at best and an absolute nightmare at worst, and is certainly not for the faint of heart. Many couples are not prepared to take a chance with such an important occasion, and therefore, hire a professional event planner, while others entrust the task to someone they feel they can rely on. If you are about to organise a wedding reception, here are some important factors to bear in mind.
The Music
They say the music makes or breaks a wedding party and who are we to disagree? Don’t take chances by leaving this to a friend, rather source a seasoned professional who has the equipment and the talent to keep the audience engaged. There is affordable wedding DJ couples trust and that can be found with an online search. By trusting a professional, you can be sure that your wedding will be one that is remembered for all the right reasons.
The Catering
Another aspect that shouldn’t be left to chance, there are outside caterers who have exciting menus to offer, and most will tailor their services to suit the client. A buffet menu is usually preferable to a traditional sit-down menu, although it does depend entirely on you, and by dealing with a professional caterer, you can be sure that the food will be top notch.
The Venue
Unless you happen to have a huge garden, you are advised to talk to a large venue that has experience in hosting wedding receptions, as they would have the parking facilities, plus some overnight accommodation, which is often required when guests do not want to face the long drive home. If you are going all the way, you can hire marquee tents (and everything else you’ll need) from an online party hire company. They even have dance floors and lighting for hire, which means you can get everything you need from a single supplier.
Drinks
The very worst that could happen is to run out of alcohol, which would put the dampers on any social occasion, and as you already have your guest list, you should be able to calculate how much liquor you will need. You will need a full complement of top shelf spirits, plus an endless supply of chilled beer and don’t forget the ice! It is much better to have a lot of drinks left over than to run out, so be liberal in your estimates, and anything left over will certainly not go to waste.
Parking
This often gets overlooked, what with so many other things to arrange, but you do need to think about how many vehicles you need to accommodate. If you are booking the venue, they will have more than adequate parking facilities, but otherwise, you need to cover this one.
A professional event planner works from lists, so from day one, you should have a few lists; the guest list, the menu, the entertainment and the venue. These are all things that can be itemised and ticked off when sorted. You can refer to articles such as The Ultimate Wedding Plan Checklist, which is recommended reading for anyone that is tasked with planning the event.
Outsource the music, the food and the bar, which will leave you to focus on other aspects, and enlist the help of a few good friends to make sure that your wedding party is one to be remembered for all the right reasons.
