Must Have Wedding Reception Upgrades

There is nothing standard about the modern wedding anymore. The biggest wedding trend of 2016 is personalization. Couples everywhere are doing anything they can to turn their wedding reception from drab to fab with personal touches that take away from the cookie cutter reception that many have come to know of. If you want to take your wedding to the next level, make your evening unique,  and truly wow your guests with a memorable experience – consider some of our favorite wedding reception upgrades to keep your party going until the very last song is played.

Offer a Late Night Snack

Just when your guests think the fun is winding down. liven up the part with late-night nibbles to prepare everyone for an after-party. Offering a late night snack at a wedding is typical in some parts of the United States – but in the American Midwest, this trend is just coming to the forefront of the event world and more couples are opting to offer their guests some posh late night nosh. Consider offering some of your favorite eats to your friends and family while they drink and dance till morning. Ask you caterer if they have a late night menu of popular favorites for you to choose from – this can help inspire you or you might come across something you know you’ll love. Whether it is quesadillas, sliders and fries, an ice cream sundae bar, caramel apple station or a donut station – adding a late night nibble adds character. If you provide low-key comfort foods, your guests will wish the party would never end.

Other Great Catering Upgrades: Most catering packages will include your bar, cocktail hour, and meal. Kick your evening up a a knotch by offering some great beverage services throughout the evening that go beyond your included bar. Favorite beverage upgrades include Italian soda station, champagne bar or a whiskey tasting bar. Each of these unique experiences will take your catering service to a new level.

Ask About Uplighting

Set the mood and help the atmosphere of the evening truly come alive by discussing with your venue and/or your DJ about including uplighting in your reception space. Uplighting is custom color lighting that is positioned around the reception space to throw light up the wall. More and more venues are offering uplighting to their clients, however if your venue does not have uplighting equipment- just ask your DJ. Most DJ companies can offering lighting for your reception space at a reasonable rate. Uplighting can dramatically alter the mood of a space, creating a magical environment. Popular colors for uplighting include blue, pink, amber, red and lavender. Select a color to match the color scheme of your wedding, or to add a modern touch to a neutral-toned or outdated banquet room.

Other Great Lighting Upgrades: Ask your DJ about custom gobo lighting to project your monogram or names onto your dance floor or a wall of your reception space. These are great added details for photos during the first dance, speeches, or even the cake cut!

Lounge Around

Let’s be honest, the father of the bride might not be cutting a rug on the dance floor all night. Then again, maybe he does. Either way, if your guests are not on the dance floor they need to be somewhere… and usually that somewhere is stuck at their table or standing awkwardly around the bar socializing. Give your guests a place to mingle during dance breaks by having one or two lounge areas set up at your reception. Look into renting couches, chairs and other furniture that you can then stage with pillows and votive candles in your wedding colors. It’s the perfect way to keep everyone involved in the party – even when they are resting.

Other Lounge Upgrades: Really wow your guests by setting lounge areas against curtains or draping to create a truly VIP vibe.