The dinner has been served, the speeches have been given and you are all dressed up in your bridal gown!
You are ready to visit your guests table by table and hit the dance floor! Because of course you are, it’s your wedding day! And this is the reception you have waited for forever.
Except….
You look around the reception hall and your guests are missing.
There’s empty seats left and right, folks outside smoking and calling their ubers. Your heart sinks a little too much. Why is everyone leaving early? And what can we do to get back to the party?
While hopefully this scenario doesn't happen to you, I have seen it many times. The reception is only just beginning and the couple is stunned to find their guests are quickly slipping out to leave before the dance floor has really even taken off.
Sometimes, things just happen.
Unforeseen circumstances like medical emergencies, overstimulation, or infant needs take priority, even on wedding days. If that happens to you on your wedding day, you can politely extend gratitude to your guests and encourage them to take care of whatever they need to. They’ll deeply appreciate the care you extend and you can assure them you understand and support their decision.
However, what do you do for the other scenarios?
I say, it’s best to prevent early exits before they even begin. This all comes down to how you design your day, and planning for a party you and your guests will love.
So let’s hop in: here are 5 unique reception ideas to keep your guests around.
1.Hire the right DJ
I get it, uncle Bob has Spotify premium. Yay. Sadly, that doesn’t make him a great DJ. If you really want to ensure your guests will stay engaged throughout your wedding day, hire a DJ with rave reviews, a large personality, and a guarantee to give your reception the attention it needs. Trust me, I’ve seen DJ’s that slump in the corner, texting all night and letting their music auto-shuffle…you can bet people were trying to slip out the back.
But the BEST wedding dance floors have included the BEST DJ’S. The ones who encourage crowd participation, are energizing, mix music well and stay engaged with the playlist, make jokes, bring lighting, and come fully prepared. You can definitely tell the difference and I assure you, your guest’s will remember it forever.
P.S. I have plenty of recommendations for DJ’s in central OH and beyond—reach out for your location and I’ll send you the best!
2. Reverse anniversary dance
Speaking of DJs, they will have plenty of ideas on how to transition from everyone sitting for speeches, to a full dance floor. One idea works well is the reverse anniversary dance.
Rather than starting with a full floor of everyone who is married, and letting the dance floor get smaller and smaller, why not reverse it?
Your DJ will start with calling out the couple who has been married for 4 hours (aka the bride and groom!). Then will call out 1 year, 3 years, 5 years… etc. Then as the numbers get higher and higher the floor will be full of loving couples and the final couple who has been married the longest will appear.
This brings an element of surprise, and is strategically designed to get the dance floor full before the DJ can play an upbeat song and guarantee a full floor.
3. Couple’s scavenger hunt
Now I have only seen this done one time, but it was so much fun to watch I have to include it on this list.
The DJ will start by asking 5-6 couples (including the bride and groom) to pull up a chair and sit in the middle of the dance floor. Then he will call out an obscure item for one party of the couple to run off and get. As they run, the DJ removes one chair. The other party will stay seated, and if the catcher can retrieve the item and bring it back to their partner, taking a seat, the couple stays in the game. The last to return won’t have a seat and that couple gets eliminated.
For example, the DJ could call out “go get a tube of red lipstick” or “a roll of toilet paper” or “a blue belt” and then chaos would ensue.
It’s wild, funny, and highly entertaining.
4. Tattoo station
Who doesn’t love a temporary tattoo? (Or, a real one depending on your guest’s vibe??). I’ve seen kids and even the most buttoned-up versions of adults have a blast with temporary tattoos on wedding days. Some couples even commission sketches of themselves from etsy artists to create custom tatts that leave everyone with a smile on their face and a (removable) mark from the day.
5. Video guest book
You’ve seen the written guest books, the polaroid books, and the voicemail guest books. But have you seen a video guest book? This could be a special photo-booth style station where guests would walk in, take a seat, and talk for a minute or two about their love and connection to the couple. I’ve also seen videographers take this to the next level.
Some filmmakers will set up and interview station outside of the main reception hall to allow for intimate interviews with guests all night long.
Either way, this allows for guests to share more than just a short word with the couple and the newlyweds to have a keepsake film to reply their guest’s voices and likeness for years to come.
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There are so many ways to creatively engage your loved ones on your wedding day. And truthfully, they love you so much and should want to stick around!
A few other ideas to keep guests around are: a photo booth, a voicemail guest book, a huge cookie table, outdoor games, kids activity station, an afterparty, an outdoor bonfire, an open bar, late night snacks, a live painter, live music, and free transportation and shuttles to the hotel.
Whatever you choose, the guests will love celebrating you and making this day one to hold onto forever.
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