Six Ideas to Rethink Your Reception ©DeGroot Film Co.

6 Ways to Rethink Your Wedding Reception

Premier Bride of Northeast and Central Wisconsin

October 6, 2021

The classic wedding reception is timeless for a reason. It’s wonderful to sit down and share a meal with family and friends, followed by a night of dancing until all hours. But weddings aren’t one-size-fits-all, and receptions don’t have to be either. Now more than ever, couples are thinking outside the box when it comes to celebrating their love. Here are six ways to rethink your wedding reception.

Brunch Celebration

Are you an early bird or brunch fanatic? Then a brunch reception may be just the thing for you! Start with a mid-morning ceremony, then flow the event into a delicious brunch. The beauty of this: Not only can you serve all your favorite brunch foods, including Mimosas and Bloody Marys, you can also save quite a bit on your budget.

Champagne and Cake

Arguably two of the best things about any wedding, why not focus your reception on champagne and cake? These two festive treats go hand-in-hand and make for a delightful little reception. And there’s no rule saying it has to be cake. Consider pastries, donuts, pies—you name it! As another wallet-friendly option, this sweet gathering is typically best when kept to an intimate number of guests.

Photo from the Premier Bride photo shoot, Photo by DeGroot Film Co.

Cocktail Reception

A cocktail reception may take place in the evening, but unlike a traditional seated meal, there’s more mingling and movement. Depending on your guest list, a sit-down dinner isn’t necessarily needed. If your friends and family would get more of a kick out of a scrumptious array of passed appetizers and festive drinks, a cocktail reception may be just the thing.

Food Truck Park

In an effort to move outdoors, creating your own food truck park is an incredibly fun way to host dinner for your wedding reception. Booking your favorite local food trucks will ensure an exciting variety of eats that are sure to get guests talking. Plus, the natural spacing of the trucks allows for wonderful airiness and ample room to move about. Just be aware of the weather!
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Photo from Natalee & Logan’s Green Bay Wedding, Photo by Devon Rose Photography

Intimate and Elaborate

As some weddings scale down their guest lists to only those nearest and dearest, the elaborate vibes scale up. With fewer people to entertain, there may be more room in your budget to really go all out! When you’re only serving a couple dozen people, it’s much easier to spring for custom favors, gorgeous table settings, lush flowers, specialty plates and glassware, and the list goes on.

Marriage Now, Party Later

Perhaps, for now, you’re eloping, doing a small courthouse wedding, or an intimate backyard ceremony. It’s increasingly common for couples to get legally married in a simple way, then follow it up with a big, brilliant bash at some point down the line. Brides and grooms have their own reasons for going this route—could be budget, timing, or state of the world. In the end, whatever the reason, they have one thing in common: They know it’s never too late to celebrate!

Photo from the Premier Bride photo shoot, Photo by DeGroot Film Co.

Categorized in: Reception