10 Tips For The Perfect Wedding Reception

Your wedding celebration is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone event. You've spent a ton of time planning it from beginning to end. You want everything to go smoothly. Here are 10 great tips to help you plan an amazing experience for both you and your guests.

1. Keep in mind that your guests are going to be where the couple are. If dancing is important to you, start on the dance floor. Your guests will naturally gravitate to wherever you are too.

2. Don’t micromanage the timeline. We do need the order of events but not necessarily the exact time for each. Your DJ/MC should be able to help you create an outline/timeline and/or order of events for your celebration. Make sure you take time to enjoy the celebration and not get caught up worrying about what happens next. This is why your DJ/MC will go over details with you ahead of your celebration.

3. If there are older guests, try not to sit them close or right in front of the speaker(s). The last thing you want to do is blast grandma & grandpa because they are right in front of the speakers.

4. Don’t put the DJ in an obscure location or corner ; the DJ needs to be easily visible and near the dance floor so they can see it to get a feel for the crowd. Your DJ/MC should go over the whole floor plan for your day with you. The idea is that you want your DJ near the dance floor and the room to be layed out optimally for flow.

5. If you have dance floor lighting, keep in mind that darker is better. Use dimmers for chandeliers, cafe lighting, etc.

6. If you have a bar or photo booth at the event, please put it in the main room where the DJ is. You want to keep people near the dance floor at all times. If the photo booth and bar are near the dance floor, your guests will have really good flow, and both the dance floor, bar, and photo booth should have maximum use. You know the old adage, out of sight, out of mind.

7. When picking your songs for your event, take into account not only your taste, but the guests’ as well. Your celebration isn't just for you, it's for all of your guests too. It's okay to create playlists for each element of your day, but take into account who you are inviting as well, and make sure your list is well rounded. Your guests will thank you!

8. You always want to leave the guests wanting more. It’s not your responsibility to entertain guests until 2am. Sometimes earlier can be better, think about what you want the end result to be, and then plan accordingly. Remember, it's a long day, will your guests really want to party for 12-14 hours just because the venue is okay with it. It's perfectly fine, to end at 11:00, 11:30 or midnight.

9. When picking your music, you don’t have to overdo it. Pick 20 or so songs you like and a few you don’t, and let us fill in from there.

10. If you have to cut corners on your budget , don’t skimp on your entertainment—it can make or break your event! It's true the entertainment you choose will be responsible for 80% of your reception's success. The old adage goes, you get what you pay for, and you don't want to be sorry after it's too late. There are no do overs to your wedding celebration.

Get a downloadable PDF version of these planning tips for your wedding binder here

Sound Sensations Entertainment is based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They offer highly engaging, fun wedding entertainment to all points in Wisconsin including Wisconsin Dells, Stevens Point, Green Bay, Oshkosh, Green Bay, Appleton and all other areas of Wisconsin. DJ Bob V, DJ Devon L, and DJ Ed Eaton each have more than 15-20 years of entertainment experience doing more than 1500+ wedding celebrations across Wisconsin. If you would like to have us at your upcoming Wisconsin wedding reception and/or ceremony, please check your date today.

Sound Sensations Entertainment – DJ, Photobooth , Uplighting & More is a professional wedding entertainment company that has been part of the Wisconsin wedding industry since 2000.