Guide to Planning the Ultimate Reception

Yes, we know you’re getting married and all ready to take those seven steps together around the fire. But wait! Before you start, have you planned out the events of your reception? From vendors and artists to book, menu and reception hall ideas to choose from and a whole lot more. Planning for a wedding reception requires a lot of organizing, preparation and collaboration. After all, your reception is where all the traditional rituals end and the real fun begins.

So for all the eager brides and grooms who are closer to their BIG day, this guide will help you plan a perfect wedding reception that your guests will remember.

SET THE DATE

Sit with your family, astrologer and fiancé to fix the most suitable wedding date. Keep in mind the season of the wedding, the availability of guests and your convenience when you pick out the date.

START BUILDING YOUR GUEST LIST EARLY

In India, every guest is not invited to every event. Usually you may be inviting 200 guests in one event and 400 in another. So, don’t miss out on an important guest!Start the check list group wise like own family,in-laws, business associates, vendors etc. And keep in mind that you will end up adding at least 20 guests at the last moment:

PICK THE RIGHT WEDDING VENUE

Many wedding venues are booked a year or even two in advance. So when you start looking for one, keep an eye for important details like ease of parking, the restroom situation and climate control. You can take help of well-known marriage planners to search for a perfect reception hall.

GET YOUR VENDOR GAME ON POINT

This is the most important part of how well your reception goes. From your caterers, DJ, emcees, comedians, make-up artists, decorators to photographers etc. choose your vendors properly. Most importantly the DJ and the caterers. If your DJ is boring or your food is subpar, none of your guests will be happy.

MAKE PROPER SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

A lot of times we forget to make proper seating arrangements for our guests. Imagine the horror of your U.S wali Chachi and Badi Mausi sitting together due to unavailability of seats. To add insult to injury, your DADI or another super important person may be relegated to a spot at the back.

TRY TO HAVE BACK-UP PLANS

Don’t leave anything to chance. If you are having an open space wedding reception, make plans for unexpected weather. Or if you are having a destination wedding, arrange transport facilities for your guests. It is always wise to be prepared for any kind of emergency.

ATITHI DEVO BHAVA - GUESTS ARE GODS!!!

At every Indian wedding, you will meet a group of complainers. Maybe the food was awful, the DJ played awful musicor they had to pay for their own accommodation— the list can go on and on. Keep in mind planning a wedding is hard and expensive, so better attend all your guests no matter what.