What reception "activities" are you having?

[elrohwen]

Rock of Love''s post in the Bouquet Toss thread inspired me to start a thread about what activies everyone has planned for the reception. Are you doing the bouquet toss? Something different? Cake cutting? How will you keep your guests entertained other than the usual drinking and dancing?

 

[elrohwen]

I''ll start! I''m skipping a lot of the traditional things like bouquet toss, dances (will probably just do one with FI, not the parents), etc (even our cake cutting will be really short and not very interesting). We will be doing pub trivia which will fill some of the time. We both looove trivia and I''m so excited to have an activity we really enjoy.

I haven''t been to many weddings, so I don''t have any other ideas for fun things to do. I think casino tables are awesome, but we don''t ever gamble so it''s really not us ... though I would love to attend a wedding that had them.

 

[Rock_of_Love]

Yay! I''m so excited you started this thread...I''m so looking for ideas!! I definitely want activities becasue I think it makes it interesting, but I don''t want cheesy.

What I''ve seen, at least in the weddings in mexico I''ve looked at...

- cigar roller/cigar bar (we don''t like cigar smoke, so not an option)
- a dress-up area with traditional clothing - think mariachi and flamenco dancing - with polaroids
- a photo-op area with one of those things that people stick their heads through and the bodies are different (the one I saw was of the skeletons from dia de los muertos)
- tequila tasting (don''t want to get my guests wasted!!)
- taco cart at end of night (not sure if this counts as an activity

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/30/2009 1:04:40 PM
Author: Rock_of_Love
Yay! I''m so excited you started this thread...I''m so looking for ideas!! I definitely want activities becasue I think it makes it interesting, but I don''t want cheesy.

What I''ve seen, at least in the weddings in mexico I''ve looked at...

- cigar roller/cigar bar (we don''t like cigar smoke, so not an option)
- a dress-up area with traditional clothing - think mariachi and flamenco dancing - with polaroids
- a photo-op area with one of those things that people stick their heads through and the bodies are different (the one I saw was of the skeletons from dia de los muertos)
- tequila tasting (don''t want to get my guests wasted!!)
- taco cart at end of night (not sure if this counts as an activity

I think tequila tasting sounds like an awesome idea! So does the taco cart

 

[SapphireLover]

Good question, especially as we were discussing this with our planner last weekend.

We''ve decided on having footballs (or soccerballs as you Americans call them!), giant Connect-4, giant Jenga and other games outside for the children to play with.

The planner was suggesting having somebody singing during dinner. She planned my friends wedding, and they had a singer crooning and working round the tables at dinner and singing directly at the bride and groom. DF and I hated it and cringed hoping the singer wouldn''t come to our table. We are both the type who cringe when somebody used to get a guitar out and start singing when we were at uni. DF and I explained we really don''t like the idea. She did discuss having somebody singing but not interacting like that. She feels it can add atmosphere to the dinner and has people talking. We have agreed to consider it and make a decision after we have watched a video.

She also suggested thinking of doing some sort of entertainment after the main course but before dinner is served, as it stops people eating and running (we are having a day wedding) and helps create a bit of atmosphere and get people who don''t know each other talking. I do think she is right and it would be fun to do something as it adds a bit of sparkle and oomph to the day, especially as it is a luncheon, so although there will be background music, there won''t be dancing. I try and think of things, DF has thought of having his friends jazz band play.

We have the venue for the whole day and night, so we are going to be having food and drinks in the bar after the formal reception, and we are planning on doing a pub quiz in the bar. Hopefully people will be tipsy and the fun arguments will start (I will win of course!!!).

As for the normal wedding style entertainment we will be cutting the cake (although it will be round truckles of cheese layered up as a wedding cake).

We aren''t having dancing, so there won''t be any first dance.

 

[MakingTheGrade]

We''re having a family style chinese banquet dinner, which is a bit different.

We''re also doing Karaoke We love to sing, as do our friends, so we think it''ll be a good time.

 

[elrohwen]

SapphireLover, you''re having cheesecake? That''s what we''re having! And that''s the reason that the cake cutting won''t be very interesting. Actually, we probably won''t even do it! Who knows. And I love the idea of having a jazz band play and the pub trivia as the after party. Great idea, especially because the young people who would stick around are the ones who would enjoy it the most.

MakingtheGrade, a chinese banquet sounds awesome. Can I come?? Haha. Karaoke also sounds like fun, though I''m much more of a spectator ... I would never sing on one in front of more than 5 or so people. Eek!

 

[NuggetBrain]

We are going to do the dollar dance, but we''re thinking of making sure that the people know that the money will be donated to the American Lung Association in memory of my grandfather as I''m not comfortable making people pay to dance with us after they''ve already brought us gifts. I''m thinking about setting up a scavenger hunt for the kids (there will be at least 4 or 5 there) - they''ll each have to find a person wearing something (a beard, a black dress, glasses, etc) and get that person to sign their name next to what they''re wearing. If they can find someone with all the items they''ll get a prize (probably a bag full of candies). We are also having a photo booth there, so while its not an actual "activity" people are going to be able to have their pictures taken (with props). Also, I''m trying to find some cute, cheap frames to leave with the attendant at the booth so people can frame their pictures (and that will be their favor as well).

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 6/30/2009 3:20:11 PM
Author: NuggetBrain
We are going to do the dollar dance, but we''re thinking of making sure that the people know that the money will be donated to the American Lung Association in memory of my grandfather as I''m not comfortable making people pay to dance with us after they''ve already brought us gifts. I''m thinking about setting up a scavenger hunt for the kids (there will be at least 4 or 5 there) - they''ll each have to find a person wearing something (a beard, a black dress, glasses, etc) and get that person to sign their name next to what they''re wearing. If they can find someone with all the items they''ll get a prize (probably a bag full of candies). We are also having a photo booth there, so while its not an actual ''activity'' people are going to be able to have their pictures taken (with props). Also, I''m trying to find some cute, cheap frames to leave with the attendant at the booth so people can frame their pictures (and that will be their favor as well).

Love this idea. I''m gonna have to find some kids to invite so I can use it

The photobooths seem to be more and more popular. Such a neat idea. What it expensive to rent?

 

[NuggetBrain]

Date: 6/30/2009 3:46:54 PM
Author: elrohwen

Date: 6/30/2009 3:20:11 PM
Author: NuggetBrain
We are going to do the dollar dance, but we're thinking of making sure that the people know that the money will be donated to the American Lung Association in memory of my grandfather as I'm not comfortable making people pay to dance with us after they've already brought us gifts. I'm thinking about setting up a scavenger hunt for the kids (there will be at least 4 or 5 there) - they'll each have to find a person wearing something (a beard, a black dress, glasses, etc) and get that person to sign their name next to what they're wearing. If they can find someone with all the items they'll get a prize (probably a bag full of candies). We are also having a photo booth there, so while its not an actual 'activity' people are going to be able to have their pictures taken (with props). Also, I'm trying to find some cute, cheap frames to leave with the attendant at the booth so people can frame their pictures (and that will be their favor as well).

Love this idea. I'm gonna have to find some kids to invite so I can use it

The photobooths seem to be more and more popular. Such a neat idea. What it expensive to rent?

I'm not sure, I guess it depends on one's definition of expensive. We are getting 3 hours (8 to 11pm), an attendant, and a CD of all the images that people take. They are also allowed to take as many photos as they want, and the attentant requests them to cut two copies and put them in a book and leave a little note next to them (at the end of the night we get the book). Its costing us $745 for that. Personally I think it's fairly pricey for what you get, but FI has been completely enamoured of the idea since he saw it at a friend's wedding and isn't concerned with the cost at all. However, if we end up going over budget the photo booth is going to have to go.

 

[DMBFiredancer]

The top shelf open bar will be enough to keep our group happy

and dancing.

that''s all we need

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 6/30/2009 2:10:14 PM
Author: elrohwen

MakingtheGrade, a chinese banquet sounds awesome. Can I come?? Haha. Karaoke also sounds like fun, though I''m much more of a spectator ... I would never sing on one in front of more than 5 or so people. Eek!

Haha, that''s what the alcohol is for! To get people singing.

There is also a dance floor for those who''d rather groove that way.

I''m also planning to cut my cake with a wakizashi replica (Japanese short sword), because we both love martial arts and watching Japanese anime (many of which involved swords).

We''re also putting 2 extra seats at every table so that the husband and I can sit and chat with people during dinner.

 

[katamari]

Let''s see, we are having:
A pub quiz
Disc golf baskets set up to make a mini-course (maybe 5-6 holes)
A Wii-zebo: we are setting up four Wiis in the gazebo with Wii Sports, Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Mario Kart
Cornhole
Dancing
We will be projecting, but not playing the audio for, the OSU/USC game (or else we would loose about 100 guests)
And, FI''s parents (where our reception is) have a sand volleyball court and a horseshoe pit, though I am not expecting much of that

And, knowing our friends, there is probably a 50% chance of a pick-up Ultimate game. (FI and I have been joking that instead of a flip-flop basket, we need to have cleats).

To see it all written down, it will really look like we aren''t having a wedding at all, but that is the vibe FI and I wanted. Since it is a post-DW reception, we did want it to be more something else than wedding-y.


MtG, that is the best idea ever to have the extra chairs! If we get a fair amount of "nos" I just may have to borrow this idea!

 

[MakingTheGrade]

Date: 6/30/2009 4:51:36 PM
Author: katamari


MtG, that is the best idea ever to have the extra chairs! If we get a fair amount of ''nos'' I just may have to borrow this idea!

Thanks! The chinese dinner is 9 courses + cake so dinner is likely to be a long affair, so I thought I''d make good use of the time by sitting down and catching up with people. We purposely sat only 8 guests at tables that fit 10 so we could table-hop. I''ve always felt rushed and formal when the bride and groom would come to the table to say hi, they would only ever be there 2 min to thank everyone before moving on to the next table, so I thought it''d be nice to actually sit down and spend some time with my friends and family who I haven''t seen in way too long. One of the things I''m looking forward to most is seeing friends and family, so I''m making sure I get quality time there!

Granted, we can do this because it''s a small wedding (just under 100 guests), it wouldn''t really be too feasible at a bigger wedding with a shorter reception, lol. I''m really excited though!

 

[Diva0413]

All of these ideas sound great! I''m still planning activities (besides the flower/garter toss), but I just booked a caricature artist!