Treating Guests at the Reception

Wedding is a social event which involves too many preparation details, the stress, tension and pressure that accompany the planning might too much for the future couple to bear, so they need a very good organizing scheme to get things done without glitches.

Usually, the horror and embarrassment of the newlyweds happened at the reception ceremony because of too many exaggerated portion and often less than fascinating.


Here is a useful guide how to  make a wedding day free from clutters and how to avoid  "disastrous" circumstances especially at the reception.

One of the most crucial part of the ceremony is at the reception, this moment sometimes is the "judging day" among guests and "gossipers", and many couples succumb to the pitfalls of bad etiquette due to unforeseen catastrophe.

Though no couples dreamed to get embarrassed at their own wedding, history tells us that the reception is often the defining moment how creative and prepared they are and how orderly the planning was carried out. 

The most common disasters at the reception are the following:

• Couples arrive very late at the venue overshooting the timetable of the program.
• Guests wandering around the venue because there's no available table to occupy.
• Meals are serve too late with no welcome refreshment offered upon their arrival.
• No one assigned at the receiving line to welcome the guests warmly.
• The flow of the program bores everyone.
• Hosts embarrass guests with ridiculous portion of the program. 
• Uninteresting/uninspired flow of events.

The above pitfalls commonly occur in almost all weddings in the Philippines especially in the regional areas.  Maybe because the bride and groom are just focusing on the idea of getting married and let friends and relatives handle the organizing part. This is a big mistake, couples must take a closer look on how everything will turn out to avoid disasters and not delegate the job entirely to the people around, after all it's your big day, no one will pay the high prize getting embarrass except you. 

A good organizing skill is needed, this cannot be learned overnight, it takes dedication and wisdom to fully acquire that skill, but a little information how things get done will help a lot .

To avoid these pitfalls happen in your own wedding, the following suggestions are of great help:

• Personally create a timetable for the reception.
• Avoid assigning this task to your friends, relatives or organizer.
• Make the program lively and entertaining for everyone to enjoy.
• Avoid making guests nervous with a ridiculous program that might embarrass them.
• Orient the host how you would like the program to be handled.
• Orient the wedding party ahead of your big day and explain their individual task/assignment at the event from the church down to the reception.
• Rehearsal dinner is very important so try inserting this in your busy schedule.
• Let the wedding attendants stand at the receiving line to welcome the guests.
• Visit the reception venue a day before the wedding to check the number of tables and chairs if it coincides with the expected guests. Request for extra tables and chairs in case of excess heads.
• Prepare a welcome refreshment--canapes and drinks--for your guests to prevent them getting very hungry while they wait for your arrival.
• Avoid too many "money-begging" portion at the reception.