Text by Stephanie Wahnowski,
Wedding Consultant, Seelbach Hilton Hotel

What is the biggest party you will ever throw? You guessed it: your wedding reception. Here are a few tips to make your reception the talk of the town for years to come.

CREATE A SCHEDULE OF EVENTS and then share that information with all of your vendors. The band, reception site, photographer, ushers,and the bridal party all need to be on the same page. A good consultant or reception site will help you design this schedule. By sharing a schedule with all of your vendors, they can work together to ensure a smooth flow while you enjoy your friends and family.

TAKE PICTURES before the ceremony. Too often, the bride and groom miss an hour of their reception taking pictures. This is your night to enjoy your dearest friends and family, so take as many pictures before the ceremony as possible. If you'd like to hold to the tradition of the brideand groom not seeing each other until the ceremony, you can still get a good deal of your pictures out of the way ahead of time by taking the pictures of the groom's side and the bride's side individually.

COCKTAIL HOUR is a fantastic way to begin your reception. This gives your guests an opportunity to have a canapé and drink while the bride and groom finish pictures. A few hors d'oeuvres will tide your guests over until dinner. Cocktail hour should last no more than an hour and is preferably held in a foyer or separate room from the actual dinner.

THE FIRST DANCE should be as early as possible. Many couples choose to be announced at the reception and head straight to the dance floor for their first dance as man and wife. This opens up the dance floor for other guests to begin as they finish dinner, rather than having to wait on the bride and groom.

SERVE DINNER to your guests. People like to have a seat and they like to be served. Your guests will appreciate having a 'home base' for their drinks and purses. They will also appreciate not having to stand in line. A sit down dinner encourages guests to become active in conversation. It is certain that your guests will spend more time at a seated dinner than a cocktail reception.

CHILDREN can be a wonderful addition to any reception. However, if you choose to have children at your reception, consider providing something for them to do. One idea is to furnish a special table with coloring books and crayons. Also consider serving a child's meal rather than an adult entrée. Having an adult only reception is perfectly acceptable, but it is courteous to provide a babysitting service.

YOUR ENTERTAINMENT is not the center of attention, you are. Make sure you consider your location when hiring entertainment. In a large ballroom, a live band can be fabulous. In a smaller hall, it can be overpowering. A better choice for a smaller area would be a jazz trio or a DJ.

AN ANNIVERSARY DANCE is a great way to get older guests involved in the reception. Some couples have replaced the garter toss with this dance where all married couples are asked to come to the dance floor. As the song continues, the DJ will ask couple who have been married fewer than five years, then ten years, etc. to be seated. The last couple remaining receives the bridal bouquet.

DESIGNATE SOMEONE to take all gifts, leftover cake, and extra favors after the reception. This should be someone your trust, but not someone directly involved in the wedding. The last thing you want to do is have yourself or your parents loading a car at midnight on your wedding night.