Party in place of reception

jbrewer2013

I've been trying to plan our wedding for over a year now and what i'm stuck on is the reception. we've decided we aren't traditional enough to have a reception and just want to have a party. But i'm having trouble figuring out how to decorate the venue for a party that still looks like it's related to a wedding. We have a small budget and want to have minimal decorations. Any suggestions on how to decorate or where to find decoration ideas?

Lyss5362

I'm confused.. are you having the party the same day that you get married or will it be a different day? if it's the same day then I'm not sure how it wouldn't be considered a reception. if it's a different day like if you elope or something and then come back and have a party it should be pretty simple. try party city or a place like that they usually have all kinds of decorations. I'm sure if you google it you should find a lot of stuff that's reasonably priced

Maggie0829

Um a reception is a party.

chibiyui

Receptions are parties.

You do not have to have any dances, cake cutting or any other traditional thing.

Jen4948

A party on the day of your wedding following the ceremony IS a reception.  This assumes that all those in attendance at the ceremony are invited.

Gina0887

Are you are saying a party because you mean a reception without food and the traditional stuff or because it will be on a different day???

kannf1982

I get what she means - reception to her comes with preconceived notions of what the many cookie cutter weddings I have attended supposedly "should" include.  

On the other hand, a party is a gentle way of saying to your guests - drop your expectations and just celebrate and have fun. I get it - not need for y'all to correct her, you know what she is getting at.

@jbrewer2013: what type of tables are you having? is itindoor? outdoor? long tables? round tables? are you having a meal where people will sort of have designated seating?  

Candles are always a good fallback if you can find cheap, unscented white ones in bulk. I have also had a couple parties where I got plastic metallic chargers (the decorative round things you put under plates) -  get those for like $1 a pop and put the centerpiece on that, looks nice.

 I have also found that the cheapest "table runner" thats very popular right now, especially at casual or rustic parties, is burlap.  You can get like 50 feet for a few bucks. 

If you have access to cheap printing, doing something with pictures of you and your significant other would be cute and personal, whether it's something at each table or some focal point display.  People LOVE seeing pictures of the bride and groom growing up...the younger kids have never seen them like that, the spouse's family havent either.  Ive gotten craploads of frames at Big Lots for stuff like this, and if theyre not a nice color never underestimate the power of spray paint.

I have also seen things where people have gotten glass vases (rented or cheap) and filled them with fruit...limes and lemons...or used green apples with peoples names tied on the stem as name cards.  Fruit is cheap and adds color and takes up space. 

abbyj700

kannf1982 said:

I get what she means - reception to her comes with preconceived notions of what the many cookie cutter weddings I have attended supposedly "should" include.  

On the other hand, a party is a gentle way of saying to your guests - drop your expectations and just celebrate and have fun. I get it - not need for y'all to correct her, you know what she is getting at.

@jbrewer2013: what type of tables are you having? is itindoor? outdoor? long tables? round tables? are you having a meal where people will sort of have designated seating?  

Candles are always a good fallback if you can find cheap, unscented white ones in bulk. I have also had a couple parties where I got plastic metallic chargers (the decorative round things you put under plates) -  get those for like $1 a pop and put the centerpiece on that, looks nice.

 I have also found that the cheapest "table runner" thats very popular right now, especially at casual or rustic parties, is burlap.  You can get like 50 feet for a few bucks. 

If you have access to cheap printing, doing something with pictures of you and your significant other would be cute and personal, whether it's something at each table or some focal point display.  People LOVE seeing pictures of the bride and groom growing up...the younger kids have never seen them like that, the spouse's family havent either.  Ive gotten craploads of frames at Big Lots for stuff like this, and if theyre not a nice color never underestimate the power of spray paint.

I have also seen things where people have gotten glass vases (rented or cheap) and filled them with fruit...limes and lemons...or used green apples with peoples names tied on the stem as name cards.  Fruit is cheap and adds color and takes up space. 

This entire post is perfect. We are having a "reception" but we've cut out so much from it that it's our kind of reception which to this user is just a party to celebrate. No need to pile on and keep correcting her train of thought.

I really love the candle idea. Warm, inviting, good for any indoor venue. We're having floating candles involved in a lot of our wedding along with regular candles of all sizes as well. 

Outdoor - I think the fruit can be super elegant and festive. My sisters outdoor wedding they just did a bunch of jars in the middle of the table of different sizes and heights (most of which they borrowed from people - old glass milk jugs, mason jars, decorative vases, etc) and put a single stem of flowers (or 2 or 3 based on size) in each one. The result on a square of colored fabric was really pretty, very simple and didn't require tons of flowers or for anyone to be great at flower arrangement.

Staying simple and classy does not require a lot of money!

PrettyGirlLost

scribe95 said:

People asked obvious questions. Not all of us "got it." And to me what you are describing is still a reception - just with a different theme/decorations.

Yeah, I'm still confused as to when this party is going to take place.

I need more info in order to properly give advice and suggestions- is this party occurring on the same day as your wedding ceremony?  If so, then it is still a reception.
You say you aren't traditional enough to have a reception, but what does that mean?  Do you mean you don't want to do a ceremonial cake cutting, spotlight dances, etc?  That's just fine if you don't want to do those things.

Are you planning on providing food and drinks for your guests?

CaliMel11

A reception, or at least the one's I've been to...are parties. Yes there are dances, and cake cutting and bouquet toss. But it's still a party!

jbrewer2013

"I get what she means - reception to her comes with preconceived notions of what the many cookie cutter weddings I have attended supposedly "should" include.  

On the other hand, a party is a gentle way of saying to your guests - drop your expectations and just celebrate and have fun. I get it - not need for y'all to correct her, you know what she is getting at."

thank you! this is exactly what i meant. It feels too weird to decorate the venue as a reception when it's NOT a "reception" in the TRADITIONAL sense. The problem was that I couldn't figure out what to look for when trying to plan the decorations. I have never hosted a party this big or one that didn't have a theme. We don't want a theme. The venue will be indoors... don't know where yet exactly. And yes it will be the same day as the wedding.

- can we please move past the whole it's a reception/party thing. we'll just say i'm asking for advice on: decorating for a party that isn't themed, something that's simple and fun.  sorry for the confusion and thanks for your help. 

artbyallie

@jbrewer2013, yeah, definitely still a reception. The reason it has a more specific name than 'party' is because the purpose is to 'receive' your guests after they witness your wedding and to thank them. The only requirement of a reception is that you give your guests something to eat and drink. If this is happening at a meal time, the food must be sufficient to be a meal. If instead you are marrying at 2pm with a reception following, you can stick with just cake and punch at a minimum if you so desire.

Receptions don't need a 'theme' or even a certain level of formality. We had burgers, hot dogs, and fries, for goodness' sake. Let go of these rigid expectations you apparently have. What kind of food do you and your fiancé want to serve?

Pepperally

I think you will have a better idea and receive better suggestions once you know what your venue looks like. Some venues really don't need extra decor added...it would just be decor overload, while other places are so bland that you do want to add your own touches to it. I wouldn't worry too much about decoration ideas until you find the place.

chibiyui

I wouldn't worry with decor other then simple centerpieces. Pick something you like (candles, lanterns, flowers)and go from there.

MrsMarende

OP I think the confusion lies in what makes your party not a reception in your mind? It's hard to advise you on what to do if you only description is it's not a reception, being that a reception us basically just a party after your ceremony. Let's start with what things from a traditional reception do you not like and what would you like to see at your party and we can go from there.