As a guest, what do you most value in a wedding reception?

Sarah MD · July 2010

The music! Definitely. I never think the food at weddings is awesome, and I don't really expect it to be. I mean how can anyone serve 150 hot meals within 20 minutes and have it be delicious?

gwencortopassi · July 2010

Apparently I'm a bad hostess because I had a buffet. Who knew?

The ceremony was entirely for my husband and me, but every decision about the reception was made with my guests in mind--including the buffet. Our friends have quite diverse tastes, and I would've had to offer five different entrees to accomodate everyone. Hence, the buffet. Omnivores bordering on carnivores, lacto-ovo vegetarians, and vegans left my wedding happy with the available selections and completely stuffed full of delicious happy wedding food. I have family members who had never attended a wedding with a buffet (my family members are more used to country club receptions with the standard petite fillet and four shrimp scampi), and they mentioned afterwards how much they loved the variety. So before anyone bad-mouths buffets, they do have their place.

This wasn't an option, but I really hate the three/four/five hour lag between the ceremony and reception. I now it can't really be avoided with some houses of worship and squeezing in photographs, but a 1 p.m. ceremony and a 6 p.m. reception is a touch excessive.

Crissyo · July 2010

Food and good service is pretty important to me and my husband...in general. If we are going to go to a wedding in our area, chances are we are going to be giving a gift that well matches or surpasses the price of a dinner out to a fine restaurant. So that being said, there should be good food. Dancing and good company is so important as well, but if that stuff is not there at least you can say you had good service, good food, and good drinks.

Cosmocity · July 2010

This may sound silly, but the seating! I've been to a handful of weddings and being seated next to people I know is one of the most important things to me, which is silly, because I'm sure most brides try not to stress over the seating chart. I once went to a wedding where I knew no one other than the bride (and I barely knew her) and it was open seating! It was so overwhelming.

Next though would be music and alcohol. Overall presentation is nice the day of, but I can't for the life of me recall place card holders, linen color, chair covers/bows (or even if they had covers) favors or any other minor details.

fontassidy · July 2010

Although this post specifies the reception, the number one thing that I love about going to weddings is seeing the personalities of the couple shine through, and having the opportunity to take part in celebrating their unique and genuine love for one another. This really begins at the ceremony; my absolute least favorite weddings are those with totally vanilla, bland and unoriginal service/vows/readings, etc. Overused verses & generic vows are the worst...and seeing all the little individual touches follow through to the reception in the decor, photos & stories that are told about the couple are really what makes it so enjoyable for me.

Beyond that, totally awesome food and good music that you can really jam to!! (No chicken dance, YMCA, etc. to kill the vibe!) Heh heh ;D

chrissydv · July 2010

I value when I really feel a part of the day- when the ceremony and reception show the personalities of the bride and groom- I especially remember non-cliche music! and when there are choices for dessert!

I also REALLY value when the bride and groom visit the tables at the reception, give a heartfelt thank-you to the guests, or at least are happy to see you in the receiving line. I was at a wedding last week where the bride was talking to someone else while she was giving me a sort-of-hug in the receiving line. While I totally understand how overwhelming a long receiving line must feel, I hope that I am able to take just a moment to at least make eye contact and smile with each guest on our big day.

kmabjo · July 2010

Dinner and dancing. Fill up your guests and get them up and moving!

I do enjoy how people decorate for the wedding. I always look for the little details too. That does not make or break the reception though.

kbelle905 · July 2010

In my opinion, as a guest, the 2 things that can make or break a wedding are the food and the music. If one (or both) are bad chances are high that the guests will not have a great time. All people remember and talk about the next day is how the food and cocktail hour was and how the dj or band was and if the music was good! Good food and music are very important to guests.

talimonet2 · July 2010

food and atmosphere

*tinkertoy* · July 2010

Excellent Food, for sure!

vegasgroom · July 2010

FUN! I've been to enough weddings of friends to know it doesn't matter to me personally if it's at a five star hotel and cost $200/pp with dry aged filet and bernaise sauce or if it's at the local rec center and was $20/pp with buffet pasta and cold cut sandwich bar, but it does leave a lasting memory if the time spent at the reception felt uncomfortable, awkward, boring, tiring, etc.

The weddings I've been to that have been the most memorable have tended to have very good bridesmaids and/or DJ/band that have motivated the guests to start dancing, and once enough people start dancing then typically everyone else will get up and start having fun if they didn't want to be first and feel like everyone's looking at them. Open bar obviously facilitates this too. :-) And having enough of each age group so no age group feels out of place is important. Having ten of your friends and 90 of your parents friends is not going to be much fun for your friends.

usc03 · July 2010

1. the guests...I like fun weddings where people are up and dancing and having a fun time! that said
2. The music...it's essential
3. drinks...this isn't a huge deal to me, but some sort of alcohol available is always appreciated

the food...it needs to be edible/good but you don't need to have an AMAZING OH MY GOSH BEST MEAL EVER meal. i don't think many people reflect back at a wedding they attended a few years ago and think, that wedding was great because i loved my dinner.

lisaD26 · July 2010

If you don't have the AC on I'm going to tell everyone it was HOT. I won't remember anything else.

July wedding, no AC! Are you kidding me?

Jesstastic · July 2010

I'm not a drinker or a big dancer but I'd say guest placement. I'm not going to have the feeling of 'that was a great wedding!' if I sat with your great, great aunt Susan and Crazy cousin Bettie and her 4 screaming brats.

The food and the cake are key points too. Running out of food is something I'm nervous about...possibly because I'm Italian lol

As a guest, what do you most value in a wedding reception?

Re: As a guest, what do you most value in a wedding reception?

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