All About Reception Protocol
Each family has its own style,
each couple has their own style, and each celebrates in its own
way. Some are reserved and dignified; others are fun loving and
festival. You will have to consider the combined character of
your collected relatives and friends when determining not only
what you will have at the reception, but also how you will have
it. Nevertheless, do not forget to make it a reception that you
will enjoy as well.
We realize, of course, that
some situations are difficult: estranged parents or feuding relatives,
for example. You cannot force people to be other than who they
are, so there is no point trying. What you can do, though, is
to plan for the comfort, convenience, and friendliness of the
majority of your guests at the reception and try to head off any
altercations with some sensible preventive measures.
Think
about the following:
-
Will the time of the day
and location you have chosen present a problem for elderly relatives?
We originally wanted our reception on the top of some bluffs
that my husband’s family owned. However, the steepness
of the hill would have made it difficult for some people to
walk up.
-
Will guests have to wait
outside during picture taking? More and more couples are taking
pictures earlier, before the ceremony, to avoid this.
-
Will you want everyone
to sign a guest book? If so, let them do that as they enter
the reception area.
-
Are some of your guests
elderly or handicapped in a way that makes it difficult to walk
or stand? Assign an usher or a friend to give them special assistance,
and bring them into the reception site first.
-
Will there be many small
children at your reception? A separate sideroom with toys and
games for them, supervised by teenage sitters, could be a godsend-for
everybody.
-
Do some guests have special
dietary needs (vegetarian, kosher, diabetic)? If yours is a
seated reception, give the caterer a list of those people, and
arrange for their meals in advance.
-
Do your families and friends
have gourmet palates or more tastes that are ordinary? Make
menu selections so that all will be sure to find something they
enjoy.
-
Will there be dancing?
Make sure there is music for all ages, including any ethnic
numbers your guests will expect.
-
Will there be alcoholic
beverages served? Make sure the site does not have any rules
or regulations concerning alcohol. Some places do not allow
alcohol to be served on their property.
With all this in mind, you
should be able to plan a reception in a location and to the degree
of formality you want, and be able to please the guests also.
Remember though, you cannot please everybody, but do please yourself.
For
more articles like this one, click here to visit our St. Louis Wedding
Reception pages. |
