There are some very common wedding day formats that crop up time and time again.  Some of these are promoted by the wedding industry itself but mostly they have become commonplace and almost expected because they are tried and true.  The question is:  Do any of these speak to you?

I’m not really much of a fan of following the crowd – that never got anyone anywhere interesting!  What I want you to do is to create an amazing day that is uniquely you and that works within your budget!

Here at the five most common wedding day reception formats and the                 basic focus of your budgetary spending for each.

1. Sit Down Dinner Reception
This is by far the most common.  It generally includes a mid to late afternoon ceremony followed by a cocktail reception, dinner and finally dancing.  This is a lot about tradition.  The budget would be pretty evenly split between food, beverage, location, entertainment and décor.

2. Buffet Dinner Reception
This is the second most common format and is often chosen to reduce the overall cost of dinner.  It generally includes a mid to late afternoon ceremony followed by a cocktail reception, dinner and finally dancing.  Sometimes couples include a potluck component or they host it entirely themselves.  The budget focus would be evenly split but is often lower than the sit down dinner option.

3. Activity Based Reception
Common formats for this type of reception include barbecues; carnival or circus themed receptions; family style picnics or a host of other possible ‘themes’.

This typically involves an early afternoon ceremony followed by a very interactive family based reception with or without dancing.  This is all about fun!  The budget focus would be on families; décor; activities; possibly dancing and food and beverage “presentation” over cost.

4.  Cake and Punch Receptions
Once upon a time this was the norm.  An early afternoon ceremony was followed by a cake and punch reception at a church hall.  There has been a huge return to this format because of the cost savings involved.  It is one of my favourite, however I like to add a more stylized twist to it to involve something special.  An example would be a coffee bar with hot chocolate, mulled cider, some activities and a very stylish presentation.  A little forethought creates a big impact!  The budget focus here is on quantity of guests versus quantity of food.  If you are expected to invite a lot of people on a limited budget – this is your go to option!

5.  Weekend Weddings
This has recently become a much bigger trend in weddings with a rustic cabin site or beachside location that can house a smaller group of family and friends for a much longer period of time.  People arrive at least one day in advance of the wedding and share simple times together.  Songs around a campfire; games; story telling, etc.  The wedding day involves an uncomplicated ceremony followed by a simple buffet dinner that everyone is involved in preparing, consuming and cleaning up.  The primary focus here, is all about time with family and friends!

Are you prepared to blaze your own trail and come up with a unique solution to the challenges that you face in planning a wedding that speaks to your heart, your head and your soul?  Do that and you will have a wedding that is incredibly meaningful and undeniably memorable!

Here’s to your wedding dreams!

Lori x

Photo Credits:  Sit Down Dinner | Buffet Reception | Game of Croquet | Cake Table | Camp Wedding

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