Wedding reception

A wedding reception is a party held after the completion of a marriage ceremony. A post-marriage party is traditional in most societies, but with variety on the details. Depending on the activities that were planned, a wedding reception can last anywhere from half an hour or less to several hours.
Entertainment at an English wedding reception. The organisers have hired two opera singers to sing arias during the meal, for the entertainment of the guests. The mother of the groom is being serenaded

Western society

Meal
Most receptions feature a meal. The meal is usually either a plated dinner or buffet dinner. Some couples instead elect to host an hors d’œuvre reception or a dessert reception.
In the Eastern and Northern US, plated dinners are more popular. In the South, buffets are more popular.

Toasts
In most Western countries, before or after a meal (traditionally paid for by the bride's family, though rarer now), toasts are made by the wedding party wishing the couple well. Traditionally, the speaking parties include the bride's father, groom, the best man (who usually slips in a few good-natured jokes at the couple's expense) and the maid of honor.

Dances
After the speeches, the bride and groom begin their first dance, which used to be called the "bridal waltz"; in most contemporary weddings a romantic song is played (common choices include songs by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Etta James, Dean Martin, and other standard singers) and the bride and groom's dance is rarely a waltz. Different dance styles are now used, depending on the nature of the song. Foxtrot, two-step, or rumba matches most four count pop ballads. Because the first dance as husband and wife is the most formal occasion in dance, many couples take ballroom lessons at a studio. Many gentlemen want to be prepared and confident so the fiancee may add coaching classes or DVDs to their gift registry. 12 hours of practice is required for a 3 minute choreography.
The wedding reception dance party may involve a certain sequence of special dances. For example, after the first dance, the groom may escort his bride to her father for a special father/daughter dance.
Following the various special dances, the guests are invited to join in the dancing. The party continues with toasts and various celebrations until the bride and groom leave in a car decorated by the couple's friends.
A trend is the addition of a DVD slideshow or photo montage video featuring pictures of the bride and groom growing up and meeting. These are created using home movies and photos taken over the couple's life, and edited and set to music using professional video editing software. The montage is shown either on a large TV or monitor, or an LCD projector.

Wedding cake
Typically, a cake from a professional baker is displayed until after dinner. After a short while of dancing, the couple cuts the cake and then feeds a bite of cake to one another (often with the fingers). After this, the cake is cut for the guests. This cake is typically at least two tiers, often more. Some couples have a smaller, formal, display cake, which is discreetly supplemented by sheet cake.

Expense
The cost of a wedding in the United States, as of 2007, averages $28,000. This is twice the cost of a wedding in 1990. The wedding industry nets $161 billion dollars yearly, according to Rebecca Mead, author of "One Perfect Day."

Reception held at a village hall
Other traditions
Wedding traditions vary between countries, and between regions of the same countries. Some traditions include:
Money dance or dollar dance. Guests pay a small amount of money to dance with the bride or groom. In some cultures, the money is pinned to a special apron worn by the bride or groom. In others, the money is collected by friends, who sometimes give a shot of alcohol to each guest as they pay. This tradition is common in the U.S. Midwest.
Dancing guests on a wedding party in MauritaniaTossing of the bride's bouquet and garter. The bride tosses her bouquet over her shoulder to a group of all the single women present. Whoever catches it is supposed to be the next to get married. Similarly, the groom tosses the bride's garter to the single men, often after removing it from her leg, to the amusement of the guests. On occasion, the bride will "rig" the bouquet toss by tossing the bouquet to a woman who is engaged. The groom then arranges for the fiancé of the bouquet toss winner to receive the bride's garter. Sometimes the man who catches the garter is supposed to put it on the leg of the woman who catches the bouquet or the garter is sold in a raffle instead of being tossed.
Clinking of the glasses. Guests will often clink their glasses during dinner to ask the newlyweds to stand up and kiss. Some couples pass out wedding favor bells for guests to ring instead of clinking glasses.
Favors. The hosts typically provide a small gift for each guest. Popular favors: chocolates, candles, soups,small and big picture frames.

Ethnic Hakka people in a wedding in East Timor, 2006
Chinese society
In Chinese society, the wedding reception is known as xi-jiu (??, literally joyful wine), and is far more important than the wedding itself which tends to be a brief civil ceremony. The timing and the characteristics of the reception vary strongly from locale to locale. They are often extremely elaborate and expensive, often costing several years' salary of the groom's family. However, because cash in the form of red envelopes and jewelry (particularly gold) are given as wedding presents, and because the wedding hosts keep very careful track of the cost of the gifts (jewelry is given with a receipt which indicates the actual cost of the gift), the cost of the reception is effectively split among the wedding guests. Wedding receptions also build local community solidarity. As each couple weds, their wedding reception is in effect financed with gifts from the other members of the community with the expectation that the new couple and their family will give gifts in future wedding receptions within the village.

 

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