The ceremony is great and all, but most people when they think back on weddings think of the dress and the reception. So if you’re one of those brides-to-be who is spending nine hours per a week planning her wedding, consider taking at least half of that time to pour over on trend wedding reception ideas! Below are a few growing trends for receptions to consider:
1. Take it outdoors. Over one third of weddings are now outdoor occasions, and locations like country clubs, barns, and golf courses with both indoor and outdoor spaces are becoming increasingly popular. We love this trend because it goes back to America’s homesteading roots and really punches up the wedding photos.
2. Dress down the food. It used to be there was an unspoken pre-approved wedding reception options list that included martinis and high end French cuisine. But we’re bored with those ideas. We’ve moved into a more post-modern, hipster-centric pop cultural space, which means that you’d do better with a craft beer tasting menu or sassy pigs in a blanket for appetizers.
3. Try crafty, homemade decor. With the cost of weddings rising every year, it’s both a money saving and trendy option to do some of your own reception hall decorating. One of our favorite ideas is sending out coats of arms that guests can paint and mail in beforehand. Or, if you’re less in the “nerd” category, go back and watch the beginning of “Braveheart” and remind yourself just how far a few bushels of wildflowers can go.
4. Look into unique party favors. We all know about throwing rice. (This is not our favorite wedding accessory as there is some evidence to suggest that it harms birds). Bubbles are good, but in our opinion overdone. One of our absolute favorite trends right now is the rise of the wedding sparkler. A wedding sparkler is basically a traditional Independence Day sparkler but with far more customized options. We like wedding sparklers because in addition to giving any space an ethereal glow, they come in varieties of smokeless sparklers, long lasting sparklers, and, if you’re set on having your reception inside, there are also indoor sparklers. They are also in keeping with the rustic, back-to-our-roots macro-trend we’ve been noticing in weddings lately.
We hope this list was helpful! Please comment below with your own wedding pictures or to pick the brains of fellow readers.
