Every bridal couple wants a wild wedding party to round off an unforgettable wedding. To ensure that the guests don't sit around bored but dance the night away, a few things have to come together. I am happy to give you my 30 most important Wedding reception ideas so that your wedding party will also be a blast.
As a bridal couple, you can influence many things in advance. Thanks to my experience as a Wedding DJ I have gained experience at more than 350 weddings and can give you valuable tips for planning your wedding party.
Wedding party planning: My 10 most important tips
If you keep the following 10 tips for your wedding party in mind, the most important things have already been taken into account and you can take a relaxed approach to your wedding day.
A relaxed bridal couple
My most important tip for every bridal couple to make their wedding a success is to relax and not force anything. This is often easier said than done, after all, you have put a lot of time into planning and realising your own wedding ideas. That's why you can take a relaxed approach to the wedding, because you've thought of everything during the planning.
The more relaxed the bride and groom are, the more relaxed the wedding guests will be. As the bride and groom, you are the centre of attention. If the bride is happy and the groom is relaxed, this will rub off on the guests, the service staff, the wedding DJ and the other service providers and therefore on the atmosphere at the wedding party.
Guests ready to party!
The more relaxed the guests and the bridal couple, the more relaxed the atmosphere and the more exuberant the party atmosphere. Without people willing to party, even the best DJ can't create the right atmosphere - no matter how good his ideas for the wedding reception are. You know your invited wedding guests best. If your friends are known for partying and dancing, then this will certainly also be the case at your wedding reception. The wedding is a «happy day», with happy and stylish people - that alone is a great party guarantee.
Correct number of guests
There is no rule, but as a general rule, the more guests there are at the wedding reception, the easier it is for the DJ to create a good atmosphere. With 100 guests, the atmosphere is created more quickly than with 30. The more people, the quicker the inhibition threshold disappears. But keep this in mind when brainstorming your wedding reception ideas: The size of the dance floor also plays a decisive role (I'll come back to this later). There are often more people at the wedding ceremony than at the party. An insider tip for your wedding party: Invite friends to the wedding party as well.
But I can reassure you that it is perfectly possible to have a good wedding reception even with just a few people. I once had a party with 17 guests (including 3 children) and it was a wild party with lots of dancing.
Important points about the location
Another important tip for realising your wedding reception ideas: When choosing a location, clarify the following points carefully to avoid unnecessary surprises:
- Volume / decibel restriction: This point is very important and must be clarified very carefully in advance. I will come to this in detail in a moment.
- Closing time: Does the location specify when the party has to end? There are hotels where the music has to be turned down at 1am. That's usually too early for a lively party.
- Neighbourhood: What is the neighbourhood like? Is the location remote or in a residential neighbourhood?
- Space conditions: Clarify exactly how many people there is room for. Can the meal and the party take place in the same room? Do tables have to be moved? Is there enough room for the gift table and the DJ booth?
- Premises: How many rooms can be used? Here are some keywords for your wedding reception ideas: Room for food, party room, room for childcare, photo booth, wedding ceremony etc.
Volume
Although I'm not a fan of loud music systems, you still need a certain level to create a good atmosphere. Venues that have decibel limits are not at all suitable for a wedding party. You can't sugarcoat things, but it's impossible to have a party with a DB upper limit of 85db. It is essential to clarify this point with the wedding venue in advance. If the location has such an upper limit, then it's better to organise a silent disco with headphones - it's great fun. I can give you valuable tips and ideas for a wedding reception with headphones.
Important: It is the venue's job to measure the decibel and not the bride and groom or the DJ. One more thing about decibels: road traffic has a DB of 70, ambient noise such as a crying baby has a DB of 80 and a club in Zurich normally has a DB of 100. For a wedding, a DB of just under 100 should be possible for the party to be good. This is still within a tolerable range for all guests present. In addition, the DJ can adjust the volume to your needs at any time.
Enough alcohol, but not too much...
Alcohol is drunk at every wedding and the right amount of alcohol is indeed important to get people in a disinhibited mood. However, too much alcohol can have the opposite effect. After the ceremony, guests toast with champagne and red or white wine is served during the meal. An important tip when planning your wedding reception: choose light wines with a low alcohol content, otherwise the guests will quickly become tired. And save on high-proof alcohol and only offer a few drinks at the bar (e.g. gin and tonic or Aperol Spritz). You should definitely bear this in mind when realising your wedding reception ideas.
Varied music
When people are drunk, you need music that spans genres and decades. Variety is an important factor in the DJ's choice of songs at a wedding. Songs are played that everyone knows and ideally have a special meaning for the bride and groom and the wedding guests. People don't come to a wedding to discover new music, but to rediscover familiar songs.
It's always nice when I can surprise people as a DJ. Guests often respond with things like “wow this song is great and I haven't heard it for a long time”.
If you want to know what you can expect from my music, then listen to my promo mixes in. Perhaps the music will inspire you and you will come up with completely new ideas for your wedding celebration.
Music requests
It is essential that the DJ receives a list of the desired songs from the bridal couple in advance. If the DJ knows the music expectations of the bride and groom, he can prepare specifically and also contribute his personal experience. Nevertheless, spontaneous music requests and insider tips from the wedding guests and the bridal couple during the wedding reception are welcome and provide additional inspiration for me as a DJ.
I don't hand out music request cards to the guests so that they can write down their favourite songs. Personally, I've had bad experiences with this. It usually doesn't lead to a better party. After dancing the night away, nobody will say: "Wow, the DJ played my favourite song.
As a wedding DJ, my aim is always to ensure that the guests have the party of the year and remember this one night for years to come. This is my very personal idea of a successful wedding reception...
Versatile and experienced DJ
As an experienced Wedding DJ I mix a variety of music together in style. Thanks to my years of experience as a wedding DJ, I surprisingly often deliver the right hit at the right time. If you are planning your wedding party, I think you should definitely consider a professional and, above all, experienced DJ. I have DJed more than 350 weddings and I can see how this experience helps me enormously.
Whether you decide in favour of me or another DJ, pay attention to his experience. It's nice if the DJ has played in many well-known clubs and can scratch excellently. It is better if the DJ has accompanied many weddings as a wedding DJ. After all, every wedding is a unique event and the DJ has to adapt to a completely new crowd every time. In addition, the DJ should also provide surprises and positive vibes. When realising your wedding reception ideas, you should therefore make sure you have a professional DJ or a good band.
By the way, I have also accompanied many company celebrations as a DJ and you can meet me regularly as a Event DJ in Zurich and throughout Switzerland.
Ideally: Combination DJ and party band
Another good idea for a successful wedding reception: the combination of a DJ with a multi-member live band. A good live band can create an extraordinary ambience at your wedding party. However, a band regularly takes breaks and usually has a limited range of music. If a band is combined with a DJ, this handicap can be overcome. The DJ can play in between and play specific styles that are not covered by the band. In addition, the DJ can play spontaneously for longer than a band is usually contractually available. If you have the budget for it, this combination can make for an incredibly special wedding celebration with a guaranteed exuberant atmosphere.
Do you want detailed information about my Wedding DJ prices? Would you like a non-binding DJ offer catch up? Do you have any other questions or suggestions? I will be happy to give you e-mail or Telephone Information.
Party procedure
I have some good tips and wedding party ideas for the party programme that you must take into account when planning your wedding party. You can influence most things yourself without much effort. Put simply, the party should not be interrupted and should start with an official start (such as a wedding dance). But the exact details can be found here:
Wedding dance to start
To get the party started, I would plan an opening dance. After a long 4-course meal with lots of red wine, people have become sluggish and need a kick-start. During the wedding dance all the guests are already waiting in the wings and the wedding DJ can get started immediately with a party cracker. We can choose suitable songs together to get your wedding party going.
There are different variations for the wedding dance. The bride and groom do not necessarily have to dance alone, but can also combine the opening dance with the best man or the parents.
An additional tip to get your wedding party started: Instead of a wedding dance, you can also organise a rehearsed flash mob or a small dance class with a dance instructor. I have experienced this several times and it is an excellent party starter.
Party only after dessert
An important tip for all wedding celebrations: start the party after dessert and after cutting your wedding cake. This prevents a long interruption. However, there are weddings where it makes sense to start earlier. Depending on the nation, it is traditional for the opening dance to be danced earlier in the evening so that the dance floor is officially opened. Then the wedding guests can also officially dance between the courses. I'm sure you all know the traditional wedding rule that nobody is allowed to dance until the bride and groom have officially opened the dance floor...
Party starts at 11 pm
An ideal time to start dancing is between 10.30pm and 11pm. It should certainly already be dark. It is never the case that you start too early. Usually there are delays during the wedding dinner and so the start of the party is delayed. That's why the dresser or maid of honour must have the schedule under control. The later the party starts, the more comfortable and tired the guests become and at some point it is almost impossible to motivate people to dance. Almost every wedding party that starts later than midnight never gets going.
No games during the party
Under no circumstances should games be played during the party. If games are planned by the guests or groomsmen, they should certainly be ready before the party starts. Nowadays there are fewer and fewer weddings with games anyway (after all, you're at a wedding and not a children's birthday party). However, there are some wedding classics that are played regularly and the maid of honour should definitely play them before the party.
No speeches during the party
All speeches must be made beforehand. This is usually the case, as there are rarely many speeches and they tend to take place at the beginning of the evening. However, there are nations where many speeches are traditionally held at weddings. Here too, it is essential that the maid of honour ensures good planning.
Fixed end time
A tip for ending your wedding party: Agree on a fixed end time in advance and finish when it's still good - even if “open end” is included in my DJ service. Of course, it's not easy to end a party in a drunken state, but it will be better remembered. On average, wedding parties end at 2.30am. Only rarely do weddings go on until 4 or longer. A party rarely gets better after 3 o'clock - quite the opposite. In summer, you can enjoy a nightcap outside after dancing and philosophise about the wedding party. There are also wedding parties that still go swimming in the lake at 3am!
Premises
The dance floor is an important factor that should be taken into account when planning the wedding reception. Not only the size of the room is decisive, but also the decoration. And from the DJ's point of view, of course, the music system and the lighting effects. Coloured light often replaces other expensive decorations. Here are my ideas for your wedding reception centred around the dance floor:
Dance floor
An important tip for your wedding party: Under no circumstances should the dance floor be too big. No dance floor can be too small! Sure, there are limits and you need space to dance. But if the dance floor is too big, it will be difficult for the wedding DJ to create the right atmosphere. Think about what it's like in an almost empty club: Nobody likes to move on a practically empty dance floor. It is also advantageous if the party and the food take place in the same room. Changing rooms is usually counterproductive. If this is not possible, it must be ensured that tables and comfortable chairs are also available in the party room.
Dance floor with integrated bar
A good idea for your wedding reception is to integrate the bar into the dancefloor. As already mentioned, alcohol consumption plays a crucial role. Incidentally, I like to tell people that I would be unemployed if people didn't consume alcohol... Dancefloors with an integrated bar are well received by guests. Because then people don't have to leave the dance floor at all.
Good music system
The music system is a decisive factor when dancing. It is not the volume, but the sound of the speakers that is decisive. Most of the time you can't play loud anyway, so you can get a lot out of a well-tuned system. A good-sounding sound system is a matter close to my heart. With my music system, I can adjust and manipulate the high, mid and low tones individually (and even from my mobile phone).
Matching lighting effects
I'm sure you've come up with some great decoration ideas for your wedding reception. And otherwise I can reassure you: My lighting effects create a harmonious ambience, even during the wedding dinner. It doesn't necessarily have to be a lot of light, often a small effect such as an LED disco ball combined with uplights is enough to create an excellent atmosphere.
I put a lot of time into programming my lighting effects. My light show is precisely tuned to the beat. Using a small controller, I can change colours, adjust brightness and mix in strobe effects in a matter of seconds, creating surprises on the dancefloor.
Fog / smoke machine (hazer)
With a fog effect, the lighting effects come out better. I use a hazer machine for this, which creates a subtle haze. It never looks like a village disco and the room is not completely fogged in. Instead, the smoke helps the spotlights to come into their own. However, I often can't use the hazer because the location has restrictions due to smoke detectors, even though a hazer can't actually trigger smoke detectors.
If you have any other questions or suggestions, I can be contacted by e-mail or via Telephone reachable at any time.
Nice-to-haves
When everything is ready for a wild party, there are also a few little nice-to-haves that you can implement as the bridal couple and surprise the guests. Here are some wedding party ideas that will go down well:
Flip-flops / slippers
Many women are looking forward to finally wearing high heels again at their wedding. However, very few of them are used to spending a whole day in high heels, let alone dancing in them. A nice gesture from the bride to her friends would be to provide them with fluffy spa slippers, which can be purchased quite cheaply.
Hangover / Hangover helper sets
As we all know, the morning after a night of dancing the night away is often associated with a headache. The only thing that usually helps is a pill. If you want to be cheeky and cool, why not prepare a hangover kit for your guests that already contains the essentials such as vitamin C tablets, ibuprofen and make-up remover. There are bound to be some guests who will be eternally grateful.
Photo Booth for a change
Everyone knows the Photo Booth by now. There are many creative solutions for unusual photo booth ideas, but I won't even go into these. The most creative and funniest pictures always happen late at night. That's why you should always set up the photo booth close to the dance floor. This provides a nice change of scenery during the dancing without disturbing the party.
Beautiful and special location
It's clear that the more special and unusual the location, the more the guests look forward to the wedding and the party. Spectacular locations automatically make every wedding special, from the aperitif to the party, everything is simply unique. This can actually make an important contribution to a good party. Nevertheless, you can't choose a location just for the party. I've also experienced many incredibly good parties in unspectacular wedding venues. You can find out which venues in the Zurich area I think are particularly good in my blog post about the most beautiful wedding venues in Zurich read more.
Place for smokers
No insignificant tip for your wedding reception: Offer your smokers a smoking area near the dance floor. Ideally, a door should lead from the dance floor to a balcony. It would be a shame if the smokers had to walk too far. Especially in the hot summer months, smokers like to stay outside a little longer. Although I have the impression that people smoke less than they used to, there are still smokers at every wedding.
Hotel rooms for guests
Most of the wedding guests are travelling by car. Nobody drives home after a night of drinking. It therefore makes sense for your loved ones to be allowed to stay overnight at the venue. This is usually the case if the venue offers rooms. Rooms are often also offered nearby. My experience has shown that wedding parties where guests stay overnight on site are more relaxed.
Shuttle Service
If you offer your guests a shuttle service, this is the luxury option. If most of your guests live close to the location, this can be done relatively easily. I have already experienced several weddings with a shuttle service and it was always a fun affair.
A professional DJ is part of your wedding celebration ideas? I am your man! Feel free to get a non-binding DJ offer in. Do you have any other questions or suggestions? I will be happy to give you e-mail or Telephone Information.
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