10 Tips For The Perfect Wedding Reception
10 Tips to a Great Fox Valley, Appleton, Oshkosh & Green Bay Wedding Reception
10 Essential Tips for Planning an Unforgettable Wedding Celebration
Planning your wedding is one of the most exciting milestones in your life. You’ve invested time, energy, and love into creating a day that reflects your personality and dreams. To ensure your celebration is seamless, memorable, and fun for everyone, here are 10 expert tips to make your wedding day truly unforgettable.
1. Lead the Way on the Dance Floor
How Can you get your guests on the dance floor?
Your guests will follow your lead. If dancing is a priority for you, head to the dance floor early and often. Wherever you go, your guests will gravitate to you—so set the tone for the evening by creating an inviting, energetic vibe. We can't stress this enough, if your #1 goal is to have everyone on the dance floor, then be present on the dance floor. You don't have to dance all night, but trust me when I say, where you are, your guests are too!
2. Trust Your DJ/MC with the Timeline
Why trust your DJ with the timeline?
While a general order of events is necessary, avoid over-scheduling every moment. Your DJ/MC will collaborate with you to create an outline that keeps the event flowing smoothly. This allows you to focus on enjoying your day, knowing the details are handled. Our team of NE Wisconsin, Sound Sensations Entertainment DJs/MCs collaborate with you about two months before your celebration, on the creation of your outline. If you need some help getting started on building a timeline, check out three sample ones we have posted on our resources page along with a ton of ideas for your celebration that will help make it fun, memorable and engaging!
3. Be Mindful of Speaker Placement
Where should you avoid placing your speakers?
4. Position the DJ for Success
How Does DJ Placement Impact Your Reception?
Your DJ’s visibility and proximity to the dance floor are key to a successful reception. Place the DJ near the action to allow them to read the crowd and create the perfect energy for your celebration. IA strategic room layout ensures a seamless flow and optimal guest engagement. Again, just is tip #2, if you need help with your room layout, we can help, just reach out anytime.
5. Set the Mood with Lighting
What Role Does Lighting Play in Your Wedding Atmosphere?
Lighting plays a significant role in creating an inviting atmosphere. If you’re using dance floor lighting, dimming chandeliers or overhead lights will enhance the ambiance and make the space more conducive to dancing. Most entertainment companies can help with mood or decor lighting to enhance the atmosphere of the room with things like uplighting. Set the tone or vibe with uplighting or decor lighting in your wedding colors. There an infinite number of colors available, and with wireless technology, placement can be anywhere.
6. Keep the Bar & Photo Booth Close
Why Keep the Bar and Photo Booth Close?
Convenience is key! Placing the bar and photo booth near the dance floor keeps your guests engaged and ensures that everyone stays part of the action. When these key features are conveniently located, your guests will naturally flow between them, maximizing the fun. You've heard the old adage, out of place, out of mind. It's true, we've seen it before. If your bar is in another room, and dancing is important to you, consider a mobile or portable bar near the dance floor, so guests can get a quick drink and head back on the dance floor. When everything is centrally located, your celebration will flow better, your photo booth, which you've paid good money for, will be utilized to it's fullest potential!
7. Balance Your Playlist
What’s the Secret to the Perfect Playlist?
Your wedding playlist should reflect your personal taste while also considering your guests. A mix of crowd-pleasers and personal favorites ensures that everyone feels included. There's nothing more frustrating than playing 4-6 hours of music no one can dance to, or that only 2 people like. Collaborate with your DJ to create playlists that capture the mood of each part of your day. Our DJs/MCs work closely with you to carefully help curate a soundtrack that you'll love, and truly be a reflection of you!
8. End on a High Note
How Should You End the Night?
Leave your guests wanting more by planning an ending time that keeps the energy high. A shorter, more impactful celebration is often more memorable than a long, drawn-out one. Ending around 11:30 PM or midnight is a great way to cap the night on a high.
9. Trust the Experts with Music Selection
Should You Let Your DJ Choose Some Songs?
While you should share your must-play and do-not-play songs, don’t feel the need to over-curate. Provide a general sense of your preferences, and let your DJ use their expertise to fill in the gaps. They’ll know how to keep the dance floor packed, all while listening to your musical interests, desires, and helping you create a soundtrack that reflects you!
10. Prioritize Quality Entertainment
Why Is Quality Entertainment Worth the Investment?
If your budget is tight, avoid cutting corners on entertainment. The right DJ can make or break your celebration—they set the tone, keep the timeline smooth, and ensure your guests have an unforgettable experience. Remember, your entertainment is responsible for 80% of your reception’s success.
Create Your Dream Wedding with Sound Sensations Entertainment
At Sound Sensations Entertainment, we specialize in creating unforgettable wedding experiences in Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay, and the Fox Cities. From professional DJ services to photo booths and uplighting, we’re here to make your celebration as unique as your love story.
Book Your Date Today
Your dream wedding starts here. Contact
Sound Sensations Entertainment today to check availability and start planning a celebration your guests will never forget! Book Your Date Today
Your dream wedding starts here. Contact Sound Sensations Entertainment, a preferred vendor for venues like
Poplar Creek Barn and
The Gibson Social Club, to check availability. Let’s start planning a fun, engaging, and unforgettable celebration!
Call or text us at (920) 420-5929
We Help Couples Create a Memorable, Fun & Engaging Experience!
Every Sound Sensations Entertainment DJs/MCs has at least 15 years of experience at more than 1500 events all over Northeast & Southeast Wisconsin. DJs Bob V, Nick C, Devon L, or Ed E would love to be a part of your day. Our DJ/MCs help couples create a memorable, fun & engaging celebration that keeps guests involved and engaged from the cocktail or social hour until the end.
Entertainment experiences are more than just a DJ showing up and pressing play. It’s also more than just knowing how to choose songs and mix them together. Being a Wisconsin DJ is about creating experiences and atmospheres for you and your guests. We don’t want to just provide the perfect music, we want to help you create a fun, engaging & memorable celebration that EVERYONE will REMEMBER. We want to create the perfect day with you.
What Do You Do Now?
Contact our amazing DJ team today to find out pricing and availability for your upcoming event. We offer wedding DJs, Event DJs, Photo Booth Rentals, Uplighting & Monograms, Slide Show Creation, Event Planning & Wedding Planning.
Let's schedule a quick Zoom chat & guide you through the planning process, share a few ideas about what's possible on your day including:
- Understanding Your Vision for your day & Your story
- Fun, Engaging Ideas for the cocktail/dinner hours
- A couple of fun introduction ideas
- How to keep the timing & flow of your celebration moving
- FUN ways to release guests to the buffet (if applicable)
- FUN Kissing Activities & FUN ways to Involve Kids (if applicable)
- We'll show you how to make sure the dance floor is packed from the beginning
- How to have a Memorable & FUN Celebration & MORE!
- We'll share all of this & more BEFORE signing a Contract/Agreement
Our service areas include NE Wisconsin including Appleton, WI, Oshkosh WI, Fond Du Lac WI, Green Bay WI, and everywhere in between.
We also travel to SE Wisconsin including Milwaukee, WI, Menominee Falls, WI, West Bend, WI, Richfield, WI, Pewaukee WI, Sussex WI, Hartland, WI and everywhere in between frequently.