the NEW wedding.

So some of these ideas from A White Box blog are clearly not for everyone....but for those of you that want a little pizzazz to your reception here are some fun ideas! Some of these are fun and funky ideas are great for those smaller more intimate weddings....FUN FUN FUN!


The New Wedding Reception: 29 "Inside-the-Box" ideas for brides

Video Games. Bring in flat screen TVs and several Wii gaming systems. As an added detail and fun surprise: make a "Mii" for each one of your guests before the wedding. (Note: You can have up to 100 Miis per system).

Cooking Demonstration. Find a chef or caterer that will provide a cooking demonstration in front of your guests as they observe how their meal is prepared. When the show is finished, servers would bring out the plated meals prepared just as the chef had demonstrated.

Awards Show. Host an awards presentation with prizes for "best dressed," "best dancer," etc. Each member of the wedding party could present an award that relates to them.

Guided Tour. Provide a tour of your reception venue with a fun and interesting guide. This would be particularly fun if your venue has special meaning to you or your story as a couple.

Band/Orchestra Performance. This idea is hardly new, but consider hiring a large swing band or orchestra for your reception. This will be entertaining to guests who don't enjoy dancing.

Theatre. Put on a skit, or hire a theatre group to perform a short play for your guests.

Contests. Wedding-cake-eating contest, anyone?

Professional Dance Performance. Again, this idea isn't new, but you can hire professional dancers of any type to perform for your guests. (My cousin had one of her friends perform a fire-dance at her reception!)

Professional Dance Instruction. Hire dancers to teach your guests how to ballroom or swing dance.

Street Entertainers. Ventriloquists, acrobats, magicians, stilt-walkers, themed character actors, unicyclists, mimes, living statues... you get the idea. You might consider clowns, balloon artists, or face-painters to entertain children.

Raffles. Guests can earn raffle tickets in different ways, or perhaps they can outright purchase them to win prizes related to the couple or the event theme.

Silent Auction. No... too tacky.

Drive-In. Superfun idea for an "inside-the-box" ceremony. Consider having snacks served by waiters on rollerskates.

Design Showcase. Guests could "sponsor" a table to design and allow the couple's style to inspire their theme. Each table would be completely different. Perhaps designers could come in the morning to set up their table design. Guests could walk around and vote on the top designs. As an added detail, it would be fun to coordinate this and include the wedding gift as part of the design somehow.

Marching Band/Color Guard. Fun idea for an outdoor ceremony or reception.

Sing-Along. Some of these ideas really require the "right" group of guests. This is one of them. The songs could be fun and kitchy or traditional cultural favorites.

Game Show. Some DJs will create hokey versions of game shows, but for the quiz show couple, this could be done well with the right investment.

"Real Life" Theatre. Hire actors to be fake guests or servers at your wedding to entertain your [real] guests, a la "The Real Wedding Crashers" without the "crasher" part.

Stand-Up Comedy. Hire a comedian to entertain guests for any portion of your evening.

Opera. A true opera singer would, for the right group, be fantastic.

Picnic. For a more casual outdoor reception, provide every couple or family with a blanket and a basket filled with food. Guests would set up their own picnics and enjoy a lovely afternoon together. The baskets and blankets could be kept as "favors."

Casino Night. Bring in craps and blackjack, even a roulette wheel, and hire some dealers to host your own casino reception. Provide chips to your guests and let them redeem them for prizes or drinks.

Board Games. Set up tables of four at your reception and arrange each board game in the middle. Save money on centerpieces AND provide entertainment for your guests.

Charades. Use the category "Guests at this wedding."

Magicians/Illusionists. These would serve your guests particularly well during your cocktail hour.

Petting Zoo. Animal lovers can bring in a travelling petting zoo to enertain children.

Arcade. Set up an area filled with old-school arcade games like Pacman and Pinball. Load them up with quarters so guests can play all night.

Scavenger Hunt. Arrange for a scavenger hunt during your cocktail hour. This could encourage guests to explore a really fabulous reception venue that might otherwise go unappreciated.