10 Unique Ideas for Your Wedding Reception
Planning a wedding reception that reflects your personality and love story is one of the most exciting parts of wedding preparations. While traditional elements have their charm, adding in your own unique touches can transform it into an unforgettable celebration.
Whether you're aiming for a lively party atmosphere or an intimate gathering, adding creative and personalized details can leave a lasting impression on your guests. During the reception guests usually have the option of dancing or socializing, and giving them a few different options can help keep the energy of the day high!
So with that being said, I’m going to give you some of my favorite ideas for budgets of all sizes!
1. A PHOTO BOOTH
So I’m a huge fan of having your guests leave with a little relic from your wedding day that means something to them, and what better way than having a photo booth. Nowadays we don’t often get to have physical images of ourselves and our loved ones, and this is a special way to provide your friends and family with that experience. I personally love the vintage black and white ones that are enclosed (they are a little more expensive), but they have open air ones as well for cheaper!
Price: $300+
2. Personalized Cocktails
I have yet to see at a wedding but I think it’s such an amazing idea. The idea is that you and your partner come up with a few cocktails or drinks that represent moments of your story. So lets say your first date was at an aquarium to go see sharks, then you’d have a blue colored drink with a gummy shark on it, you get the idea. Get creative and have fun with coming up with your own drinks!
Price: $50+
3. Write all your guests a letter
Ok so I know what you’re thinking, that is crazy to write every guest a letter. While it may seem daunting, if you break it up between you and your partner and write a handful every week leading up to the wedding I promise it won’t feel as overwhelming. Then once you have all these beautiful handwritten letters you can place them at each guests table for when they arrive for dinner and let them all open their letters and read them together. I promise this will mean so much to every guest to have a physical acknowledgement of their importance in their life. Just think about the last time someone wrote you a letter and what that meant to you?
Price: $50+
4. carnival/casino/video games
Now this is something that I love. Having games at your reception is a great way to give your loved ones the option to do something other than talk or dance. Depending on you and your partners’ interests, you can choose between carnival games like ring toss or balloon darts, casino games like roulette or poker (fake money of course), or video games like smash bros or a 4 player pacman arcade game!
Price: $300+
5. Couples trivia
It’s time to test your guests knowledge of you and your partner! Couples trivia can be a great game to play around the dinner time as guests are seated at tables (each table can be a team). You can have your MC host the trivia and give a prize (or first to the dinner buffet) for the winning team.
Price: Free
6. Live Music
Now this is one that I may be biased towards because I love live music so much. While having a DJ is a must in my opinion for the dancing into the night, having a live band can be truly special for things like the first dances. There’s just nothing better than the sound of live artists performing music while you dance with your forever love. Don’t be afraid to get creative with the type of live music as well, consider reaching out to local bands, or if someone in your family is a musician that could make it even more special.
Price: $500+ (the price on this can vary a lot)
7. lego minifigure guestbook
1000% I’m doing this at my wedding. So what you do is you have a big bucket of lego minifigure parts (you can get a big bucket of them on ebay for like $30), and then when guests arrive they build their own little minifigure and place it on a stand or frame that has all their names on it. Just think about having little minifigures of all your guests that THEY MADE. I get nostalgic for you just thinking about it.
Price: $30+
8. snack bar
This is something that is always a hit at a wedding. Imagine you’ve been dancing, having some drinks, and having fun with your family and friends and now its 10PM and you’re a little hungry from all the activities of the day. Does anything sound better than a slice of pizza or chicken tenders and fries? Now you can choose whatever food you want but I think having some simple and filling food is the best. Think of what you’d crave after a night out at 2AM, that’s what you’re probably gonna want here.
Price: $200+
9. nerf gun fight
A nerf gun fight at a wedding? Yes, well maybe. This idea is a little bit out there but for the couples and guests that love it, they LOVE IT. Obviously there may be some restrictions with venue size and attire, but I thought I would still throw this idea out there. If you’re having a multi-day wedding this could be a great activity for one of the days before or after the wedding while everyone is wearing more casual clothes. You can buy bulk nerf guns and darts on ebay and play some fun games like capture the flag or humans vs. zombies. Let your inner child run free and have fun with it!
Price: $100+
10. silhouette artist
Another way to give your guests a unique souvenir is to have a silhouette artist cut out silhouettes of all your guests. This will be a lengthy process if you have a large guest list, but it’s another way for guests to leave with a physical artifact from your wedding day and I think that that’s so so special.
Price: $500+
There are so many more unique ways to make your wedding reception your own, so don’t be afraid to think creatively and a little outside the box! I hope this list helped get your creative juices flowing and best of luck with planning your wedding!
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I’m Jason and I’m a wedding videographer in Salt Lake City, UT (I do travel) who specializes in vintage filmic wedding films. My goal with every wedding film is to capture all of the emotion and nostalgia of your day and turn it into a beautiful cinematic film that tells your story. Feel free to check out some of the films on and learn more about me and my process on this website!
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