Many couples are moving away from the classic wedding, and nowhere is that more obvious than in reception planning. Whilst family pressures or religious or cultural beliefs can limit the creativity that bride and groom apply to their wedding ceremony, the same is not true of the post-marriage party!
As wedding caterers we see many different themes and ideas at wedding from beautifully traditional to completely alternative and everything in between! Here are a few great quirky ideas we have seen at some of the weddings we have catered, thought they were great and would love to share:
Photo Booths
Perhaps one of the top items on any bride’s wish list for her wedding reception is the photo booth – the idea of candid wedding photos with idiosyncratic props has become quickly very popular and one of the quirkiest photo booths we have ever seen is the very groovy silver trailer photo booth by Belle Studio! http://www.bellestudio.co.uk/Photobooths
Looking stylish and inviting with its gleaming silver shell this iconic American style Airstream aluminium trailer can be used by you and your guests throughout your wedding celebrations, and it comes complete with lots and lots of fun and quirky props! As it is free standing you don’t have to worry about where to place it the venue or, for an outdoor wedding, what to do if it’s raining – perfect!
Ice cream van
Fast becoming as popular as photo booths, the ice cream van used to epitomise a certain kind of wedding – boho, young and relaxed. Now, with styling appropriate to almost any kind of event, from traditional carts and Pashley bikes for country weddings, to VW campers for the vintage crowd all the way to limo-licks for glitzy weddings, the ice cream van comes in almost as many varieties are there are flavours of ice cream!
It’s worth shopping around to find a good deal – prices vary widely, as do products, and some vans come with valuable extras such as favour bags of ice cream toppings printed with the couple’s initials, which can cut down on wedding costs elsewhere. Make sure you have a diary free option too, such as a fruit sorbet, so no guests feel left out.
Cartoonist
Hiring a cartoonist to sketch the guests at your reception has a double impact. There’s the fun of watching them at work, and then the guests get their caricature as their wedding favour. This relatively new idea is proving very popular for daytime weddings, but make sure you get to watch the cartoonist at work, not just look at the finished portraits.
You need somebody who can work under pressure and very quickly – otherwise he or she won’t get round all the guests before the end of the party.
Fun and games centrepieces
For wedding table fun, swap out floral table decorations for games. Give each table something really fun to play, such as Hungry Hippos, Mousetrap, etc. If you have the time and the budget, you can hunt down theme appropriate games such as Love Letter (2012), Fairy Tale (2004) and Piece o’ Cake (2008), all of which can be played in less than half an hour.
If you don’t have the time or money, why not scout out what’s on offer in charity shops? If games are a bit battered and previously loved (as long as they’re complete) they will just add to the ambience of a vintage or retro themed wedding.
If this idea appeals to you, why not extend the theme by hiring a couple of pinball machines to play on?
Whatever your wedding theme, dream or idea as professional wedding caterers we can create great menus that fit your theme and your budget – contact us today to talk about your ideas or to get a personalised quote.
Website: https://www.devoncatering.com
Email: enquiry@devoncatering.com
Phone: 01271 858505
