Wedding Reception Ideas

If you’re undecided as to how you want your reception to be, here are some wedding reception ideas to get you thinking.

My wedding reception was in the back garden and it worked brilliantly for me. We had a marquee, did the food ourselves and provided all the drinks. The weather was great and the day was perfect.

Many brides these days are choosing a theme to make their reception different. From cowboy themes, right through to gothic themes there’s a theme for you.

See if these wedding reception ideas hit the spot for you:

- Beach theme: either have your reception on the beach, or bring the beach to your reception. Money-saving tip: go to the beach, you’ll save a fortune.

- Cowboy theme: bring a western theme to your wedding with cowboy hats, line dancing and some more hay bails. Money-saving tip: You can easily deck out a village hall with this theme and they’re one of the cheapest venues around!

- Country theme: hay bails, a barn dance and casks of ale a great way to bring the country to your reception. Great if you have a garden to do it in too. Money-saving tip: The casks of ale are a cheap way to go and you can borrow the bails of hay from a local farmer.

- Garden theme: picnic, BBQ or champagne and canapés on the lawn, marquee or even a Bedouin tent! Money-saving tip: A BBQ is a good way to feed your guests cheaply. Generally limiting the number of dishes and complexity of food will save you money.

- Gothic theme: some girls just like the darkside, red and black are the colours here for dresses, accessories and decorations. Money-saving tip: You don’t have to have a traditional ‘white' wedding. You can easily find a suitable coloured dress for less than £250 and it will still be special.

- Medieval theme: old castles, hog roasts and goblets for the wine. A pretty expensive way to go! Money-saving tip: The National Trust will have suitable venues and some of them will be cheap, a great place to start looking.

- Hawaiian theme: recreate a luau in your venue. Flower leis, straw skirts, sand and punch. Money-saving tip: Hawaiian parties are family orientated parties, so get the family to help out too.

Choose your dress, venue, flowers, favours and décor to suit your theme. You can really have some fun with some of these wedding reception ideas – just make sure you stick to your budget!

Related articles:
5 Star Wedding Receptions Under £5,000
Think Creatively About Cheap Wedding Locations
Essential Questions For Wedding Venues
Other Brides' Cheap Wedding Venue Ideas
Your Guide To A Wedding Reception Timeline
Your Wedding Reception Timeline Countdown





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