2020-MICRO-WEDDINGt-epic-love-story-photography-001-2.jpg — 10 fun ideas for your wedding reception that don't involve a dancefloor

NO DANCING?! 10 fun ideas for your wedding reception that don't involve a dancefloor

June 21, 2021 by Carly Dryhurst-Smith in Advice

This article was originally written during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was catered towards couples who were getting married when there were still a lot of rules around socialising, social-distancing and a restricted guest count. It’s framed with this in mind, but the ideas all still stand regardless of Covid. You might not want a dancefloor, not have room or just want to break free of expectation - all of these are valid and your wedding day should just be about how you want to celebrate. I hope these ideas help and inspire you to do it your way!

Restrictions on weddings are finally lifting and we are all raring to celebrate safely together again. You might be really disappointed that after waiting all this time, you’re not allowed to even sing and dance at your wedding reception - and rightly so. But before we let ol’ BoJo dampen our spirits, let’s take a look at some alternative, Covid-rule-compliant entertainment that your guests can throw themselves into.

It’s worth noting before we kick off - Everyone coming to your wedding is:

So excited, happy and grateful to be part of your day, especially after they know how you’ve waited, booked-rebooked, stressed and worried;
Not there to judge you;
Supportive of you;
Wants to have a good time and will go with the flow.

Please don’t pile pressure on yourself or stress over what other people will think and do. My personal experience showed me that everything you could catastrophise in your mind whilst planning - yeah, it doesn’t happen. People want to support you and are going to be keen on rolling their sleeves up and mucking in. Besides, dancefloors aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, and they do not the party maketh! Ours was actually empty a lot of time - not close enough to the bar for some of our guests!

With that in mind, what can you do at your wedding reception if you’re not allowed to dance?

1 Video of your first dance

Okay, so public group dancing hasn’t got the green light, but there’s no ban on you two dancing in your own kitchen. Set up your fairy lights, prop up your smartphone, play your song and dance. Then at the reception, play the video on a big screen or even get your wedding party to batch-text it to people to watch at the time you would have danced. It’ll be a cute momento for guests and could even include a thank-you message in it too.

2 Pub quiz

During lockdown, quizzes via video chat took off in a big way, eh?! It wasn’t just the devout pub quiz team either - seemingly everyone had a go, however Zoom-phobic they might have felt! It’s easy to plan in advance, there’s loads of material online so you don’t have to start from scratch. You can add more of a personal spin with questions about where the couple met and things about their relationship. Try to strike the balance between sentimental and funny, just as you would with the speeches.

3 Pimp your speech

Speaking of which - there’s probably a little extra space for these to be a more elaborate source of entertainment, should you wish. I get it - standing up in front of a whole bunch of people to perform is some people’s idea of hell on earth. However, if you have a groomsman who does a bit of stand up, an aunt who puts together one hell of a slideshow or even a beatboxing bridesmaid - now’s the time to call in some favours! These could end up being some of the most memorable, personal and fun elements of the wedding if you have people in your wedding party who are up for it.

4 Build-your-own-cocktail bar

You all knew that at some point this list would turn to booze, right?! Never fear - it could include virgin options too. Your venue might be able to help you here, so ask them if they have a mixologist or even someone who can flair - that’s always a great show when done well! Your bartender could mix up some base cocktails, like gin and tonic or prosecco, and your guests could add fruits, syrups, botanical garnishes and - lest we forget - cocktail umbrellas!

5 Photobooth

Okay, so you’ll need to be able to sanitize props in between uses and socially distance. Hang or prop a backdrop somewhere, get your guests to pose and hey presto - it’s a photobooth! You could even include some tape measures or metre rulers as a cheeky nod to the rules. It’s easy to send round a Dropbox link or have an open Facebook album if you’d like people to share their snaps after the day.

6 Treasure hunt

Whether it’s Easter eggs or The Crystal Maze - hunts are FUN. You can also plan this and set it up ahead of time so it’s zero stress. You could hide pictures of you as a couple, miniature bottles of booze (unless there are kids around), sweets, bar tokens… Get creative and ask your wedding party to help out too.

7 Lawn and fairground games

Bowls, giant chess, ring toss, jumbo Jenga, a coconut shy, hook a duck… There’s lots of fun games you can play outside and some venues even have these in place themselves. You can organise them yourself, borrow from friends or hire items. Again, you just need a little preparation to keep things sanitized between uses.

8 Parlour games

I always just thought this was confined to Cherades - which, by the way, is a great go-to. There are others though - like Six Degrees of Keven Bacon (this name made me chuckle) - which would be fun in small groups. You could write prompts and rules and get each table to play games together. They’re great ice-breakers too! Here’s a good list of different parlour games. Not everyone drinks alcohol or wants to drink a lot of it but I’m pretty surely a creative mind could turn any of these into drinking games should each group fancy it!

9 Bingo

Ah, Bingo, so simple and yet very immersive - People get very competitive and excited for something that really is a game of chance! You can personalise this by having phrases the couple say, pics of them in different holiday spots, names or images of the people in the wedding party - basically anything goes! You could have food and drink prizes that are easy to organise and it’s a game that anyone can play.

10 Fireworks and sparklers

A fantastic way to send off the couple AND it’s outdoors - win win! Even before the pandemic, it was the most magical end to a wedding I’d experienced (especially the bride’s reaction as the groom had organised it as a surprise!) A bright, happy moment to end a memorable day.

Have you got other ideas? Or any questions? I’d love to hear what you think and as always, if you need anything - just get in touch! Carly x

Photo credit - Top image of couple and confetti is by Epic Love Story.

G+B-WBO-Favours-C.jpg — How do I choose a style for my wedding?

How Do I Choose a Style for My Wedding?

February 25, 2020 by Carly Dryhurst-Smith in Advice

It’s daunting to select just a single way of representing you both aesthetically for one big day. You’re complex, but the look of your wedding can pull out just a few parts of both your personalities without looking messy. It’s all about a balance of backdrop, details and atmosphere.

The Backdrop

By this, we mean:

The venue - the space you’re all going to occupy
The amount of people coming (and therefore the level of intimacy of the event)
The guest dress code, if you have one
The venue’s table, chairs, exterior, the walls and foundations - textured vs smooth walls, graffiti etc

All of these things will set the scene for the day. If you want a pretty summer garden theme, it might not work so well in an old warehouse by a canal. Selecting a venue you LOVE will give you some big clues as to what to choose for your day’s overall style. It’s the biggest visual tool you’re going to have!

Ashridge Great Barn in Devon. Photo by Clare Kinchin

The Details

These bits can cover:

On-the-day stationery like your welcome signs, menus, place names, table names
Favours, if you choose to have them
Decorations like a photo backdrop, bunting, pom-poms, wall-hangings
Practical objects like tablecloths, napkins, crockery, cutlery, glassware
The transport you choose
Your cake
Your outfits, shoes, accessories like jackets and jewellery
Your hair and make up choices
The flowers you choose
What you show of your usual day-to-day look: Tattoos, coloured hair, that necklace you wear and everyone recognises as yours etc.

These details not only overlay on top of the backdrop, but are the parts which are really from the heart and make the day feel like ‘you’. You can play with so much colour and texture here and really have some fun with it. You can DIY a whole bunch of it, delegate to the wedding party over a few wines or get some external help. There are 👏so 👏 many 👏awesome wedding suppliers who can help you with these finer details. Here’s a few of my faves:

Iridescent wine glasses by Anthropoligie

The Atmosphere

This is more than just the look - it’s how your day feels. It can include:

The music you choose, including if you have a band
Any other entertainment - magician, fire dancers, arial performers… Go wild!
The scent - many venues let you burn incense, candles or use diffusers if you ask them to
The food you choose and how it’s served. This could be food trucks, pizza boxes, grazing tables and buffets or a sit-down 3-courser. They all create the atmosphere - be it formal and fancy or super chilled.

Choosing a Style

Doing this brings all those visual cues together. Take the venue as the foundation, and then think what you like about the place. Brainstorm some things that really matter to you both and see how they’d play out in a style and whether they correlate with each other and fit well with the backdrop, too.

Try not to be literal - if one of you loves West Ham Football Club and the other is big into knitting, you don’t have to knit everyone a West Ham scarf as a favour. But, you know, you can! However you might like to have pops of claret, light blue and canary yellow in your flower arrangements and stationery instead, which give a nod to the Hammers but don’t dominate the day. You could knit some bunting or ribbons to hold knives and forks together and people will know this is made with love and genuinely represents you both.

The difference between a style and a theme is that a style mixes a combination of foreground and background visual inspiration to create an overall aesthetic and vibe, but a theme is more literal. For example, a style is something loose like ‘Celestial’, a theme is more direct, like ‘Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet’.

Here are a few more examples of how you might plan a style or theme:

Travel

As a theme: You might incorporate stamps, flags, airmail envelopes and maps

As a style: You might have more of a nod to land, sea, sky and time through floaty dyed tablecloths and using grass, tropical plants, sand, water, wood, shells and stones in your centrepieces

1950s

As a theme: Think petticoats, quiffs, Teddy boy jackets, Grease soundtrack, set in an old-school diner

As a style: More like a red lip and a netted birdcage veil, a retro car like a Chevrolet Bel Air, a 50s-inspired font like Syrup and pretty faded pastels for contrast

A Pink Table Setting by Otto Maya via Conde Nast — *A Pink Table Setting* by Otto Maya via Conde Nast

Disney

As a theme: That yellow Belle dress, tables named after specific characters, a Mickey Mouse cake, horse and carriage as transport

As a style: Flowers displayed under a glass bell, candelabras, pumpkin centrepieces, soft princessy linens, chiffons and silks

Sundried flower bells by Ginette et Ernest

Summary

To round it up, my advice is to find balance. Negative space gives the important details room to breathe. You don’t have to blast every element and plaster every surface to get the point across. No one will look at the forks and think, “That fork is SO Ashley and Joel”, y’know? Find colours and textures you BOTH like and create a mood board with something like Pinterest, which is packed full of inspiration.

You might have been able to tell that I’m more of a fan of style as inspiration rather than a cut-and-dry theme or scheme. For me, I think it leaves plenty of room for you both to shine - it’s the stage you set but not the show. However, as always, I fully support people doing their day their way, so take want you want from this and run with it!

If you’re stuck on the big picture, ask for help! There are loads of suppliers who are wedding styling experts who you could chat to at wedding fairs and on Instagram, and you can always email me on carly@withbellson.co.uk for some FREE chat and advice. I’d love to help!

Top 5 European Destination Wedding Venues

October 09, 2019 by Carly Dryhurst-Smith in Top 5

This is so indulgent, but hey - It can’t hurt to look. I’ve lusted after stunning landscapes, tropical weather and venues oozing with that something special. Here’s a collection of my faves!

This Must Be The Place, Barcelona

Let’s start with a bang! This beautiful venue is just an hour outside of Barcelona and Girona, and was set up by a couple who left London to pursue their dream. This Spanish farmhouse, or ‘finca’ has stood proud since the 14th Century and now plays host to weddings, yoga retreats and parties.

All images courtesy of the venue.

Chateau of Arcangues, French Basque Country

Located close to the Atlantic coast and the Spanish border, this French stately home was the first house of the Lord of Arcangues and Curutcheta in 1150, who gave his name to the village. To this day, the d'Arcangues family has been living on the same location.

Photography by Matthias Toth

Frafjord, Norway

Having visited Norway as part of my honeymoon, it’s not concrete that it’s one of my favourite destinations to visit. The Fjords are absolutely breathtaking; there’s a magic about the air and the atmosphere that’s truly electric.

These images of Henriette & George’s wedding shot by Simon Buck give you a flavour of place so wonderfully.

Theros Wave Bar, Santorini

If you’re looking for something a little warmer, let’s try Santorini. This hidden jewel of the southern beaches has a secluded location, so it’s great for partying into the early hours!

Image sources cited beneath each.

Tenuta Casteani, Tuscany

Guys, I’ve saved the best for last because when I stumbled upon this place, I honestly shouted. It’s so stunning - Set amongst the hills of the Italian countryside, with views to die for (and that’s before we even mention the wine!)

Images courtesy of the venue.

Are you planning a destination wedding? Make sure your stationery lives up to the beauty of your venue and get in touch about completely bespoke designs for your big day.

Offbeat catering ideas

October 01, 2019 by Carly Dryhurst-Smith

If you’re having a less traditional wedding which doesn’t include a long formal sit-down meal, you still want to be able to provide some delicious, interesting alternatives to feeding and entertaining your guests. I’ve tried, tested and scoured to find these catering ideas that will not only fill your guests up, but really wow them too!

Grazing tables

A grazing table is a stunning spread of delicious food that is set up for the whole event, meaning your guests can pick and choose what they want and continue to eat throughout the day. This is a great option if you have some drinkers at your reception, too, as it’ll keep them chomping and balancing out the booze!

Companies like Berry + Brie and Grape & Fig specialise in bringing you nourishing, stunning cuisine and keeping it looking and tasting fresh. And just think of the photos!

Street food trucks

Coco Dining rustles up the best of street food under one (super cute van) roof. Think Bahn Mi, burgers, fish and chips and burritos. They’d be great for a vintage flair, casual wedding.

If you’re looking for something homey and delicious, you could try The Cheese Truck. Serving up tasty toasties from your basic cheddar through to a goats’ cheese, honey, walnut and rosemary butter concoction that’s frankly making me want an early lunch right now.

Bring-your-own

This may be too unusual for some, but it can make for a beautifully intimate wedding idea that really brings people together. You may be uncomfortable with guests paying for their food, or it might be a great way of keeping to a budget. I think the community-feel around breaking bread together, especially when it’s been made by the people there at the table, is really special.

via momontimeout.com/best-homemade-baked-mac-and-cheese-recipe/

via justapinchrecipes.blogspot.com/2019/04/fresh-fig-prosciutto-and-arugula-salad.html

via thesweetandsimplekitchen.com/raspberry-jam-filled-donuts-with-vanilla-sugar/

Drinks and cocktails

Nelson + Pops have a beautiful prosecco van and you can even personalise it to have your names and wedding theme. Ideal!

What’s a summer celebration without a Pimms? And you can get your very own Pimms Pop Up Bar - either in a traditional format, by tricyle or phone box! - from Quirky Group. I love this bold aesthetic!

Sweet treats

I’m not sure what it says about me that this section is longer than the others, but there are a few shout-outs to YUMMY companies that I just have to make!

Humble Crumble make hearty, sumptuous fillings with delish crunchy, crumbly toppings that are just too good to miss. They could be the dessert at your reception, or a great nibble for later on.

Another too-good-to-miss treat is the mini pavlovas by Meringue Girls. They’re scrummy, can be made into colours and flavours to fit your wedding and are so photogenic!

If you’re having a bonfire as part of your wedding, it’d be a cute ideas to give out S’mores as favours. Later on, when cosying up by the fire, guests can crack out the marshmallows and melt themselves a dream of a snack. The Knot have put together a helpful DIY guide.

Have you ever had a baklava ice cream sandwich? You can stuff yourself silly with them if you book Darlish, the Persian ice cream cart!

via meringuegirls.co.uk/shop/rainbow-pavlovas/

via theknot.com/content/diy-smores-favors

Whatever you choose, I’d really recommend a tasting session first. This not only allows you to make sure you’re making the right decision, but you get to treat yourself to some lovely food, so it really is a win-win. Happy snacking!