10 Simple, Affordable And Unique Wedding Reception Ideas For Planning A Perfectly "You" Wedding

Need simple and unique wedding reception ideas? Not afraid to step outside the box a little bit and do something a little bit more "you"? This page will share 10 of the very best, most simple to implement, and the downright coolest things you can do to make wedding reception uniquely you.

{1} Wine Glasses As Your Wedding Table Centerpiece

Photo from C. Fagerlin

I loved this idea the second I laid eyes on it!

And while there are easily hundreds of amazing wedding candle centerpieces, this is one of the most creative and unique wedding reception ideas I've come across in awhile.

I love how it takes something - the wine glasses - that probably comes for free with any venue and turns it into decor. Seriously - this'd cost under $10!!! It's cheap, pretty, creative AND unique.

All you have to do is switch up the flower and the color of the candles and it'd work with almost any theme!

{2} Want us to Kiss? Guess Right!

Photo by Studio 563 in Austen

The "Get the Bride and Groom To Kiss During the Reception" game is hardly a unique wedding reception tradition. BUT, there are some really creative ways of doing it. Here's one of the most unique I've ever experienced...

Here's how it goes - Every table gets a little box (or bag) of questions related to the bride and groom. For example, "What's John's favorite book". In order to get the bride and groom to kiss, the table has to guess right.

What we found really great about this game is that it gets everyone at the dinner tables talking. In the end, it was actually one of the funnest weddings we've ever been to - mostly as a result of this game! In a matter of 30 minutes it made us instant friends with the 5 or 6 other people (aka strangers) at the table.

{3} Sparklers for the Send-off

Photo from Hendrickson Photography Weddings

Rose petals, lavender, bubbles, and other eco-confetti options are awesome, but boy oh boy is this ever a unique wedding reception tradition. It's got style, photo-worthy appeal, and won't cost you a lot... Let's explore how awesome this is just in case you aren't convinced.

First of all - send-offs are at night. All of those other flowery/bubbly options are great for daytime. But, for a night-time send off nothing beats fun, inexpensive sparklers.

For under $20 you could get sparkers for a 50-person wedding. What an amazing little touch for just a wee bit of money! And pictures - need I say more? I don't know about you but I think it's the coolest thing ever!

{4} Desert Table Instead of a "Wedding Cake"

Photo by A. Hedges Photography

For some people even a cheap wedding cake is a total turn off. Either you're not into wedding cakes because the cost (even for a cheap cake) is way too silly for you. OR the hoopla is more than you can handle!

For you, the pie and treats table is the perfect solution. Provide as many pie and desert options as you want and carry on with your evening - cake-cutting ceremony free!

A variation on this idea is a "cake table". In this situation you could offer a variety of cakes, cupcakes, and even pies. You can do away with the cake cutting ceremony and give your guests a variety of tasty treats to choose from!

{5} Lemons'n Limes For Place Card Holders

Photo by Carolina Studios By Gilliant Reinhardt

Kelly and Micheal, the couple who planned this wedding is probably one of the cutest couples I've had the honor of writing about on the real wedding blog. And these lemon's and limes are a testament to their creativity and fun nature.

They used lemons and limes in their wedding table centerpieces as well as for their wedding cake topper (cute!). I like the mix and match between the lemons and limes and I think the yellow pins are hugely important to making this idea work.

It goes to show you that some of the most unique wedding reception ideas out there don't have to cost a lot of money!

{6} A Bonfire With Roasted Marshmallows For Outdoor Weddings

Photo by Olivia Gird Photography

If you're planning an backyard wedding reception this is something you just have to do. And if you're getting married outdoors and your wedding venue will allow it, you have to do it too!

I'm a big fan of having different entertainment sections for the wedding reception. Dancing will always be popular, but there are always going to be those guests who aren't as into to it. And even if they are they might want to get away for a quiet moment.

The only thing that you'll need to consider is this - how are you going to keep that fire going all night long...and (of course) how are you going to make sure it's safe?

Certain logs can take care of keeping the fire going all night long, but you'll have to make sure it's near a water source as well. If you want to play it really safe, only have the bonfire going for a certain period of time. That way you can have a person manning it the entire time.

{7} Wedding Reception At The Zoo

Photo by Emily Takes Photos

This has always been on the top of my list for unique wedding reception ideas.

If you're starting to think about outdoor wedding locations there are countless options. BUT, the zoo has to be one of the most creative I've come across yet.

This particular couple, Irene and Dan, chose a zoo wedding because they're a little shy and didn't want ALL the attention of the day focused on them. Their plan certainly worked for that day, but here, on the web all eyes are on them. Their wedding is truly and online hit!

{8} Paper Lantern Bobbles

Photo by Bowerstick Photography

I'm a big fan of using paper lanterns for wedding decorations. And the cool thing about this idea is that it takes these inexpensive decorative items and does the unexpected with it - Bobbles! What a hit!!!

People usually think of paper lanterns hanging from the ceiling, but this unique wedding reception idea has them tied in groups of three to the side of a hand railing. They're using three different sizes which I think is really important to getting the look just right. I also like how they have special lighting illuminating them!

Side note: Make sure you figure out the logistics of this one. If you have light-up string lanterns you'll have to figure out how to get the paper lantern cords from the hand railing to an outlet.

{9} The Receiving Line With Shots

Photo from Hendrickson Photography Weddings

Usually a receiving line is a pretty simple. People stand in line, congratulate you, and voila... dinner starts.

The receiving line with shots however takes this wedding reception tradition a step further and is used it to say "hey folks, the party is starting NOW. Get ready for THE party of the century!"

At my sisters wedding the grooms father offered Bailey's and my father offered Shlivovitz (a culural alcohol made from plums).

It's a really nice way to get the fathers involved and can be modified for any culture. Japanese weddings for example could offer specialty teas or rice wine. Italians can offer an Italian wine or even grappa. The ideas are really endless!

{10} The Wedding Cupcake Topper

Photo by Melissa Draper Photography

omg... Cute right!

If you're into cupcake wedding cakes but want to be a little bit different get yourself some mini cake toppers and place it on one of your cupcakes - at the top tier of your cupcake tier of course.

It doesn't even have to be a traditional cupcake topper. If you want, you can get any sort of accessory as you want. Two little cherries on a stick, an important knick knack, an elephant for good luck - ANYTHING!

Since this is a cute and fun idea you don't really have to be held back by traditions or expectations so you can really let your true selves shine!

What wedding ideas do you want to see now?

• Top backyard wedding accessories
• Wedding table centerpiece ideas
• Wedding reception ideas for decor
• Romantic quotes from Passionate Romantic Ideas
• Wedding reception games

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