Wedding planning
Wedding reception planning: flowers, lighting and speeches
Three things we look at when planning photographs of the reception.
During speeches, we’re often photographing the two of you reacting from your seats. The flowers in front of you and the lighting behind you can have a surprisingly large effect on those photographs.
Here are three details worth discussing with your florist, venue and MC. They’re easiest to resolve while the layout and run sheet are still being planned.
01
Place neon signs away from your seats
A bright sign directly behind the couple can compete with their faces and cast colour onto skin, clothing or the wall. It also appears repeatedly in the photographs taken from the speech position.
If you’d like a sign, consider a place near the bar or in a separate welcome area. It can still be part of the design without sitting behind your heads throughout dinner.
Check the background from the angles your photographer will use. If possible, look at it with the reception lighting switched on; the view in daylight may be quite different.
02
Check the flowers at seated height
A large arrangement can look beautiful across the front of a table but obscure the couple once they sit down. Hands, expressions and the space between you can disappear behind the flowers.
Ask your florist about keeping the view immediately in front of you clear. Larger arrangements may work at the ends of the table, on the floor or in another position where guests can appreciate them.
Have someone sit in your places while you check the layout. Look from the guest tables and from where speakers will stand. You should be able to see and talk to one another comfortably without leaning around the arrangement.
03
Group speeches where it suits the evening
One or two planned speech blocks often work well. Guests can settle into listening, then return to dinner or conversation without repeated announcements. Your traditions and chosen speakers may call for a different arrangement.
Discuss the order with your MC and the timing with the kitchen. Serving staff need to know when they can bring or clear food, and speakers need a realistic time allowance.
Include the agreed plan in the run sheet. If someone wants to add a speech on the night, your MC should know who to check with and whether there is room for it.
Check the setup from your seats
The view of your faces, the background behind you and the timing of speeches are all worth getting right. Walk through them with your suppliers before the day, while changes are straightforward.