Photos on thumbnail courtesy of Ivan Garcia Studio.

When it comes to the wedding planning process, we’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there are a number of decisions that you’ll have to make along the way. From building out your vendor dream team to crafting a wedding day timeline and everything else, we’re sure you’ll have such a fun-filled experience completing each of these tasks! Here on our wedding blog, we strive to provide engaged couples with resources on how they can effectively (and efficiently) create their dream wedding day.

In this week’s blog post, we’re going to walk through the wedding reception, in particular. The wedding reception is obviously a major part of your wedding day, as it will be the time where you’ll celebrate your “I Do’s” with all of your loved ones. Furthermore, with the growth in the wedding industry, there are simply so many possibilities when it comes to wedding receptions nowadays. And with couples placing a higher priority on the overall experience at their receptions, it definitely doesn’t hurt to have a few ideas to consider for your own wedding reception. As a wedding venue that has hosted hundreds of weddings over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to witness more than a few amazing ideas. Throughout this week’s blog post, we’ll share a few must-haves that you may want to take into consideration.

Looking for some ideas and inspiration for your special day? Check out our Instagram page for more ideas from past weddings held at Madera Estates.

Now…let’s discuss a few fabulous ideas that will help create a flawless wedding reception!

Add to the magic of your wedding reception with fireworks

Are you searching for a wedding reception idea that will truly take the party to the next level? How about a fireworks display? With the help of our friends at ROAR Over Texas, we’ve had numerous couples incorporate a fireworks display into their wedding and it’s safe to say that it is simply amazing every single time! One of the decisions that you will need to make though on this topic is when the fireworks display will take place, as there are a few different possibilities to pick from. One popular time is during a first dance under the stars to kick off the wedding reception. If you’re looking for another time (outside of the actual wedding reception), you could have the fireworks display take place right as the ceremony concludes. Long story short, having a fireworks display at your wedding will always add to the magic and excitement of your big day!

Delicious food is definitely a MUST

One of the wedding vendors that you’ll find yourself focusing on (in the early stages of wedding planning) is the catering company. Unsurprisingly, the caterer will serve an important role in the wedding day itself and as such, you’ll want to get started on scheduling tastings and deciding on which caterer will make the most sense for your big day. As a side note, it’s also important to note that some venues may offer all-inclusive packages. In these situations, this can help streamline the vendor selection process, as you can have certain vendor categories taken care of right away with reliable options. All in all though, we couldn’t have a blog post all about must-haves for a wedding reception without talking about the importance of having a delicious meal that all of your guests will love!

Some type of dessert

While on the topic of food, you’ll also want to have some type of dessert served. That could be in the form of a wedding cake or dessert table. In regards to wedding cakes, you can’t ignore the talents of wedding cake bakers nowadays. It truly is something that you can customize so it not only looks beautiful, but also is delicious. If you take a look through any of our previous blog posts that provide inside looks at weddings held at our venue, you’ll see a variety of different styles in terms of wedding cakes! On the other hand, if you’re not too big of cake fans, there are other options at your disposal. With this, I’m referring to having a dessert table at the wedding reception with various treats. Either way (or even having a combination of the two) is sure to be a hit at your wedding reception!

Entertainment to keep the dance floor packed all night long

Dancing and wedding receptions are the perfect combination, right? After all, you’re celebrating such a momentous occasion! So…in addition to being surrounded by friends and family on this exciting day, you’re also going to want to have some form of entertainment to add to the fun. With this, I’m referencing something that is a mainstay at countless wedding receptions and that is music provided by either a DJ or live band. This will only add to the fun and will surely keep the dance floor packed all night long!

Anything else that will add to the overall experience

In the opening paragraphs, we talked about how couples are emphasizing creating an amazing experience for their wedding receptions. Thus far in this blog post, we’ve reviewed a few different items that are obviously worth focusing on for your wedding reception. However, the list of possibilities extends much farther than that. In addition to those, it’s also worth doing your due diligence and thinking about other ideas worth incorporating. What are a few that instantly come to mind? We already talked about food on a few occasions here, but another idea you may want to think about is a late night snack. We’ve seen Whataburger as a popular option for this! On that same note, a s’mores bar or churro bar could also be a cool idea too. How about a photo booth? While they have definitely been around for a little white, they can add so much fun to a wedding reception. Plus, the types of photo booths have expanded over the years with the 360 photo booths rising in popularity! To sum it up, as we wrap up this week’s blog post, we just wanted to highlight the importance of checking out the different wedding reception possibilities as there are more than a few out there!

Host Your Wedding at Madera Estates!

Just as we’ve discussed throughout this blog post, there are plenty of details that go into planning out your wedding reception. Whether that be finding a venue with the perfect area to host the reception, scheduling tastings with catering companies, or a number of other potential add-ons for your reception, there are no shortage of possibilities with wedding receptions nowadays! If you’re still in the venue selection stage of wedding planning, we would be happy to answer any questions that you may have and show you around our venue. Here at Madera Estates, we have both an outdoor space (in front of the Grand Fireplace) and an indoor space (the Hacienda). Lastly, in terms of the wedding reception specifically, you can have an outdoor al fresco reception here or also host it in the Hacienda. Plus, you’ll likely want to utilize the outdoor space regardless for a sparkler send-off or fireworks display as well.

To learn more about our venue, feel free to fill out the form HERE to request a copy of our pricing guide.

About the Author
Paul Pettie is the Director of Business Development at Madera Estates, a Spanish-style wedding venue that has been recognized as one of the top venues in Conroe, TX. Over the years, hundreds of couples have selected Madera Estates to serve as the backdrop for their special day. From the Grand Fireplace and Hacienda to the getting ready suites and countless photo opportunities around the property, there truly are an endless number of possibilities when tying the knot at Madera Estates! Having witnessed more than a few incredible wedding receptions, he was looking forward to writing this week’s blog post.

Utilizing his background in hospitality and a “Ducktoriate” from the Disney University, Paul is passionate about his clients’ experience when planning their special day. Working in the family business, Paul is usually one of the first faces engaged couples see when they tour the venue. When not at work, Paul loves Halloween and seeing live theatre, in addition to traveling to new and exotic destinations.

Paul is also the Co-Founder of Venue Help Desk, which strives to help wedding and event venues with a plethora of business and sales resources.