Guests eating at the wedding reception outside in the backyard.

Best Reception Food Ideas for Your Main Dish

Your wedding tables and their decorations is one of the focal points of your wedding reception. Let’s see what I can do to make your wedding table decorations fun to do, inexpensive and most of all lovely to look at. There is no limit to the wedding centerpieces that will look expensive and be inexpensive and you can do it yourself. So here we go. There are a lot of ways the tables can be arranged depending on how many guests you will have, how the food will be served, and of course, the size of the venue your reception will take place in.

A more elegant look can be had by using oval or round tables. Another tip is if the tables are arranged it clusters it tends to lead to conversation and mingling amongst the guests. When serving buffet style rather than displaying the food on a long line of tables, either have them in a U shape or better yet food stations with salads at one, main courses and sides at another and desserts at yet another. It also makes for less crowding while trying to get your food which then makes it more comfortable and pleasant for all.

Table Cloths

Let’s talk about the table cloths you will use which can be the classic white or you might get a bit different and use your theme colors in the cloths. It is especially lovely if you are using a more dramatic color pallette.

Other ideas

Beautiful Inexpensive Fall Wedding Centerpiece. There are so many kind of things you can create and how about something as simple as:

* Glitter or confetti in your theme colors
*  For a beach wedding small sea shells look really pretty
* A fall wedding just calls for a scattering of fall leaves
* Mini silk rose petals are very romantic looking
* Glass beads in clear or colors

Lighting

I cannot tell you how important the lighting of your reception area is to the overall look of your decorations. You must consider different light sources available to you.

* Rope lights along the edges of a table gives a whole new look to its decorations
* Tea lights as accent to your table centerpieces or candle centerpieces
* If you wrap twinkle light in tulle or lace and string them along the sides of a table it makes magic happen
* Floating candles or place candles on reflective mirrors is another lovely way to use lighting in an inexpensive way

Table Centerpieces

* There are so many kind of things you can create and how about something as simple as alternating tall and short decorations at each table for a wonderful layered effect
* Create centerpieces that breakaway such as small potted plants that can double as wedding favors at the end of the evening

Heart Cookies for a Cookie Table Centerpiece

* Have edible centerpieces for the guests to enjoy by arranging lovely bowls of candies or trays of cookies
* Another way to use the centerpiece as a wedding favor is to arrange small picture frames with photos of the bride and groom and invite the guests to choose one to take home at the end of the day. Place Setting as Part of the Decorations.

Why not extend your decorations to cover the entire table by doing some easy thing with your table settings?

* Be sure your table cloths, china, napkins and other table items are coordinated
* Use elaborately folded napkins as a decoration of each plate
* Use beautiful place cards to help guests find their places

Don’t forget to decorate the guest chairs with covers or bows or both and all in your theme colors.

Warning

For the comfort of the guests and the beauty of the room don’t overcrowd the tables with place settings and people. Also, keep the centerpieces a size and height so that it doesn’t stop converation between those at the table. Proper planning and the time it takes is well worth it when you see the final results of your wedding table decorations. See that they are beautiful and there are so many kinds of things you can create. All this and inexpensive, too. If you have any good inexpensive wedding centerpiece  ideas I would love to hear from you below.

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