22 Unique Wedding Reception Ideas On A Budget You’ll Love

01.

The perfect way to keep kids (and adults!) entertained for hours

People who are shy on the dance floor might appreciate having an alternate activity like lawn bowling or croquet to help them let loose. Often weddings feel a little uptight, and lawn games are the perfect way to help guests relax and mingle!

If your reception is going to be held on a (hopefully) sunny lawn, why not have a few lawn games to break out for guests who don’t love dancing?

02.

Keep the party going all night to your favorite custom tunes

If you have a good friend who’s willing to check in on the equipment in the event of a technical glitch, then you have a way cheaper alternative to a band or a DJ! This is a great way to give your wedding reception a more personal touch.

You’ll need some good speakers to hook up to your phone or laptop for the sound quality to be good enough, but it’s possible to find speakers that have great sound quality for the price if you know where to look!

03.

Set up a board game station for guests to challenge each other

Love board games? Having some board game options like Scrabble, Catan, and Carcassonne is a fun, quirky option for encouraging guests who might not know each other well to mingle.

It’s hard to know what to say to your best friend’s sister’s mother-in-law at the best of times, but Yahtzee is a great ice breaker!

04.

Let your guests capture and share the best moments of the night easily

Having a polaroid or instax camera that guests can pick up and use is a fun way to help make memories!

The great thing about this option is you can also be creative with what to do with the pictures once they’re developed – do you want guests to feel free to keep the pictures they take?

Or would you rather the pics be put in a basket, so you can collect them later?

This can also be a fun alternative to a wedding guest book – guests who snap pictures can write a message on the bottom of the picture for the bride and groom!

FujiFilm instax mini 9 Instant Film Camera

$116

05.

An eco-friendly option to honor a timeless tradition

If your outdoor wedding will go into the evening, it’s nice to have an extra late-reception event to bring everyone together again and make the evening extra special.

Releasing sky lanterns can be a romantic, quiet pause in a party that’s getting wild, or a way to spice up a night that’s dwindling.

Guests that want to participate each get a lantern to send their wishes floating up into the sky, and the lit lanterns floating up are a beautiful image in the night that will stick in their memories forever.

06.

Keep the kids busy and out of guest’s hair by setting up a kid zone

If several of your guests will be bringing kids, a kid activity center is a great way to help entertain younger guests, so they don’t get tired out too easily.

A few coloring books and crayons, a small chalkboard, or a play mat with cars, blocks, and other toys are all easy things that can keep kids entertained for hours.

It’s important to remember that the best toys for this type of thing are ones that encourage the kids to play quietly without being too disruptive.

07.

LET THEM EAT CAKE!

We know that the bride and groom get the top tier, but if you’ve spent more than you wanted to on a giant cake and you’re worried that the lower tiers will get left half-eaten, put some take home boxes beside the cake at the end of the evening!

Make sure you’ve stowed away anything you want to take home before doing this though, so guests have a clear idea of what’s fair game!

08.

Keep guests snacking away while waiting for the cake

Dinner and cake are classics, but why not mix it up with your favorite snack foods?

Candy tables are a big wedding trend right now and are a really fun way to entertain guests, but you can also rent popcorn machines, have an ice cream bar, or a selection of casual snacks.

A fun extension of this idea might be a bar featuring the favorite snacks of the bride and groom, so two people hitting the snack bar at the same time have something to talk about!

09.

Create your own custom wedding batch of beer to share with friends

Home brewing is fun, and if you’re at all interested in brewing your own wine or beer, make a batch for your wedding! It’s simple and easy to get customized labels, and guests who know that the bride or groom made their beer or wine will be much more interested in talking about it with their tablemates.

You can also brew unique beer or wine with flavors that match your wedding theme, like pineapple wine for a tropical theme, or rosehip wine for a romantic touch.

This kit has everything you need to make, bottle, and cap up to 5 gallons of your own beer. That should be more than enough for your guests to sample & share on the big day.

$109.99

10.

Feel like the bouquet toss is a bit outdated for your audience?

Try handing out individual flowers from the bouquet, or choosing alternative things to throw, like plush favors or small cards with inspirational quotes.

It is a great idea to have your wedding florist prepare two bouquets: one to keep and one to hand out flowers from.

11.

Photos are a huge wedding keepsake, and everyone loves a great scavenger hunt

This idea combines the two and makes sure that you’ll have plenty of great photos to put into your album! Provide a list of photo ops for your scavengers to seek out. For instance, make one of the checklists to take a picture of someone laughing or to catch the best dancer of the night in action.

Make sure to include a hashtag on the scavenger hunt card so everyone can share their photos and look them over later!

12.

Who said you can’t play with your food? Let the rules go out the window the night of your reception by adding an interactive food station. Chocolate fountains are a classic, but make sure you have plenty to dip.

You can also do built-it-yourself tacos and burritos or other foods by changing out what you let flow in the fountain. Cheese sauce is a fun and unexpected way to kick it up a notch.

13.

Let everyone have a voice on your big day without taking time from the festivities

Everyone loves giving their input, and since not everyone will have the chance to do a big toast to the happy couple, give them the chance to write a special note for you. Have a note card for each gift titled “Dear newlyweds…” so they can write something for you to admire.

You can also put a more entertaining twist on this by asking them a specific question, like “What’s the first activity we should try as a couple?”.

14.

Give back to those you love

Everyone is bringing the bride and groom excellent gifts for their new life together, so give your guests something in return. The raffle prize can be anything, like a giant gift basket or a gag present.

You could also let the raffle winner smash the ice sculpture you had made for the wedding—the possibilities are endless!

15.

Let your guests get creative with this fun & artistic reception idea

This is another great way to get some good keepsakes from your wedding guest. Similar to the notecards addressed to the newlywed couple, you can ask your guests to doodle their favorite memory of the reception by providing a doodle card and markers.

This idea lets your guests get creative and show off their art skills. Collect the drawings at the end of the night to look through after the honeymoon, and frame your favorite ones!

16.

Give your guests something to smile about & take home as a reminder of the big day

This is a fantastic way for everyone to have fun keepsakes from your wedding night! Hire a caricature artist to sketch guests (upon request) so they can save their memories of your happy union for years to come.

17.

Why not re-invent your wedding theme by incorporating a tradition from a different culture?

This will leave a lasting impression on your guests as they get to experience something new in a familiar setting. There are also financial incentives for incorporating cultural decorations and themes into your wedding – the materials needed for decoration are often quite inexpensive. Ideas can range from unique jewelry, fabrics, hand painted pots, and more!

Think back to your favorite vacations or foods and think about how you can incorporate them into your own celebration.

18.

Do you have old, empty bottles of wine lying around at home? We sure do!

Don’t just throw them away, use them as hanging decor using wires or colored string. Simply tie the thin wire around the bottle’s neck and suspend it from a tree or rail. You can paint your bottles or write messages on them with a sharpie, or even put fresh cut flowers in them! Refractions of light shining through each bottle will create a wonderful kaleidoscope on the walls.

19.

Colored candles look stunning floating in glass or crystal bowls filled half-way with water

To take this idea to the next level, fill your bowl with colored pebbles, rocks, or even sand from the best beaches you’ve visited around the world. This is a great centerpiece for tables that have the potential to reflect almost any wedding theme. Intricately charming yet simple – and imagine the contrast against a white sheet!

20.

Ditch the seats and treat your guests to a more intricate and comfortable experience.

If you’re close to an animal feed store, purchase stacks of hay and cover them with your favorite fabrics or warm and soft blankets. This is a beautiful choice for bohemian or natural themed weddings, especially those taking place outdoors or in the country. Out of all the unique wedding decoration ideas for your reception, this option serves the dual purpose of both seating AND offering a unique design that is truly special to you.

21.

Make a day out of it to find some fun local flavors to incorporate into your wedding

Old mailboxes and containers serve as rustic wedding card collection boxes with this elegant and budget-friendly reception idea. The worn texture and look draws an earthy, rustic aura to your wedding. Take time to visit local art schools and scout projects of prospective artists. Sometimes you will be able to get original, un-seen decor items and art pieces for your wedding without the cost associated with established artists.

22.

Need a unique wedding game to keep guests entertained?

Try this wine bottle ring toss idea. You can purchase an old milk-bottle holder and fill it with empty wine bottles. Pick up some cheap, fun, oversized rings at the mall or online and offer a small prize to your guests if they win their toss!