25 Fun & Fabulous Wedding Ideas

Fancy Feasts

Not Fun! Hey, brides and grooms: Avoid these major mood-spoilers. Smashing cake in each other’s face: This act is downright sophomoric, not to mention messy! A cash bar: Guests should never have to pay for their own drinks. Lines: Standing in a long food or drink queue is a drag. Since lines tend to occur at the bar and buffet table, arrange to have several serving stations to accommodate the size of your group. Hunger: Don’t starve guests while you’re busy with the receiving line or being photographed. Keep the cocktail party to about an hour and make sure you have enough food—running out is a real no-no. Afterward, request that the first dinner course be served as guests are getting seated at their tables. Stumbling, drunken guests: Of course, you can’t control how much booze people consume, but you can take a few precautionary measures. Wait until after the ceremony to serve alcohol, and make sure drinks are always accompanied by plenty of food.

8. Instead of the traditional sit-down dinner or buffet, opt for smaller food-serving areas where a particular entrée or side dish might be paired with a complementary drink—like sushi with sake or a carving station with a rich cabernet. "Stations get people up and moving, and that makes for a dynamic party," explains Dorman. "They also give guests something to talk about."

9. Consider having a family-style dinner. Passing around platters of food creates a much more intimate feel among guests than a waiter-served meal would, says Dorman.

10. Vodka ice slides are a popular trend right now, says Joy Wallace of Joy Wallace Catering Production, in Miami, Florida . "A bartender pours flavored vodka through a long tunnel carved into an ice sculpture," she explains. "By the time it empties into a glass held at the bottom, the vodka's been chilled."

11. Give champagne an extra kick. Wallace suggests placing fruit—peaches and blackberries are popular choices—in the flutes, because it'll stimulate the bubble action. Fresh fruit works well, but frozen fruit provides even more fizz.

Special Effects

12. Let your guests feel like carefree kids again! Rent a popcorn stand, or a cotton candy or snow cone machine, and watch guests' faces light up with glee as they're served their favorite treats.

13. Make 'em smile! Hire an old-fashioned photo booth for your wedding so guests can take turns mugging for the camera. Place the booth in a corner of your ballroom, and get ready for all sorts of silly photo strips to come out of the machine—perhaps even one of you and your new husband sneaking kisses behind the curtain.

14. Hire an unusual entertainer to thrill party-goers. Some fun ideas: a juggler, belly dancer or fortune teller.

15. Delight your guests with games: Create a mini casino by bringing in roulette, craps and blackjack tables, or make a mini arcade with pinball machines and other popular amusements.

16. End the night with a bang by lighting up the sky with a fireworks display. Choreographed pyrotechnic shows start at around $5,000 and can be launched from practically anywhere. If your budget can't accommodate a big razzle-dazzle, pick up some sparklers instead; ask your bridesmaids to pass them out to guests just before your getaway at the end of the night.