With so much attention focused on the wedding part of your wedding day, it's easy to make your reception a simple affair with food and dancing. However, you can make the reception special for everyone with a few unique additions -- like those below -- that can make the event truly lively. 

1-Get Customized Photography Backdrops

Pictures are likely to be part of any reception. To make this a stunning part of your reception, you can get a custom designed photography backdrop. Did you and your spouse meet in a unique location? You can have a backdrop designed and placed in the reception hall, so it can serve as a background for guest pictures. Is your wedding beach-themed? You can bring the beach indoors with a customized backdrop. A beautiful backdrop can make guests feel like they've walked into a photo shoot, and the photos they take there will remind them of your reception. You may want to add some props as well.

2-Have Table Games

For much of the reception, people will be eating, dancing, or talking. For more fun, give each table a game of their own to play. It may be a game that requires stacking wood blocks, or it may be a card game. They should be simple enough for people to join in and leave as other activities take up their time. You may want to list the games on one main board to allow people to mingle and join games around the reception hall if they choose.

3-Add Video Games and Machines

If your reception hall is big enough, you may wish to liven up things with one or two arcade-style video games or a pinball game machine. This can be especially popular for younger guests, although even older relatives may wish to relive younger years and settle an old score with family members. 

4-Make a Photo Book

Another activity to make the reception not only fun but meaningful is to have a small instant camera available to create a wedding photo book. People can snap photos in front of the custom backdrop and put it into a book you've left out along with a handwritten message. At the end of the night you should have an entire book made of pictures of your guests and well wishes.

With these reception tips, your marriage can start off with a lot of laughter and fun. Talk with photographers and other vendors for more information on custom-designed photography backdrops.