Wondering what are appropriate informal wedding decorations? Not sure what food and beverages to serve at your wedding? Can’t figure out what music to play at the reception? Here is some informal wedding etiquette.

Wedding Ceremony Decorations
When planning an informal wedding, the ceremony decorations can be flowers and petals. At my informal wedding, since it was at city hall I pretty much couldn’t do any wedding ceremony decorations. My friend’s wedding had flowers in the chapel. My father chose to have an aisle runner and flowers as ceremony decorations.

Wedding Reception Decorations
When planning an informal wedding, the reception decorations depends on the reception site. My informal wedding reception was at a restaurant so I didn’t need to decorate at all. My friend decorated her entire backyard with lanterns and tea lights. She also put out candles and small balloons. My father decorated the room he used with balloons and flowers.

Reception Food Preparation
When planning an informal wedding, the food can be prepared by a caterer, friends, relatives or you can have a restaurant take care of the food. My uncle who is a chef decided to make all the food for his wedding reception. That can be a little stressful but he managed to pull it off perfectly. My father left the cooking up to some culinary students. My friend called a local restaurant and asked them to cater in her backyard. Several waiters walked around with trays of hors d’oeuvres.

Wedding Reception Food
When planning an informal wedding, you don’t have to serve a meal. Light finger foods and wedding cake is perfectly acceptable. You can also create a small buffet display.

Wedding Reception Beverages
When planning an informal wedding, the beverages served at the reception should be champagne or punch for toasts, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Beverages are entirely up to you. This can be the one place you really splurge on your wedding budget.

Wedding Ceremony Music
When planning an informal wedding, the wedding ceremony music can be a church organ or soloist. We didn’t have any music at ours.

Wedding Reception Music
When planning an informal wedding, you can choose tapes/CD compilations for the reception music. My father had a DJ that insisted on playing dreaded wedding songs like the electric slide but we all danced throughout the wedding reception. My friend had light contemporary music played on outdoor speakers. My uncle also had a DJ and a videographer so we couldn’t deny participating in line dances I learned on the spot.