I’m one of those people who thinks weddings are fun. But weddings can always be more fun. Want yours to be the best time your friends have had in a long time? Here are my tips on how to make your party really enjoyable for everyone.

Have activities for your guests to do
If your reception or cocktail hour is outside, set up cornhole, croquet, badminton, bocce ball — whatever lawn games you like. If you’re feeling creative, you can even set up a (non-mandatory!) scavenger hunt for your guests during the cocktail hour. Your guests will get some friendly competition going, and they won’t even notice if you’ve slipped out to change into a reception gown or take some more pictures with your newly minted Mr. or Mrs. Also, set up a photo booth where guests can entertain themselves by making silly faces and leaving you photographic memories of just how much they enjoyed the day.

Make the dance floor the place to be with props
You know how photobooths always come stocked with funny props — silly hats, feather boas, giant plastic glasses? Fill a basket with funny props and stick it next to the dance floor, and watch your guests (and your sweetie) go crazy.

And on that note . . . hire a great band or DJ to emcee the party
A fun emcee who knows how to read a crowd is key to getting the dancing going and helping the reception run smoothly. Truth: Your emcee can make or break your reception. So ask your friends — and the wedding professionals you’ve already hired — for their recommendations, and hire a band or DJ who will help your party unfold the way you envision.

Keep the formalities short and sweet
I’m sure we’ve all seen toasts at weddings that are blink-and-you’ll-miss-them fast. We’ve probably also seen toasts that last a wee bit too long, or a series of five or six special dances in a row that are drawn out. The fact of the matter is, people don’t have particularly long attention spans — so after the ceremony, keep everything your guests are required to participate in/listen to/watch to a reasonable length of time, and spread them out over the course of the reception. Want to have a first dance and four parents dances? Go for it — but space them out and let the guests get up and get moving in between the parent dances. Have five groomsmen who all want to give a toast? Let them have at the microphone, but give them a target amount of time to fill.

Think outside the box when it comes to food
There are more options for receptions than traditional buffets and plated dinners. Think food stations where your guests can mix and match their food — shrimp ‘n grits, mac ‘n cheese, pasta and potato bars for afternoons and evenings; pancake, French toast, waffle, and omlette stations for morning weddings; s’more stations for after dinner — and food trucks and bringing in your favorite local joint to add some bold flavor (Greek, Thai, Indian, or Mexican, anyone?) to your wedding. Coldstone Creamery will even set up a scooped-to-order ice cream booth at your wedding.