One item that you may not think about but is really important to your reception: a great host. Just imagine, your guests arrive at your party but you're rather busy attending to everyone. Your host or hostess for the night will need to get the party jumpstarted on your behalf and keep the party fun and flowing so that everyone, including yourself, enjoys the event.

You have the option to hire a professional to host your event. The great thing about this is that this gentleman or lady is very familiar with handling events and are used to dealing with crowds and strangers. If you give them a clear program to follow, they can liven up your party and help you make the transition between each activity smooth.

Of course, you may prefer to have a member of the family or your closest friend host the event for you. One advantage to this may be that he or she knows almost everyone at your wedding and can easily get them to participate. The disadvantage is that if they are nervous you'll get a lot of dead air on the microphone and some garbled speech.

If you do go for a professional, check that you like their style. Ask if you can observe them at work if they are hosting another event. Check if you like their sense of humor as well. Keep in mind that you need someone who knows when the jokes are getting too risque or bawdy and are beginning to offend your guests.

You also don't want to end up with someone who just wants to hit on your female guests. You're looking for someone who can be both dignified, charming and an absolute source of excitement and control to face your family and friends on this important day.

It's also very important that they dress appropriately, and speak articulately and eloquently on your behalf. After all, they are representing YOU for this major event :)