Make People Stay At Reception

I think a great DJ and other activities (photo booth, etc.) will encourage people to stay longer. Maybe on your rsvp card do a little section for “I promise to dance if you play….” And hopefully people will stick around for their song.

My husband and I are not into dancing. However, we made a pact that we stay at receptions until cake,or other dessert/coffee is done (it's our favorite part of receptions)...so just don't serve that right away 😁

Many people prefer to chat and can sit and catch up with others for hours. They don’t care about dancing at all. Others prefer dancing instead. You won’t be able to please everyone, but so as long as you can accommodate those two main things, you’re golden.

Open bar, great music, multiple forms of entertainment! We also plan to have a lounge area for people who would prefer to drink and chat, instead of dance.

Have a good di.

Agree with all the above! Have a good party and people won't feel the need to leave. Lots of good suggestions here.

What percentage of your wedding guest list is family?

If its only a small number of individuals and they are older, I don't think them leaving after dinner is likely to cause a mass exodus of guests. We had one out of six tables reserved for family and I knew they'd all leave before it got too dark, but our guests who wanted to stay the whole time still did. Only about half our guests danced and that's just because it was who they were. People who want to stick around, dance, and do things will. People who won't will leave regardless of the opportunities you provide.

I would also suggest having a staple wedding event - like cutting the cake and serving dessert - possibly done a bit later in the evening to encourage guests to stick around. There's no guarantee that will work, but if people know its coming they are likely to think its rude to leave beforehand, so serving dinner, having a small dancing break, then cutting the cake could encourage some folks to stay a little longer.

I think it's also knowing your crowd. for instance i knew that my parent's guests were gonna go early. they're older, it makes sense. and that alone was half of my guests. and like what PP said it's also about what activities or things you'll have. if you'll have speeches, games, etc then people would stay to see that

It's inevitable that some people will leave early, such as elderly guests. I think if you have fun activities like a photobooth and dancing, it will help keep the majority of people from leaving!