Wedding trends such as fireworks and food walls look better on the internet than they do in real life. For many couples, a wedding reception is the biggest and most expensive party they'll ever throw.

Yet the food and the reception table design are the main course—and they are far from a cookie-cutter menu. “Hosting a dinner party is a ... a must,” advises wedding planner Gregory Blake ...

including the wedding planner, invitations, dress, ceremony, reception, flowers, photography, and music. “It’s harder to think about this now—and I am a feminist—but historically it has to ...