Since you are reading this article, you probably have some idea that eHitched now has a brand new wedding planning tool called the Reception Designer. The brand new Reception Designer could be one of the most powerful tools we now have to offer. It includes the ability to create your tables, move the tables to any location, and add guests to each table. It is now easy to not only dream about your wedding reception, but now you can see a layout of exactly where each item is going to be at your dream reception. I will go through some of the different tools the Reception Designer. This is not a complete guide because there is so much only you can do with the ideas you have. I hope this guide will get you started when creating your own Reception Design.

In order to use our Reception Designer, you will need just a few things. First you will need a web browser. eHitched does not actually have a list of all the different browsers that the Reception Designer will support, but since the Reception Designer is FREE it won't hurt to try it out in any browser. On top of a browser, you will need a mouse, just a keyboard will not work. However if you have only a mouse it will work, but not vice versa. Finally the main thing that is needed in order to start using the Reception Designer is the Java Browser Plugin Version 1.4.1. This is actually a very common thing, and is often already installed on your computer. If it is not installed, the good thing is that it will automatically install for you. You just have to accept the terms of the company who supplies the Java Browser Plugin. Once it is installed, the Reception Designer will automatically start.

Step one will be the first screen you will see. In step one you will decide exactly what you want at your reception. You can set your round, square, and rectangle table amounts. You will also be able to specify which common reception items you will need at your reception. Once you have decided the number of tables and items you need at your reception simply click the next step button. If you don't know right now the number of tables you will need, don't worry there are options to add more tables inside the actual designer. Just give an estimate or some amount if you are just trying the Reception Designer out.

Step two will allow you to specify exactly the types of tables for the objects you included from step one. You can pick from a round, square, or rectangle table for each object. Once you have selected your table types, simply click the next step button.

Once you have completed the above two steps, the actual Reception Designer will appear. I will go over the simple layout now so you can understand what each part of the designer is.

The toolbar, located across the top of the Reception Designer, will help you perform basic things such as starting your designer over, saving your work so you can come back later, print preview, and printing out your Reception Design and Guest List.

The information screen located on the right has two main parts. On the top is the information about each table. Once you click on a table, that table's information will be displayed in this section. The bottom of the information screen will be the part where you will be able to set the amount of guests for a selected table, and then you can actually add a guest to each chair at the table.

The main screen will be your main screen. This will be your reception, you can add, move, and remove the tables around this area. Use the scrollbars across the right and bottom of the main screen to look around the reception area setup for you.

There are many options to help you edit the tables to the exact design of your dreams. Look through the editing options I have gone over below.

To move tables around the screen first double click on the table to get it in your hand. Then move your mouse to the exact location that you would like the table to be located. Once you have located the perfect location for the table, left click once. If the location is not already pre-occupied by another object, the table should return to its original color and be set in that new location. If the location you are attempting to place a table in is already pre-occupied, then the table will still be in your hand, and you will need to find a new location for the table.

Changing the size of the table is very easy. Simply right click on the table that you would like to change the size of. You should then see a menu with the options to increase or decrease the size of the table. Select the option that you need to design your reception.

If you would like to rotate a table, simply right click on the table that you would like to rotate. You should then see a menu with the option to rotate the table, left click on that option. The rotate option will only work on the rectangle table types.

To remove a table, simply locate the table you want to remove, right click on that table, and select the option remove table from the menu that appeared. After clicking on the remove table option, you should be prompted to whether or not you actually want to remove that table. If you do want to remove the table, select yes, otherwise, select no.

The Reception Designer gives you the ability to set names to each of your tables. When your tables are created they are actually set up with default names so you don't ever have to add names, but you can change any name of a table. First left click once on the table you want to change the name of. Once you have clicked on your table, you should see the name already assigned to the table in the information screen on the left. Edit the name located in the text box and click on the button on the right labeled set. Your table's name will now have changed to the name you have just specified.

To set the amount of guests that will be at a table, first left click on the table. You should then see the current information for the table located on the information screen on the right. Click on the drop down box on the information screen labeled Select Number Of Guests. Select the exact amount of guests that will be sitting at this table.

First set the number of guests at a table described above. Once you have set the amount of guests sitting at that table, you will see the same number of chairs in the lower part of the information screen. Chairs that are grey are currently empty and chairs that are white already have a guest sitting at them. Left click on a grey chair to start adding a guest. A popup will appear with three options, a first name, last name, and a relation. Add any of the fields that you feel necessary.

Read Add a Guest to a Table above to locate the guests, but instead of clicking on a grey chair, click on already occupied white chair.

Adding a table is very simple. Locate the empty space where you would like your new table to be located, then right click on the grid square where you want the new table to be, and select the table type from the menu.

I know that once you have worked to create your dream Reception Design, you are going to want to save your work. Simply left click on the disk to save your current design. Then the next time you come back to use the Reception Designer again, you will be prompted about resuming to where you last left off.

Once you have created your dream design, you are going to want to print out your layout. This way when you want to actually setup your reception you have a printed copy of your design. Don't forget to use the print preview button to see what is going to print out before you do it.

Like I said before, there is so much more that you can do with the Reception Designer than I can write about in one article, plus it so customizable to your own dreams that each persons experience with the Reception Designer will be different.