<P> Wedding receptions are often the time when couples want to ensure their family and guests will be entertained, and a variety of options such as disc jockeys, live bands, professional dancers such as ballroom dancers or belly dancers, fire artists and even comedians are brought in to heighten the festivities and make the wedding stand out . In America and in other countries, including lavish entertainment at the wedding reception is a luxury . Wedding DJ's have been increasing in popularity in modern cultures . </P> <P> A ceremony is often made of the newlyweds' departure . Rice or birdseed, signifying abundance, may be thrown at the departing couple, with birdseed preferred by facility managers, since it requires less clean up work than rice, and new, mess - free substitutes, such as blowing soap bubbles or ringing small bells being even more favored by the cleaning staff . </P> <P> As the newlyweds are the guests of honor, the other guests are expected to remain at the reception until they leave them, and consequently, it is an imposition on the other guests for the newlyweds to stay unreasonably long at the party . On occasion, the newlyweds will stage an official leave - taking, so that guests feel free to leave, and then quietly return through another door . </P> <P> The median cost of a wedding, including both the ceremony and reception, in the United States, as of 2012, was about US $18,000, according to a large survey at an online wedding website . Regional differences are significant, with residents of Manhattan paying more than six times as much as residents of Alaska . Additionally, the survey probably overestimates the typical cost because of a biased sample population . </P>

Where was the wedding held in american wedding