We know, we know – the wedding is all about the bride and groom, but you can’t totally forget about the wedding guests. They’re a big part of your wedding too, and will be the ones talking about it for a long time afterwards…
No waiting around
Before the ceremony, after the ceremony and before the reception, and the food, the dessert… There’s a lot of time which guests can find themselves a little bored, so make sure it doesn’t happen. Plan these transition periods to perfection! If you’re off having your photos taken with your new hubby, don’t leave your guests standing around like lemons – sort out some entertainment for them to enjoy, and make sure the drinks are flowing.
A little chat
They’ve travelled, long or short distances, to celebrate your big day with you, so don’t expect them to be okay about not even being able to say ‘Hello!’ or ‘Congratulations!’ to you because you’re too busy running around with everything else going on. Yes, we know brides are busy bees, but plan in a little time for your wedding guests. Plus, who wouldn’t love hearing people saying how beautiful you look?
A well-thought out table plan
Ah, the table plan – always a tough task, but putting time and effort into it, despite the stress levels, will pay off with the reward of happy guests. Thinking about who gets on with who, or who you know will hit it off straight away (and who won’t!) leads to smiley wedding guests, and that means a smiley bride and groom!
Good food
Food: A word that attracts many people! Make sure your menu is delicious, and more importantly, make sure it caters for all your wedding guests, because you won’t like your wedding guests when they’re hungry. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free – there are a lot of specifications out there to confuse a wedding breakfast, but if you’re organised and get the orders in early via your RSVPs, you’ll be laughing.
Short speeches
Whilst everyone loves to hear the cute, funny, embarrassing, and heartwarming messages your loved ones pass on to you and the groom in the wedding speeches, it’s better to keep them from trailing on too long. After a while, the novelty of the private jokes can wear off for those who don’t know you so well. If you’re struggling with a long list of what to say, how about saving some of it for a card or letter? Or even grabbing the videographer for a wedding day message!
Accommodation ideas
Not every one of your friends and family will live locally to your wedding location, so make sure you specify the best places for your guests to stay on the wedding invitations. You wouldn’t want to get ready and spend three hours in a car, and miss the party at the end so you can travel back for bedtime, so give a list of a few places so they can book it early!
