Making Wedding Guest's Experience Extra Special
Technically your wedding day is all about you and your partner, but that doesn’t mean you don’t want your guests to have fun and be comfortable! Consider these simple tips to elevate your guest experience. Add one or two and we’re sure your guests will be talking about your wedding for years to come!
1) Make Sure Your Guests are Comfortable
As you consider your event space make sure to have a backup plan if the weather doesn’t cooperate. When looking at venues ask if they are climate controlled. Ohio weather is often unpredictable. Your guests will appreciate AC in August, and likewise, you may need heat in the late fall/early spring.
Make sure to have a “plan B” for an outdoor ceremony if it rains. Whether it’s a tent, covered patio, or moving the ceremony indoors, it’s best to always have a backup!
2) Timeline – not too long, not too short
Creating a perfect wedding day timeline is an art! You want to make sure to have enough time to spend with the one’s you love, but not too long that your guests start to antsy or worse hungry! On average your wedding event should last 6 – 6.5hrs for your guests. This includes ceremony and cocktail hour. This length provides them with enough time to enjoy the experience but not too long that you will need to feed them again!
3) Food & Drink
This one’s pretty obvious, but it’s worth mentioning. If you have good food and good drinks your guests will be happier! Make to serve Hors d’oeuvres at cocktail hour and consider a late-night snack if your timeline is going to be a bit on the long side.
4) Clear Wedding Website
One easy to way to elevate your wedding guests experience is by make sure your wedding website is clear and full of helpful details. Include everything your guests might want to know for your special day: lodging/accommodations, attire, directions, things to do in the area, ect.
5) Non-Dancing Activities
Not everyone is into dancing! Even if you are going to have a DJ/band at your wedding, plan to offer some alternative activities to keep your guests entertained. You could have yard games set up, board games available, a fire pit with smores, photo booth, ect!
6) Wedding Bathroom Basket
One helpful touch is to make baskets for the restrooms stocked with essentials for your and your wedding guests. Here are some examples of things you might include in the basket: tide-to-go pen, band aids, feminine products, flip flops (for women in heels), mints, mouthwash, hair spray, aspirin, tums, ect. This is a great project to outsource to an aunt to do for you! Your guests will really appreciate that you’ve gone the extra mile for them!
7) Blankets, Umbrellas, & Heaters
Outdoor weddings are lovely but require a little extra planning to make sure your guests are comfy and cozy. An outdoor late fall/early spring/winter ceremony can be beautiful! Consider having outside heaters available, giving away blankets/wraps as favors, or having umbrellas to lend to guests to make their experience extra sweet.
8) Welcome Bag
One final way to make your wedding one to remember and elevate your guest’s experience is place welcome bags or boxes in out-of-town guest hotel rooms/accommodations. These goodie bags are a sweet way to make them feel welcome. Here are some ideas for what to include in your welcome bag: Water snacks (trail mix is one of our favorites!), postcard, fridge magnet, souvenir from the area, mini bottle of sunscreen, bug spray, hand warmers, A mini hangover kit (painkillers, eye mask, water bottle, ect), a guide of things to do in the area, small toy or activity book for kids, a thank you card, ect.
“I always want my guests to be happy and impressed!”
These are great ways to have your wedding stand out from the rest! Your guests will Thank you for thinking of them and making their experience a little more memorable. Happy planning!!!
Photo Cred: 1) Elizabeth Nisher Photography, 3) Captured Photography, 7) Wandering Woo
