As much fun as weddings appear to be, we almost always run into one or two over the years that many of us wish we had just stayed home for. We could’ve used the money we spent traveling and taking off of work on a better gift for the happy couple…or something like that. The fact is, just because two people are in love does not ensure that the day will be a pleasurable experience for all. Here are a few ways to make sure your big day is awesome rather than lame:
1.) Make sure people are comfortable. Sure, sitting in the sun for a 10 minute ceremony isn’t going to kill anyone, but they aren’t sitting there for the ceremony. They’ve probably been sitting their closer to 30 or 40 minutes by the time you actually start heading down the aisle. In addition, cramming all your loved ones in a tiny venue won’t go unnoticed. If you want to invite 250 people, be prepared to dish out the money for a venue that can handle 250 people.
2.) Get them involved. There is a difference between coming to a show and coming to an experience. If your guests are under the impression that this is about you, they will sit back and let you do your thing. If you make it about sharing this day with you, they will gladly join in the festivities. So keep the “watching” portions quick: the ceremony, the cake cutting, the toasts, and really focus on the shared parts, like mingling during food and drinks and dancing at the reception.
3.) Make it personal, not impressive. Just because you have extravagant decorations does not mean people are going to remember your big day. You know where else I’ve seen huge, gorgeous flower arrangements? In Vegas. Unless your flower arrangements have a personal connection to you and your new spouse, they go in the memory bank under “huge flowers”. Right next to the ones I’ve seen in Vegas. So have your initials in their somewhere, or do a combination of both of your favorite flowers. Then it gets filed under “unique wedding flowers”, and you’re definitely in the lead in that category.
4.) Stick around! People come to your wedding to see you! I’ve been to a wedding where the bride and groom literally stuck around long enough to have a piece of their own cake and then left to go to their honeymoon while their guests were still being served dinner. The DJ started in with the music but everyone just stared at each other. What would you do if you were invited to a house party and the host was on her way out as soon as you got there? Awkward.
5.) Thank them afterward! It’s a lot of work to take time off work, ride in a car/bus/plane for 6 hours and pay for a hotel room along with it, so don’t let them leave empty handed! Give them thanks during your speech at the beginning of the night, thank them when to speak to them one-on-one during dinner, thank they on their way out with a small bag of goodies and write them a handwritten note as soon as you possibly can. They need to know how much you appreciated the fact that they made the trip.
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