Wedding season is upon us, and if you’re getting hitched you’re probably in full-bridezilla mode. All the last minute planning details are coming to a head and the final dress fitting is right around the corner.
Between stressing out and trying to avoid chocolate as a balm to your senses in fear that you won’t be able to get in your dress, you’re about ready to bite anyone’s head off who glances at you the wrong way. You’re basically at the point where a bachelorette party is a necessity for your sanity. Not to add undue pressure to this already stressful time, consider this a public service announcement and don’t kill the messenger: If you want to have an epic wedding reception that everyone talks about as being one of the best, you have to take your guests enjoyment into consideration!
I know what you’re thinking, “This is my day, and I’m the bride, and this is how I want it!” That’s probably a lot brattier than it should have sounded, but the sentiment is the same. And in essence it’s true! You are the bride and it is your day – everyone will be looking at you and gushing over how gorgeous you look, but all the guests are coming to celebrate with you and in order to give them the best experience, they have to be happy. You can’t take your guest hat off when you put on your veil. You’ve been to a bad wedding before, everyone has, and you don’t want that miserableness to happen at your reception. Your guests care a lot less about the release of pooping doves than they do about the food and drink waiting for them!
Follow these simple rules and you’ll have the kind of wedding people will want to copy:
- Don’t make ridiculous dress-code requests: Not everyone can afford a gift for you and a new outfit! Simply stating the wedding is formal, informal, or semi-formal is more than enough. All the women don’t have to wear purple or something ridiculous like that.
- Don’t have a huge chunk of time between the marriage service and the reception: Your guests are coming from all over and they shouldn’t have to wait around with nothing to do until the reception starts! You might have to sacrifice attending part of the cocktail hour for pictures. If you don’t want to do that, take pictures before the service or extend your cocktail hour for an extra half an hour or hour – it’s the best part of the wedding anyway!
- Make sure the venue will supply enough seating during cocktail hour: The worst thing is when you want to eat and drink but are wearing killer heels and holding a clutch and you have nowhere to sit or even lean! There never seems to be enough seating during cocktails, but that’s only because you don’t request more. Make it a priority; your guests will thank you!
- Don’t have a cash bar: The worst thing you can do to your guests is have a cash bar. Scratch that – the worst thing you can do to your guests is have a dry wedding. The second worst thing you can do to your guests is have a cash bar. First, you’re asking people to spend a bunch of money on a gift and then you make them pay for their drinks – not cool…The best part of a wedding is the dancing and the drinking. It’s like a grown up prom. If you can’t afford to have a cash bar and a huge guest list, you should consider cutting down your guest list. The food, drink, and music are vital parts of the party – these are not places to skimp. Seriously, cut out the lantern ceremony, the doves, and the butterflies – no one cares about that stuff. You don’t even need the send-off bubbles or birdseed, but you absolutely need a martini bar, a signature drink, and a well-stocked open bar!
- Put thought into the seating chart: Don’t seat grandma and grandpa right next to the DJ speakers, and don’t seat people who you don’t think will get along together. The table dynamic is important! Your party college friends might not get along with your fiancé’s ultra conservative cousins. This is one of the most difficult parts of planning because it’s hard to arrange the room right. Ask for help, it’s easier to plot it out if you can bounce ideas of other people.
- Take the weather into consideration: If the wedding is in July, chances are high it will be hot. Don’t pick a venue without air conditioning. It’s for your own good, as well. You don’t want your hair to wilt and your makeup to melt off!
What’s your biggest wedding guest pet peeve? When planning your wedding, do you take your guests enjoyment into consideration? Why or why not?
