While some couples will opt to elope, most will have a larger wedding celebration with their closest family and friends. There are so many details when it comes to planning your wedding that it is easy to get caught up in it all. It is important that you and your future spouse have your top wedding priorities to help ease this stress. However, your wedding guests will most likely have different things that they care about. Wedding guest experts Nikki Barras and Chase Cole what wedding guests really care about.
What makes these two wedding guest experts? Well between the two of them, they have been to 60 weddings in the past 5 years. From small intimate affairs to large destination celebrations, these two have seen it all and have some great insight into what is important for your wedding guest experience.
Check out our podcast episode with Nikki and Chase below.
Meaningful Details
Since wedding guests are coming to your wedding to celebrate you as a couple, they want to see a celebration that represents you. Weddings today are different than in the past. While many couples opt to include some traditions, many are including unique details and preferences. We are here for it and so are your wedding guests!!
Keep in mind that these meaningful details can be large or small. Maybe you include a large brass band and do a traditional Second Line at your wedding because you are from New Orleans. Or maybe you give your wedding guests homemade jams made from your Grandma’s famous recipe as wedding favors. Sharing the things that you love and are special to you as a couple with your wedding guests will provide a unique and memorable experience.
Music and Entertainment
Weddings are celebrations, which often involve music and entertainment. While you want to create an event that represents you as a couple, it’s also important to be mindful of those that are attending your wedding. Evaluating this will help you decide on what entertainment to include at your wedding.
As an example, maybe you love the idea of having dueling pianos perform during your reception but your wedding guests are more reserved and most likely won’t engage. We aren’t saying that you shouldn’t book this as entertainment just understand what the outcome will most likely be. This also applies to the music your wedding DJ or band plays. If you have guests with a variety of music genre tastes, keep this in mind for the songs that are played.
Delicious Food
One of the best parts of a wedding, behind the couple, of course, is the food! Oftentimes, couples will provide foods that they love for their wedding guests. While this is always a nice touch, be mindful that not all guests may share your love for a specific cuisine. You don’t have to take every single wedding guest’s food preferences into consideration, but having one or two options that are considered general for anyone is a good rule of thumb.
Also, having enough food to fuel your wedding guests for your entire celebration is important. They can’t properly party with you if they are hangry. This includes providing some type of food during cocktail hour to go with those signature drinks. Alcohol on an empty stomach is never a good idea.
What Wedding Guests Don’t Care About
Your wedding guests are not attending your wedding with a specific checklist of the things that they expect to see. They are also not comparing your wedding to others. You’ve curated your wedding guest list to be full of those that love you. While every little detail may seem to be important, in the end, your wedding guests are there to celebrate you and your future spouse’s commitment to each other.
This is especially important to remember if your wedding budget is getting tight. Remember, you don’t need to include all the things! Stick to your top wedding priorities and provide enough nutrition to keep your guests celebrating with you all night long.