Tag: Guests

4 Ways to mortify your wedding guests

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We are not foolish enough to think that your wedding day will be completely flawless; you are bound to run into a snag here or there. However, there are a few things that can really upset your guests on your special day. Now, keeping in mind that you cannot please everyone, these 4 grievances go across the entire spectrum of your guest list and for the most part can be prevented…pay attention couples!

  1. Omitting Important Information

Nothing is more disrespectful than not informing your guests of things they will have to pay for dinner and or drinks at your wedding. If dinner is a 4 course meal that is not being covered by the bride and groom but only the wine, you need to indicate this clearly on the invitations you send out. These meals can be very expensive and if most of your guests are married, that means two meals will need to be paid for at the same price! Likewise, if you intend to have a cash bar and do not tell your guests in advance, you will have a lot of people unprepared and upset.

  1. Preparation for outdoor ceremonies and pictures

Rain or shine, the ceremony will go on! Keeping close tabs on the weather will be 0921-04_wedding_horror_story_unhappy_guests_liimportant right up until the morning of the wedding. Aside from wanting to avoid a soggy bride in a ruined white dress, you have guests to think of. It may be a good idea to indicate on the invite for people to bring umbrellas just in case while you supply some cute fans in case it gets hot! Overcooked or damp guests in silk dresses and black suits aren’t a pretty sight, nor is it comfortable for them. Those are the clothes they have to wear for the duration of the wedding celebration. So take into consideration the weather and prepare them or be prepared for them!

3.  One of the most frustrating problems for a guest to face and have to solve it quickly is the issue of accessible transportation and or parking. If the wedding takes place in the city and guests plan to drink, they may opt to take public transit. This becomes problematic if the wedding venue is located in a remote area or where multiple lines of transit need to be taken. Try to have an “easy access” venue for the sake of your guests. Likewise, for those who are driving, they need to find parking and know how to pay for it without hassles. Driving up and down the 5 blocks surrounding the venue is tiresome and agitating. Have mercy…when considering you venue, ask about public transit and parking spaces and then inform your RSVP’s.

  1. Bad Dinner Experience

miseryNot that everyone goes to the wedding for the food but let’s face it, dinner is definitely a subject of discussion after a wedding. Now not everything can be controlled or timed perfectly and most wedding guests who have been to weddings know this. However, a friend of mine did a wedding earlier this year and the dinner was a disaster. Firstly, the head table missed their cue to go to the food stations to get their dinner. That held up the other 12 tables, the MC then started asking tables by number to go up…massive mistake as the head table had not gone yet! To make it worse there were no servers at the food stations to ensure everyone essentially received equal portions. This resulted in the last 2-3 tables almost not getting any dinner because the tables before them were greedy and didn’t consider anyone else. Upset, hungry guests? Absolutely! There had been plenty of food but the catering staff didn’t control the stations…disaster. Ensure your catering company has a plan of execution and that everyone knows where they are to be and what their responsibilities are.

So if the flower girl screams the whole walk down the aisle or someone’s watch gets dropped in the toilet…not much you can do. But ensuring that your guests have been well informed in advance and have been considered in these areas will surely have them buzzing with excitement well after your big day!

Don’t Be Hasty…

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When presented with the opportunity to plan a grand event, or you have recently gotten engaged whatever the case there is always that initial extreme excitement. Your mind begins to race at the possibilities: What will you wear, how long do you have to prepare, how many guests will you have, how much money can you afford, I have to call everyone and make sure they are available, where will the venue be….and the list goes on.

It is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of excitement, often you end up making quick decisions and forget about the details and important logistics of your event.  Before you think about wardrobe, decor, music, photography and the belly dancers….focus on these 4 key things that are the foundation of your entire event: Number of guests, budget, venue and the date. After these things have been secured and locked down…go crazy on the mint leaves and rasberries that will be frozen in your icecubes!

I am not saying you have to write down everyone’s names including your best friends brother’s godmother but it is essential to have a MAXIMUM number of guests that you will not exceed.  As long as there is a maximum you can scale down that number as you need too. Without a ball park idea as to how many people you want to attend or in some realistic cases how many people you can afford to have attend, you won’t know how large or small the venue will need to be.  This falls right into having a budget ready so you know what you can and can’t afford, just as the number of guests and venue size go hand in hand. Having too many people in a small cramped venue because you didn’t budget properly and didn’t realize you invited too many people can put a damper on the atmosphere you want to create. Your guests WILL talk about it during and after the event.

Once you have determind the number of people that you wish to attend, begin to outsource your venue based on that number, the occasion and theme of the event and budget you can afford.  Make sure you ask questions and you physically go and see the event space.  The last thing you want is to have pillars in the middle of your sightlines for a fashion show and no one can get in a good picture. Ensure there are no extra costs depending on what time of year it is I.E Coat check.  Do you get billed for the service or is it included in the pricing for the venue rental? What about extra security? Is it required…?  Very important to make a list of questions for when you visit potential venues and make sure the needs of your event will be met.

Once the venue has been decided and there are no surprises, ensure you have several dates in mind in case the venue is booked or is unable to accommodate your first choice. Flexibility is key when it comes to booking, if the venue is exactly what you need but they are booked on the date you want, you need to be willing to push back or forward- if it is worth it.

Believe it or not…this is the most difficult aspect of planning an event…but if you can get through the excitement phases and put on the “Logistics” hat for a few weeks- it will be smooth sailing!