Wedding Trend: Guest Experience

Over the last few years couples have been spending more on cost per guest (even if that means decreasing the guest count) to create a more memorable occasion, The Knot reports. In the eyes of the wedding hosts, it has become increasingly important to create the “ultimate guest experience”.

You may be thinking “Why, this day is about me?!” and although that is true, it wouldn’t be much of a party without your guests and their support. You have invested a lot of time and money into this big day and you want your guests to stay and enjoy the entire time and reminisce about your amazing wedding for years to come. Show them a good time and make your wedding stand out among the rest!

Okay, that all sounds good but what exactly does guest experience mean? It means as the host of a party that you are making sure your guests needs are met, that they are comfortable, that you keep them entertained and stimulated, evoke emotions on a day celebrating family and love, wow their senses and provide a little interaction for them. Make sure they have a good time and an unforgettable experience.

Below are 50 ideas to increase your guest’s experience.

1.       Make a grand entrance when appearing to walk down the aisle

2.       Have a wedding party (or guest) dance off during the reception

3.       Incorporate humor in your wedding day

4.       Create stunning visuals- have your bridesmaids dresses mismatched (different styles, different colors, ombre’ effect, etc.)

5.       Have rounded ceremony seating for a more intimate nuptial

6.       Create a fabulous balloon wall

7.       Minimalism- quality over quantity (whether its alcohol, décor, food or favors)

8.       Have officiant ask the guest if they affirm your union and make them say “we do” at the end of the ceremony

9.       Learn a unique dance for your first dance

10.   Create a fun photo booth, ditch the paper masks on sticks and provide a trunk of cool costume pieces (example: hats, boas, glasses) BONUS, this doubles as dress up trunk for any kiddos at the event

11.   Hire an interactive DJ who plays games or teaches dances

12.   Make a memorable entrance as a married couple into the reception

13.   Hire a caricaturist or other entertainment vendors

14.   Provide advice cards, date night ideas and wedding mad libs

15.   Procure different types of food vendors- coffee truck, pie truck, ice cream truck, etc.

16.   Impress your guests and Mother Nature with an eco-chic wedding

17.   Have your photographer capture nice portraits of guests for your memories and theirs (send them their photos)

18.   Use nontraditional floral, we have heard grasses are going to be big for the 2019 season

19.   Provide dramatic backdrops for photos

20.   Hire a local falconer to have a raptor be your ring bearer (we can help make this happen!)

21.   Have custom minimalistic banners made (i.e., your new last name but have each letter its own cut out banner piece)

22.   Print a guestbook with photos of your guests already in them (steal them from Facebook!) and instruct them to find their picture and sign

23.   Go with a crazy or untraditional color palette

24.   Anniversary dance game: have all couples dance, have the DJ excuse the dancefloor by number of years people have been married so the last couple dancing has been married the longest is honored

25.   Provide “I Spy” photo scavenger hunt game directions (use your wedding hashtag so they can upload the photos to you)

26.   Provide quality, plentiful food (this is really important to guests)

27.   Are there other special occasions on this day or recently or soon? Honor your guests and point them out (examples: a friend or family members recent engagement, a new baby, a birthday)

28.   Tape a gift card to bottom of a place setting and have the DJ announce for everyone to look under their place setting, someone lucky wins the gift card

29.   Have a themed wedding where the guests are encouraged to dress up

30.   String up a Piñata for the kids (and one for adults too!)

31.   Use butcher paper on kids tables and supply crayons for them to color on

32.   Have a love song themed Karaoke hour

33.   Include a surprise performance of some kind from a guest

34.   In lieu of gifts, have a donation box for a charity near and dear to you

35.   Do not have assigned seating, guests do not like this

36.   Instead of spending money on favors, get higher quality alcohol

37.   Have music requests for guests to fill out for the DJ

38.   Anticipate your guest’s needs, they don’t know what they are in for (example: sunscreen, bug spray, pashmina)

39.   Host an after party at a local bar or casino for those who want to make the most of this day

40.   If food was served hours before the party ends, provide a “late night” snack or coffee bar

41.   Utilize a large chalkboard and make it interactive for your guests (example:  gratitude board, favorite one line joke, favorite quote or song lyrics)

42.   Provide Hors d’oeuvre, a snack or a drink upon guest arrival

43.   Provide lounge areas where people can sit comfortably and mingle in different spots (our Airstream is a perfect lounge area backdrop!)

44.   Bring outdoor games for people to play

45.   After the toasts, thank your guests and let them know how much their support means to you

46.   Provide interactive food stations (example: dessert bar, sweet and salty bar, lemonade bar, smore’s bar)

47.   Play some fun games as a couple in front of the guest while they are eating (example: the shoe game, trivia)

48.   Provide a bounce house and a babysitter or other entertainment for your guest’s children

49.   Have live music

50.   Probably the most important one: make it a point to greet every guest in the day or evening and truly thank them for coming and supporting you

What did you do at your wedding to increase guest experience? Let us know in the comments!

 

Ways to save (a little) money on your wedding

Let’s face it, weddings are expensive. The truth is that they come with a high price tag because they are a luxury, The Knot reports that in 2017 the average national price for a wedding was $33,391 and that doesn’t include the engagement ring or the honeymoon. It is worth it to indulge in the right places and make small sacrifices in others (without compromising on your guests experience or anything that is non-negotiable to you). From a wedding professional’s perspective, there are plenty of ways to save a few hundred bucks here and there so why wouldn’t you?

  1. Skip the favors. You have read articles with the same subject matter and you know this is mentioned ad nauseam, there is a reason for it. Every single wedding we have had there have been heaps of orphaned favors left behind. You can save a couple hundred dollars, at least, by passing on these. I hate to break it to you but no one really wants a beer coozie with your initials and wedding date on it anyway. If you feel the need to provide some sort of favor, consider something edible like a “his and hers” favorite snack or some type of edible bar (candy, sweet & salty, donut or pretzel wall, etc.). This will give your guests something to do in addition to not burdening the environment with hundreds of favors that will most likely end up in a landfill- a win for your pocketbook and Mother Earth! Yay!

     

  2. Floral: I have seen some articles where the author suggests skipping flowers or going with fake flowers for a wedding as a way to save money. I couldn’t imagine not having real, living, aromatic flowers at my wedding. Fresh flowers are fabulous and non-negotiable to me. They add such a loveliness to a wedding- or any other party for that matter. Ways you can save money and still have real flowers is to skip the bridesmaids bouquets (or give them mini ones), allow greenery to be the star of the show (Eucalyptus, ferns, bay leaves, lamb’s ear, magnolia, boxwood, etc.), pass on the boutonnieres and go with what is locally grown and in season. A professional florist is always the best way to go but you can also buy your own blooms and arrange yourself (there are local farms that will sell you cut flowers for you to arrange yourself , some offer affordable classes too. We have also had clients go to Trader Joes for flowers and greenery but we suggest checking with local flower farms first where there is no middle man.

     

  3. (Don’t) let them eat cake! If your heart is set on having a wedding cake, get a petite one just for you two newlyweds to cut/ share/ freeze for your anniversary. You can get other desserts for a fraction of what a large wedding cake costs (check with the vendor you get your said mini cake from, they most likely make other goodies too). Additionally, Costco has affordable and tasty treats, if you go store bought you can display them in a way that makes them look upscale or homemade. Alternatively, in lieu of a gift, ask that guests bring their favorite homemade dessert with the recipe. You can have a dessert bar and add the recipe to your collection, every anniversary make a new dessert together for your celebration.  Or to personalize your dessert course, pick your favorite two desserts and have those be the selections. You don’t HAVE to have a giant, expensive wedding cake- there are no rules.  

     

  4. Honeymoon fund: this is nothing new. It is just a great idea. Chances are in our modern society, you already live with your fiancé or on your own and don’t need the traditional gift registry to get you started in your new life as an adult. I would bet you have plenty of kitchen devices and bathroom towels already. It is okay, etiquette wise, to ask for contributions to your honeymoon fund in lieu of a gift, just make sure the way you ask is polite.  

     

  5. Skip Saturday. Saturday is the prime wedding day and thanks to supply and demand it comes with a higher price tag. Plan on a Sunday (or even Friday) wedding as many venues (including us!) offer a discount on these days. Saltbox clients can save $800 by having a Friday or Sunday wedding in the 2019 wedding season.

     

  6. Alcohol: limit the quantity and the variety. If you go with a quality wine and beer your guests will be satisfied with whatever variety you provide. Consider 1-2 types of beer such as an ale and a lager and a red wine and a white wine. Use infographs (you can find them on Pinterest) to determine the quantity you will need to serve your invitees. Know the stats: 1 keg provides 165 servings (12 oz. per serving) and 1 wine bottle is 5 servings (5 oz. per serving). Bring only the amount of alcohol necessary and not excess according to the charts you read- remember that some people will drink more than others and some will not drink at all. Bonus- if you buy your alcohol at Costco and get too much you can return it for a full refund, I personally love being a member!  Which is a perfect segue to tip number seven.

     

  7. Take advantage of corporate offers. I ordered a lot of my wedding stuff on Amazon. Why I didn’t think to get Prime with its free shipping and points system back then is beyond me. If you are going to be purchasing a lot of stuff online, check out Amazon Prime. Also, if you can responsibly use a credit card, consider finding one with a rewards system. The Costco Visa gives you 2% cash back at Costco and 1% back on everything else. That 1% can really add up. There are a ton of cards with other banks that offer various rewards too, including travel points, cash back and more. Using this one card for all of your wedding purchases will keep you on track with how much you are actually spending as well. I am pretty sure that each wedding we have had (and our own) went over budget.

     

  8. Take a long look at your guest list. Really think about who actually needs to a part of this special day. Does your coworker who you don’t talk to about your personal life or who you have never hung out with outside of work really need to be there? Will not inviting the friend from high school that you haven’t talked to for years really affect your day? Aside from family, I would make sure that you invite people who are more to you than just acquaintances. Additionally, nix the option for a plus one, or only allow them for people who are really close to you. This may seem harsh or bridezilla-ish but it is your day and if you don’t want to buy strangers dinner you shouldn’t have to. Your guests should understand and come to support you regardless of if they get to bring a date or not. I personally wouldn’t want people I do not know celebrating one of the most important days of my life with me.  I would bet most people can cut at least 20-25 people on their guest list by reviewing it.  

     

  9. Utilize the internet for invitations. You can have super cute, affordable, easy to design invitations made at Vistaprint.com. Also, consider using electronic RSVPs. I gave my invitees the option to email, text or IM their RSVP to make it easier for them. Wait, why does it need to be easier for them? Digressing from budget talk to planning tips here for a second. Some people flat out just won’t respond by your RSVP date. I was still tracking people down to get them to confirm or deny their invite while trying to get final counts back to my caterer. If you make it easier on them, it will save you a little stress later. Okay back to money saving: the electronic RSVP cuts down on the amount of envelopes and postage you need to purchase. It all adds up and electronic invites and RSVPs are better for the environment too!

     

  10. The dress. Be realistic about this. It is a dress you will wear one time and your spouse will think you are gorgeous in any dress! Shop around, buy a floor sample, and even look at used dresses and dresses that aren’t wedding dresses (there are no rules!). Maybe buy a basic dress and jazz it up with some accessories. Do not skimp on the alterations though. Find a good tailor and get that baby fit to a T, this will make it look better no matter what the price tag is. Side note: I got my dress for $300 and it did the job.

     

    A word of caution: Do not save money by going with the cheapest vendor(s). You (usually) get what you pay for. Make sure you read reviews and ask plenty of questions. There is a going rate and if someone is under charging you need to find out why- it could just be because they are new and gaining experience and that is okay as long as you sample their work and do your research. A bad vendor can break your whole day!  

     

    Although these tips will add up in savings, your big day is still going to cost a pretty penny! Remember, the traditional American wedding is a luxury and not a necessity and that your professional wedding vendors all spend an extremely large amount of time on your wedding which is reflected in their price tag. Know the expected costs before your planning begins so you know what to expect and have time to save, plan and budget.

     

    How did you save money on your wedding day? Let me know!

     

Source: https://www.theknot.com/content/average-we...

Tips for a stress free wedding

Hello all and thank you for taking the time to read this blog post. Although we are a new venue, we now have over a dozen events under our belt. Combine that with our personal love of efficiency, inherited hospitality knowledge (from Brock’s mom) and my corporate party planning experience, we feel confident in providing you with some pointers to make your day a little less hectic.  

  1. Hire a wedding planner or a day of coordinator. I know, this one is obvious. Before you roll your eyes and move on, hear me out.  Hiring a planner will give you and your family more time to relax and enjoy the day. Weddings are a huge festivity and a mountain of work. Chances are you have not hosted, planned or thrown a gathering like this with an abundance of components for a group of 100 plus attendees. Wedding planners will communicate with your vendors for you, ask you about the details that you otherwise may have forgotten about, and take on the burden of dealing with any mishaps that may, but hopefully don’t, arise.  If you are on a budget, find some places to save money in other areas of the wedding to hire a planner. Stay tuned for my next blog about tips for saving money on your wedding. Please note that if you hire a planner, they will most likely cover the rest of the items in this list.

  2. Create and distribute day of timelines to key wedding people and vendors. I think of a wedding as a show being put on for your guests. You are wearing “costumes”, you have a cast (the wedding party), you have rehearsed the script with your cast, you have a soundtrack and you have an audience. Your key people (and vendors) all have a cohesive act in this show, they need to be prepared for when it is their turn to perform. Then each “scene” throughout the day should transition smoothly. This will also save you and your wedding party time and frustration as you won’t be asked the same questions from multiple people all day long such as “When is XYZ happening”? “Where is so and so for XYZ activity?” etc. I also recommend committing to the schedule in your timeline. There is a lot to get done at a traditional American wedding and the time seems to escape quickly the day of. Your guests will start to leave if the show doesn’t start timely as well, we had one wedding where they were way behind on schedule and dinner was over two hours long. A large majority of the guests left after eating and missed all of the festivities.

  3. Plan the flow. One of the most important things to me for my wedding was that my guests had an enjoyable time. These gracious friends and colleagues are bringing you a gift, spending almost an entire day for your wedding and sometimes travelling to attend so making sure they have a pleasant day is important. I planned my wedding through the eyes of a guest. I wanted to make sure they were never confused or uncomfortable.  Ask yourself the following questions regarding your guests: Will they know where to go when they walk in? Will they know where the guestbook is? Is it a nontraditional guestbook, if so will they need directions on how to use it? Where do they leave their gifts? Will they have a long wait from arrival time to ceremony and if so, will there be refreshments/ appetizers? Are they going to be sitting out in the hot sun until the ceremony starts? Have your DJ make announcements to keep the invitees in the loop such as when to head to the ceremony area for seating, what the guests should do after the ceremony while you are getting photos taken, and when dinner will be, etc.  Just make sure the guests are comfortable and remember your special day with happiness and joy, if they aren’t having a good time it most likely will be noticeable and affect you. Yes, we know it is YOUR day but these people care about you and it is proper etiquette to make sure they are comfy and have an enjoyable time too.   

  4. Delegate. Utilize your bridesmaids (it has the word “maid” right in the name) and groomsman. They are here to help you today. Have clear instructions on what needs done (setting up, decorating, taking down, cleaning up, etc.). They will help you make your visualization come true but it can become chaotic and a waste of time if people don’t know what to do or where things go. At one wedding there was no delegation and I saw the same décor be moved at least ten times by anyone who decided they didn’t like where it was. At another wedding, the planner didn’t accept help from others and almost ran out of time. Assign someone who knows what the plan is and make sure they utilize everyone and assign them tasks based on their strengths.

  5. Provide entertainment for children. A wedding is a long day, especially for kids and we want them to have a good time too.  We highly recommend clients bring activities in for their younger guests so they aren’t bored all day. Do you remember when you were younger how days seemed to drag on and a few hours of boredom felt like an eternity? I imagine that is what a wedding feels like for a child. We love when bounce houses get rented, the kids will play in them all day long. Providing activities (or a “babysitter”) for the kids keeps them from getting hurt or into trouble. We had one wedding where the kids didn’t have anything to do and they resorted to damaging our property out of boredom. For the kids’ sake and the vendor’s sake please consider keeping them occupied, it could cost you a damage deposit. It may also prevent meltdowns from these tired and bored babes during your toasts, speeches, dances and other important events throughout the day.

  6. Don’t forget the small details. There is a lot of minutiae that goes into an event of this caliber. Some of the things I see that get forgotten include the banquet permit, the marriage license and rings, turning on the coffee pot, giving the DJ a list of announcements and when to say them, refilling the self-serving drink containers & ice, removal of the food (if not professionally catered), assisting guests in signing the guestbook (especially if it is a nontraditional book or a photo book) or any other activities they are encouraged to do such as wedding advice cards (based on our own wedding where we even had signs with directions and the weddings we have hosted, people do not do these things unless they are requested by an actual human).  I would assign a few people to some of these tasks that need to be checked on or performed throughout the day and evening. If you have a photo guestbook, assign people to actually greet the guests and take their pictures- for some reason without help people do not participate in these.

  7. Hire professional, qualified vendors. A non-professional vendor, such as a family friend who has dabbled in “this” or “that” doesn’t have as much to lose if they bail out on you or do a poor job as an established business person does. Professional vendors who have taken the time and money to establish themselves are worth the expense. It will save you stress and anxiety. Take caution when hiring a professional too though. Do your research and make sure you like their product and don’t have a bad gut feeling after any initial contact experience you have had with them (when my planning my own wedding I felt I was an unappreciated number to a lot of vendors that I reached out to for information, I did not like that feeling and found ones that took the time to get back to me and treat me as though their livelihood depends on their clientele). Not all vendors are created equal, some do amazing work, some should have their business licenses revoked and some of them aren’t even a real business, they just do the wedding gigs on the side and that might be okay but remember to view what they have to offer.  Just because someone has a camera, it does not make them a photographer or your friend who has good taste in music might not really be qualified to MC one of the most important days of your life. Good vendors can make or break your wedding day, do your homework on them before you hire them. Word of mouth is a great way to find your vendors, just ask your friends & family or check wedding resources for referrals as well.

  8. Take care of yourself, especially in the few weeks leading up to the wedding day. The last thing you want on your wedding day is to have bags under your eyes from lack of sleep, acne on your face and back or just a declaration of exhaustion written on your face. Pamper yourself to combat the normal stress with your wedding from taking a physical & mental toll. I recommend, massage, facials, pedicures, manicures, plenty of sleep, healthy eating, exercise and tons of water. BONUS: Saltbox bridal party members can enjoy a discount at Burlington’s Loyal & Lin Spa, just mention us when you book. I can just hear the 2 hour massage calling my name now…

  9. Less is more, at least at our venue. Don’t spend excess time and money buying a truck load of décor that you will never use again. It most likely will go unnoticed in the giant barn anyway. Plus it’s time consuming hauling it all in, putting it together, setting it up, taking it down, cleaning it up and loading it to go back out. Fresh floral bouquets & centerpieces, tasty food, fun music and good people will make your day special enough. So skip the Hobby Lobby sale and take advantage of our complimentary use items and let the old barn wood and industrial touches take center stage. Also, I would like to point out that every single wedding has brought WAY to much of items like coffee bar supplies, candy bar confections, sweet & salty bar snacks, soda & water, alcohol, favors (hardly anyone takes them), etc. Of course you would rather have too much than not enough but don’t get crazy with the over stocking of the things like these.  You can utilize infographs that can be found on Pinterest for quantities needed for events.

  10. Take it all in. A 12 hour wedding day goes by in what feels like 2 hours. Really try and enjoy the day. You will wish you can relive it once it is over so stop amongst all the chaos and take a few deep breaths and really be in the moment. Have gratitude that you married you partner, be thankful for all of the people who came in support, take a minute with your new spouse and just breath, enjoy your food, dance to the music, experience all the attributes you and your friends & family put together for this special day. If I knew how fast this day would go by ahead of time I think there are a few things I would have done different, don’t have any regrets like I did! I also want to add that you should find a photographer that you can pay to be there during the entire time or most of it. The photos of you getting ready are such a special treat to see later and they will catch so many moments that you didn’t even notice all day as well.  

     I hope I taught you something you may not have thought of and that this list will help you on your wedding day. Just remember in the end, getting married is the most important part, even if it rains, perhaps the cake gets knocked over, you forget to do the bouquet toss, or the food isn’t as good as you thought it would be, you will still be married to your soulmate and starting this new chapter of your life together.                                                                                                                                                            

Do you have additional tips to cut the stressors during your wedding day? What lessons did you learn after your wedding? Let me know!