Singaporebrides | Weddings 101

September 2012

7 Ways to Make Your Wedding Guests Happy

By Jaclyn Lim

Share this article on:
Facebook 67

SingaporeBrides lists effective tips to make your wedding a crowd-pleaser, whether you’re saying “I do” at home or overseas.

While your Big Day is a celebration of love between you and your groom, it’s also a special day for your guests. That’s why you should try to make life easier for those who decided to take the time to attend your wedding.

ON HOME GROUND

Remember all those poorly planned weddings you’ve attended? Don’t let yours be one of them. Follow these considerate tips!

1. Pick a convenient date

While it is impossible for you to pick a date where every guest will be available, you should steer clear of certain dates. For instance, having a banquet on the Saturday of a long weekend is actually a bad idea. This is because most people would plan romantic or family getaways during this precious time-off. So, be thoughtful and hold your wedding over a normal weekend instead.

2. Set up a wedding blog or Facebook Event page

Many free blogging platforms like WordPress.com have wedding themes you can adapt from. But instead of plastering the entire site with intimate photos or mushy declarations of love, post up useful details for your guests instead. This can include venue addresses, event times and directional maps. If you have guests from overseas, make sure you include hotel and sightseeing recommendations too. However, if you prefer a more fuss-free option, just set up a Facebook Event page and update details from there (this does not replace an actual invitation though!).

3. Seating arrangements are a must

Your guests will not appreciate having to “chope” a seat on their own during your wedding buffet reception. Besides, it is likely they prefer to sit with their families or close friends. To prevent any squabbles, allocate seating arrangements so they can have that peace of mind to mingle with other guests or leave the table to take food from the buffet line.

4. Know when to add a “plus one” option

Even if you may be struggling to find space to seat everyone, it is only considerate to consider giving attached or engaged friends an option to bring their partners. That said, you might also want to verbally check if these partners are available to attend. If they are not, don’t send the invitation as it can be seen as an angbao-grabbing tactic!

5. Food-wise, note dietary restrictions

It’s not enough to just choose the delicious dishes – you have to consider your guests’ dietary restrictions too. A vegetarian aunt will not eat the best-tasting Wagyu beef in the world. Muslim guests will not touch non-halal food. Make sure you let your guests know that they can state their dietary restrictions when they RSVP. That way, you can arrange for alternative meals during your banquet.

6. Tone down on the music

Sure, you can put together your dream playlist. But do be extra sensitive to those who might not share your taste in music. For instance, loud rock music may upset young children and old folks. It may also affect guests’ conversations with one another. So be sure to select meaningful music that also makes for easy listening.

7. Parking options

When you are choosing a venue, do consider whether or not there are ample parking spaces for your guests. The last thing you would want is for guests to drive round and round looking for a parking lot and end up late at your ceremony or banquet. Check with your potential wedding venues or read local wedding forums to find out.

ON FOREIGN SHORES

Planning a destination wedding? Then there are many, many more details to consider. Make life easier for your guests with these following tips:

1. Send out “Save the Date” cards

This is especially crucial for a destination wedding as guests will need to take leave from work or make arrangements, like hiring a babysitter when they’re away from home. If possible, let them know the wedding date at least six months in advance. Besides mailing out cards, you can also consider sending them out via email. Websites like Paperless Post feature cool templates that you can download and tweak to perfection.

2. Choose a convenient location

When picking out where to walk down the aisle, take your guests’ ages, health conditions, and even financial statuses into consideration. For instance, not everyone will be able to hike up a mountain in Bhutan to watch your solemnisation. So if most of your guests are leaving from Singapore, it might be better to hold your wedding in regional locations like Bali or Koh Samui.

3. Delegate a “travel coordinator”

Let’s say Granduncle Tan wants to attend your destination wedding. However, he is 70 years old and has no idea how to book travel arrangements on his own. So make sure you have someone on hand to coordinate and arrange for flights and accommodations for guests who need extra help.

4. Prepare welcome packs

It will also be a good idea to hand out welcome packs when your guests arrive. Depending on your destination, you can fill each pack with relevant essentials. For instance, those attending a beach wedding will receive sunblock lotion, bottled water, tropical fruits, as well as a list of nearby attractions and emergency numbers. Most importantly, include your wedding schedule so that guests will know when to turn up for celebratory dinners and the actual ceremony.

5. Plan get-togethers

You can’t possibly be with your guests all the time during the days leading up to your wedding. So consider getting two members of your bridal party to be in charge of showing hospitality to everyone. They will have to organise icebreakers for the young, book shopping trips and spa treatments for the women or take the men out to golf. Doing this helps to ensure that your guests are happily occupied while you are running around talking to wedding vendors.

6. Provide shuttle buses

If your wedding venue is not at the hotel where your guests are staying at, do provide an easy way for them to get there. The most convenient way is to book shuttle buses that will make several trips through the evening. You can even plan a twist to this: We’ve heard of a bridal couple who used trishaws to transport their guests in Penang.

7. Say bye in flexible style

After your ceremony, let your guests decide when they want to fly off. One way to do this is to organise a post-wedding open-ended event at the hotel. This will allow make their own travel plans home, and also gives them a chance to drop in to say goodbye.

Credits: Feature image from Mint and Lilac Garden Tea Party Wedding by iwwi.

All content from this article, including images, cannot be reproduced without credits or written permission from SingaporeBrides.