Wedding season is coming up! Surely you’ll find yourself involved in at least one wedding this summer, whether it be your own, a friend’s, or a relative’s. If you’re single and not attending a wedding, perhaps you are spending some time considering what you would like for your dream wedding. While everyone has different hopes and dreams for their perfect wedding, their is one thing everyone hopes for: a memorable wedding. These 4 tips will help ensure you have a wedding that people will be talking about for many months and that you will remember and treasure for life.
1. Tell Your Story
Your marriage is considered the “happily ever after” part of your love story. Use your wedding as an opportunity to tell your story from the beginning. Everyone knows about the happily ever after part, but most people will be unfamiliar with the earliest chapters of your love story. Use decorations as a way to tell your love story. One way to do this is to have each table represent a significant place or event for you and your partner. For example, table 1 can be renamed after the place where you had your first date, table 2 can be the place where you got engaged, table 3 can be a place where you spent a lot of time together and so forth. Give your guests a chance to tell their stories, too. Ask guests to share memories they have of you and your partner being together.
2. Consider Renting a Photo Booth
Photo booth rentals are a great form of entertainment for your guests and also an excellent way to create and preserve memories of your weddings. Ask the company if they provide props and if so what kind. Many company will also provide custom props to fit in with your wedding’s theme upon request. Ask what else is included in the packages. Many photo booth rentals include unlimited photos and a personalized scrapbook for the couple to keep containing all of the photos taken at their wedding. This is an excellent souvenir for the bride and groom.
3. Think Outside of the Box!
You might want to stick with some traditions such as wearing a white dress and saying your vows. However, other traditions you can get creative with and play around with a bit. How important is it for you to have 1 tiered wedding cake? Consider asking your guests to all bake a cake of their own and having a contest between guests to see who had the best cake. Provide a small prize such as a gift card for the winner.
Another tradition you may want to get creative with is the throwing of rice. This was originally intended to represent seeds and the purpose of creating a family through marriage. However, many couples these days have begun blowing bubbles instead of throwing rice. You may also want to try having guests throw confetti to enhance to fun wedding vibe. Having fun in your marriage should also be of importance. Confetti will especially go over well with your younger guests.
4. Get Personal!
Guests want to feel appreciated and acknowledged. It’s easy to get caught up in your wedding business especially the day of your wedding. Take some time before the wedding to write out personalized letters to every guest. Place them at each guest’s seat as they arrive. You should still send out thank-you cards after your wedding, but these letters can serve as a nice gesture to let your guests know you appreciate their time. You can also reflect back on your relationship with your guest and the impact they may have had on your relationship with your partner. Were they the one that introduced you? Are they your new in-law?
Another way to create a personal connection with your guests is to keep them in mind when planning your menu, music, and entertainment. Be cautious of guests who may have allergies or food restrictions (such as vegetarians and diabetics). Make sure their is enough food for everyone. Also, ask guests ahead of time for their favorite songs and be sure to play them throughout our wedding to keep everyone happy and dancing. As for entertainment, don’t forget your younger guests! Children can be included by bringing a beloved stuffed animal or doll as their date whereas teenagers may want activities of their own such as a game room.
Are you in the process of planning a wedding for yourself or a loved one? What kinds of things do you plan on including on the big day to make it more memorable?