Wedding planners and couples want to give guests a celebration to remember. They want a fun-filled wedding that friends and family will be talking about for years to come especially since the average couple spends roughly $266 per guest. Regardless of how much you spend per guest though, if you want to ensure everyone has a great time, coming up with unique wedding ideas for guests to feel special is going to be essential!
Which is why today we’re going to provide you with 11 fun wedding ideas that are unique and help create a memorable experience. From wedding favors to wedding activities, we’ll provide you with some of the best wedding ideas for guests that will make your wedding stand out and be remembered.
1. Give Your Guests Extra Time to Plan
Make sure to give your guests enough time to plan. Give them wedding save-the-dates, wedding invitations, and other wedding details several months in advance so they can make the right arrangements.
As soon as you have booked your wedding venue, communicate your wedding date and location with everyone that is getting an invite. Send a physical and digital “save-the-date” announcement.
Last-minute weddings are not always ideal as it can be hard for guests to ensure they get the time off and often times it will cost them more in travel. Which won’t exactly make them happy. So if at all possible, you’ll want to give guests as much time as possible. This shows that you value them and their time!
2. Provide A Welcome Bag
When guests arrive, give them a wedding welcome bag. Select items that are not only fun but also useful for your wedding day.
Some great ideas for a welcome bag include:
- Snacks (No one is happy when they’re hungry)
- Water bottles (Simple, but also important)
- Wedding programs (Keeps your guests informed)
- Breath mints (No one likes bad breath)
- Personalized wedding favors (Everyone loves wedding favors and we’ll touch on this more shortly)
Using ideas like this can wow your guests from the moment they arrive and it ensures that they feel they’re an important part of the big day!
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3. Keep The Conversations Flowing
No one enjoys an awkward conversation, according to Studyfinds.org, one in three adults dread the awkward conversations that always occur at family gatherings and parties. Not only can conversations be full of awkward topics among your family, but imagine what it’s like when you have two full families merged into one big party. Let’s just say things can get weird really fast.
In addition to families being brought together, think about the guests that are invited that probably won’t know many if any of the others attending. This can make conversations very difficult at times for guests and small talk isn’t exactly enjoyable for anyone…
Guest 1: “How’s the weather in California?”
Guest 2: “It’s been great. We’ve been getting a lot of sun.”
Guest 1: “That’s great. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it.”
Guest 2: “Yeah. It’s been pretty sunny here too.”
… That wasn’t pleasant for anyone. So, how do you help your guests avoid those scenarios? One of the best things you can give your guests at a wedding are wedding conversation starters and one of the easiest ways to do that is by having them on cocktail napkins. Wedding conversation cocktail napkins are great for icebreakers and can avoid unplanned conversations that are too personal (small talk, politics, religion, family drama).
Convokins are the first-ever wedding conversation starter napkins. They have all different types of conversation topics that can range from light-hearted and funny to more thought-provoking.
4. Personalize Your Wedding Favors
Another great wedding idea for guests is to give them personalized wedding favors. Guests love wedding favors as much as they love the food at weddings! Giving wedding favors to your guests is a great way to show them how much you appreciate their presence.
Personalized wedding favors can range from something small like a personalized bag to something larger like a wedding gift basket with all kinds of goodies inside such as chocolates, wine or champagne glasses, and other wedding-related items.
You can also get creative with wedding favor ideas such as giving away custom keychains, engraved picture frames, and shot glasses with wedding day quotes on them. Whatever you decide to give guests, make sure it is special and meaningful so they will remember the wedding for years!
5. Offer Drinks Before The Wedding
Another idea to ensure a fun wedding is providing some refreshments before the ceremony and reception. This will give your wedding guests the opportunity to mingle and get to know each other before the wedding.
You can offer drinks like beer and wine, or non-alcoholic drinks such as lemonade, punch, and juice for those who don’t drink. Setting up a couple of bars for your wedding can also be a fun way to greet guests as they arrive. This will definitely make them feel more welcome right when they walk in!
6. Think About The Weather
If your wedding will be held outdoors, it is important to think about the weather conditions as well. Weather can have a dramatic effect on how guests feel, almost immediately. Some people handle cold and hot differently so be ready ahead of time and provide them with something to feel comfortable.
If you are expecting cold temperatures, provide warm blankets for people to wrap themselves in and keep cozy.
For hot days, set up a few umbrellas or gazebos so that guests can escape the heat if needed. You should also have plenty of water bottles available on-site so that guests can stay hydrated throughout the wedding day.
7. Provide Music Choices
When it comes to unique wedding ideas for guests think about giving your guests some personal choices during the reception. Offer them options when it comes to music. You can do this in two ways:
- Inquire about music choices
- Have a DJ take requests
Inquiring about music choices ahead of time is a great way to get wedding guests’ input. You can ask them each for their favorite wedding song and then incorporate it into your wedding playlist. This will create a unique experience for every wedding guest as they hear the songs that mean something special to them!
You can also have the DJ take requests from wedding guests at certain times throughout the night. Guests will love having the opportunity to request their favorite songs, especially if they haven’t heard it in a while!
People love music and it’s also what will get them out on the dance floor. All it takes is that one song and they’re out there dancing their heart out. Overall, offering wedding guests with music choices is a great way to make sure everyone has an enjoyable and memorable wedding experience!
8. Have A Photo Booth
Photo booths at wedding receptions are a great way to get guests interacting with each other, as well as have a fun and unique memento from the wedding day. Guests can take photos in their wedding attire, or even dress up in props for some silly pictures!
You can also use your wedding photo booth to create some special favors for your guests. For example, you could have custom frames made that guests can insert their wedding photos into. They make a great keepsake for wedding guests and they’ll certainly appreciate it!
9. Be Accommodating & Inclusive
It is important to make sure that wedding guests are accommodated and feel included throughout the wedding day. Reach out in advance to your wedding guests who need special accommodations, such as wheelchair access or dietary needs. Work with the wedding venue and caterer to accommodate their needs, but do not make them feel awkward or like a burden.
Your wedding should be an inclusive event for all of your guests, so make sure everyone feels welcomed and appreciated!
10. Consider Child Care
Chances are, there are going to be quite a few families there with young children. As a wedding planner or a couple just about to get married, overlooking something such as child care is pretty easy to do. Although providing this isn’t necessary by any means, it can show how much you understand and value the time of parents attending the wedding.
Watching young kids is a full-time job and parties such as weddings can make it even more difficult. Scheduling some sort of child care can wow your guest and it’s something that they would greatly appreciate. A wedding is a big day for the couple, and they want to be able to enjoy it with their guests. Providing child care gives parents this opportunity.
11. Arrangments For Travel
Wedding guests who have to travel can be a little tricky to accommodate.
One way to make things easier for them is to provide discounted hotel rates. This will help them save money on their trip and make it more affordable!
You can also arrange for transportation from the airport to the wedding venue and back. This will take care of all the transportation needs for your guests and make their trip much easier!
Making arrangements for travel is a great way to make sure that wedding guests feel taken care of and appreciated!
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Unique Wedding Ideas For Guests That Make Weddings Memorable
These are just a few wedding ideas for guests that can make your wedding day even more special. Start planning and implementing these wedding ideas now! Your wedding guests will thank you for it.
A great wedding should be an enjoyable experience for everyone, including the wedding guests. Make sure to think of their needs when planning and consider the above wedding ideas to ensure they have a memorable time at your wedding. With a little thought and effort, you can make sure all your wedding guests feel welcome and appreciated on your big day!
Good luck with your wedding planning and if you’re looking for a quick and easy way to order Convokins Conversation Starter Wedding Cocktail Napkins, head over to Amazon!
Have some ideas of your own? Let us know in the comments below.
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