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While the wedding day is about you and your groom, you want the people who are sharing this special event with you to be happy, too. And there are few missteps couples make that guests don’t really enjoy. Here are seven to avoid ensuring everyone has the best time on your big day.[Photo: brookelynphotography.com]
Holiday Weekend Weddings
While getting married on Labor Day weekend or on New Year’s Eve might seem like a great idea, it can cause a major wrinkle in your guests’ personal plans. Not to mention that holidays are notoriously more expensive for travel and hotel arrangements.
A Cash Bar
Guests do not want to pay for their drinks, so even if that means you have to limit your options to beer, wine and soda, it's still better than having anyone lay out cash at the reception.
A Long Gap Between Ceremony and Reception
Many couples opt to have the cocktail hour start an hour or more after the ceremony ends so they’ll have plenty of time to take photos before the fun begins. But what will your guests do in that time gap? Think about taking wedding photos before the ceremony, or if you really need that extra time, give your guests plenty of suggestions on places they can relax between the two events.
Long Speeches
No one wants to sit through one long speech after another--they want to dance and have fun! So try to limit the number of toasts at the reception or at the very least ask those speaking to keep their words short and sweet.
Sitting In The Heat Or Rain
You might be dreaming of an outdoor summer wedding, but the weather might not cooperate. Guests will not enjoy sitting out in the sun, extreme heat or drizzling rain, so be sure to have a Plan B in place for your vows and reception.
Not Enough Food
No one should leave your reception still hungry, so make sure there is plenty of food to go around. If you're on a tight budget, invite fewer guests so there are less people to feed.
Being Forced Into Fun
Some guests don't want to dance or make toasts on camera, so be sure to tell your DJ or band leader to not force people into the fun of the evening. Everyone is different, and some are happy simply sitting at their tables and chatting with fellow guests.
