How To Instantly Improve Your Guest Experience
Photo by Darling Mine Photography
Guest experience is all the rage right now. Everyone is talking about how guest experience is the most important element of a wedding and what you can do to blow your guests away. Honestly, I don't fully disagree. Guest experience is something every bride and groom should consider for their wedding. We've all been to that wedding where you have 4 hours to kill between the ceremony and reception. It drags, we don't know what to do or where to go, and by the time you get to the reception you are ready for a nap. If you plan your wedding, thinking from a guest experience as well, you will ensure your guests are active and enjoying the whole day.
Here are some great tips to help you improve your guest experience so they can't stop talking about how great your wedding was.
Stop trying to outdo the last wedding. Nothing is worse than your guests gossiping during cocktail hour about how you are just trying to outshine Sally's weddings. Do add elements to your wedding that make sense to you, your budget and your venue. Less is often more. People are happy grabbing a drink and catching up, especially after COVID. It’s likely your guests haven’t seen each other in a long time and getting to just chat is going to be a treat.
Think about what you enjoy at a wedding. Chances are you've been to a great wedding and you've been to a not so great wedding. Make note of those things you enjoy at weddings and those you don't. Plan for the things you like. Did you enjoy a DIY food station for late night? Did they have a great seating chart? Were there lawn games to play so you were having fun during cocktail hour? Whatever you like, do that. It's likely your guests will also enjoy those things.
Don’t force them to do too much. Don't put all the things in to place and expected them to play 14 lawn games, take selfies for your guest book and enjoy food and drinks all at the same time and then have them play crazy kissing games and do trivia. Overwhelming your guests with things to do much makes it feel like work. And after a few glasses of wine, no one wants to put in the work.
Think of unique elements to add. A selfie wall is a great idea. Your guests are going to take selfies, and a lot of them. Why not give them a styled wall that matches your decor for it? Share your hashtag here so you can look back on all the great photos your guests took later. Or offer drinks upon arrival rather than wait for cocktail hour to start. Niagara is so known for our wine country, so if you are getting married at one of our incredible wineries, why not offer a wine tasting to your guests? Let them know why you love this place and their wine.
Think through the timeline. build your timeline with the easiest flow for your guests. Often a later ceremony that leads right into cocktails then right to reception is best, especially if everything is all on site. If you are needing travel between ceremony and reception, factor that travel time to allow guests to leave the ceremony and arrive to start cocktails at reception. The large gaps are always a challenge for guests as I mentioned earlier.
I hope these few tips help you to improve your guest experience at your wedding. Happy guests keep them bragging about your wedding for years to come.