With standard weddings, there are only so many guests who get to play a role: your bridal party, your ceremony readers, and the toasters are pretty much it. If you want every guest to feel like a VIP at your wedding, check out our top six tips.
1. LET YOUR FRIENDS FILM YOUR WEDDING
Your wedding day, one of the most important days you’ll ever have… One you’ll want to remember and relive again and again. You need a videographer but gone are the days of having a film crew in the corner of the room. Having your friends and family behind our simple and fun to use cameras makes for a much more relaxed atmosphere and allows them to capture all those magical moments and behind the scenes gems that otherwise would have been missed. A good editor will be able to craft your story into an entertaining and watchable film that you can proudly share with friends and family.
2. GET THEIR INPUT ON THE PLAYLIST
Even before the guests arrive on the big day, let them get involved in picking out the songs they’ll be listening to. Either include a “Song Request” line on the RSVP card, or set up a space on your wedding website where guests can leave comments with their favorite tunes. Hearing the songs they requested will make guests feel that their opinions were valued. For an even more personal touch, give the DJ the song request list with the names of the people who requested each one, and have him send a special shout-out to each guest when his or her song is played.
3. LEAVE PERSONAL NOTES FOR GUESTS
It’ll take a lot of time and effort, but it’ll go a long way in making your guests feel welcome. Write a personal note on each guest’s escort or place card. Not sure what to say? Think of it as a precursor to the thank you card: “Debbie, You’ve been a part of my parents’ lives for so long. I feel so lucky that you’re a huge part of mine, too. I can’t thank you enough for traveling all the way from Tauranga to be at my wedding. Paul’s really looking forward to getting to know you. See you on the dance floor!”
4. GAMES AND PUZZLES
From customized crossword puzzles to word searches and mad libs, trivia games about you and your hubby-to-be are a great way to get guests talking and having a fun time together all throughout your dinner hour. Set aside some time later in the evening to announce the answers, and consider making it a contest by giving away small prizes to the guest at each table who gets the most answers right.
5. HOLD AN ANNIVERSARY DANCE
This is when all the couples are invited up to the dance floor and are told to sit down in increments based on how long they’ve been married. The two who have been together the longest are the last people standing. Hitched couples always get a kick out of competing for the prize and even single guests are in suspense waiting to find out who’s had the most anniversaries.
6. MAKE A VIDEO GUEST BOOK
A standard guest book can’t capture the emotion and personality of your guests’ well wishes in the same way video can. Have a HD camera solely for guests to film personal messages and pass around and get it professionally edited into bespoke, digital, guestbook, perfect for sharing on your Facebook page, wedding website site, or blog.