You’re
getting married and your ultimate goal is to make your wedding day 100%
perfect. The last thing you want is for your friends and family to have
a terrible time and spend the next 50 years whispering about the things
that should have been done differently.
Most people have
attended at least one wedding that was really bad. By knowing the common
complaints, you can ensure that your wedding is a beautiful experience
for you and your guests. 1. Not Knowing Where to Go
One of the most common
complaints of wedding guests is being unsure of where to go or what to
do. This is usually accompanied by awkward moments of looking right and
left, hoping that someone will step in and direct them to the correct
area. To avoid this problem, enlist help by designating someone as the
“point person.”
Have your point person
greet guests and let them know where to go or what’s happening next.
This way, your guests will not be left wondering where they should sit
and what they should do. 2. Left without a Ride
For guests in the
wedding, a common complaint is being left without a ride. Many brides
and grooms arrange transportation from the hotel to the wedding, but
they neglect to provide transportation from the reception back to the
hotel. If you can arrange transportation, do so. If not, make sure that
there is a way for your wedding guests to call a cab, catch a bus or
find some other way to leave the reception.
If necessary, print up
cards with phone numbers or other important information. You certainly
don’t want to leave your guests wondering how in the world they will
make it back to the hotel or home.
3. The Speech That Never Ends
Speeches can be
charming, witty, funny and enjoyable for the wedding guests to hear, but
they can also be way too long, boring and conducive to fits of dozing.
Make sure that your speech conveys the emotions you’re feeling, but keep
it as short and sweet as possible. A good speech should only last a few
minutes and should be refreshing for guests to hear.
Gently pass this
information to all those giving speeches at your wedding. While you may
appreciate the Maid of Honor’s 15-minute trip down memory lane, your
guests probably won’t.
4. A Table of Strangers
Most wedding planners,
brides-to-be or maids of honor decide which guests should sit at which
tables. This part of the planning is very important because guests will
feel uncomfortable at a table with people they don’t know. Imagine
sitting at a table where everyone knows everyone else – except for you.
Or worse, imagine if no one knows anyone else at their table!
Make sure to plan the
seats wisely so that everyone can converse and have a great time at the
reception. You should make sure that everyone will know at least one
other person at their table well enough to feel comfortable chatting
with him or her. This will keep your guests happy and will be one more
step toward the perfect wedding!
5. Time Between the Wedding and Reception
While the bride and
groom are extremely busy trying to get their things together, their
affairs in order and everything else, they probably aren’t thinking too
much about the time between the wedding and the reception. The guests,
however, will have to find a way to kill that time, and if it’s a long
time, they may be stuck twiddling their thumbs.
An hour or two is
about the perfect amount of time between the wedding and reception. If
you must, have a few helpers who can help you get everything together so
that you can be on your way sooner. If you’re unable to hold the events
within an hour or two of each other, try to make other accommodations
for your guests.
Can your reception
hall or location be opened for waiting guests? Can you have a light
snack prepared for those guests who will be waiting? By making sure that
your guests are occupied, entertained and taken care of, you will be
ensuring that they have a great time at your wedding!
While it’s really
difficult to make sure that every single detail is perfect, you can take
care of the most common wedding guest complaints. If the major things
are under control, things will flow much more easily on your wedding
day, and it will be remembered for its beauty and joy rather than for
the things that went wrong!
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