8 ways to make sure your guests have an awesome time
Photo: Studio Chloe David
Considering the guest’s experience is an extremely important part of planning a wedding. Taking time to see things through their lens will not only make your guest’s experience more enjoyable, it’ll be more memorable and likely make your life a lot easier, too!
So here are our top 8 tips for making sure you and your guests have an epic time.
1. Mini on-the-day packing list.
Let your guests know the plan for the day and maybe create a mini on-the-day packing list: dress code, shoes suitable for grass, a light jacket for the evening, sunnies, hand sanitiser etc. It will make such a difference to your guest’s experience if they’re prepared and comfortable.
2. Welcome drinks for the win!
A great way to show guests your consideration from the start is to provide a welcome drink and some shade when they arrive at your ceremony. While ceremonies are traditionally later in the day in Italy, they can still be hot, hot, hot.
Photo: Colin Ross
3. A solid menu.
We’ve all been to weddings where the food is lacking. At an Italian wedding, you’ve got the potential to really wow your guests. Make sure you choose a menu that they will love through and through. We’ve seen time and time again at Italian weddings that keeping it simple, with crowd-pleasing traditional food is really the way to go. Guests will talk about the food not only all night but for years to come.
4. An easy-to-read table plan.
Make your table plan easy to read and access. Mirrors, small writing on boards…people can’t read these and they end up making a queue. It’s one of our major bugbears! Do something different and make sure it’s set up during the aperitif so people can find their seats in their own time. You can still get creative and make it fun, just make sure people can read it. Fabric table plans are a great idea for a destination wedding as you can easily slip it into your suitcase.
Photo: Paper Bow
5. Games.
They might seem a bit cheesy or old-fashioned but everyone loves a game. Whether that’s lawn games for guests to get involved with during the aperitif or table games to break the ice when they’re sat down to eat, they create a light-hearted and fun atmosphere. They help people get talking to guests they perhaps don’t know, and generally they just go down really well.
6. Personal touches.
It’s time-intensive yes, but the impact is colossal. Guests have put the effort in to come to your wedding and small personal touches are a great way to show how much you appreciate them. A welcome note or basket (filled with luxe/local treasures), a thank you note at the table, a personalised favour, a mention in a speech – make sure they know how much you appreciate all the effort. If you’re having an intimate wedding you might have more budget and time to play with, we’ve seen couples create favour boxes/hampers with handwritten notes.
Photo: Aaron Delesie
7. Masks but make them fashion.
If masks are going to play a part in your day, why not get them made to fit in with your colour-scheme and have everybody matching. We’ve seen some couples go all out and get stylish silk masks made, embroidered with their initials.
8. Bus carbs.
So important, we probably should have put this at the top! Something stodgy to take on the journey back home at the end of the night is essential. Bacon sandwiches, chips, pizza – it’s money well spent and if you’re having an event the next day, it can often mean your guests are in better shape to attend, if you know what we mean!
Is there anything we’ve missed? Join the conversation now in our private couples Facebook group.
Want to feel totally awesome and organised? Check out our Italian Wedding Tracker - the spreadsheet of all spreadsheets that will save you time and money! Designed by Italian Wedding planners, the Italian Wedding Tracker is the tool you need to get organised and enjoy faff-free planning.
Written by Lucy White, Founder of La Lista & Wiskow & White, with over 5 years and 150 weddings worth of experience.
