Planning: Pleasing Your Guests

PLEASING YOUR GUESTS

Recently, For the Bride has learned not all guests are thrilled after attending a wedding. Long kisses at the altar…reception too crowded…long lines at the food stations are just a few of the complaints we heard. So, how can you please a roomful of family and friends? We’ve made it easy for you by pinpointing some very common guest grumbles. Read on and vow to avoid them!

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GRIPE The invitation didn’t say it was an outdoor wedding. I ruined my favorite shoes when the heels sank into the soft ground.

WHAT TO DO If the invitation doesn’t state your wedding is outdoors (if your site is a beach/park/garden), add an enclosure that lets them know what to expect. Say something like, “Ladies should wear comfortable shoes due to uneven ground at the ceremony.”

GRIPE “You may kiss the bride,” turned into a ten-minute love fest.

WHAT TO DO Keep the smooching short. Remember, the honeymoon is a few short hours away.

GRIPE The dance floor was too packed—no one could move.

WHAT TO DO Be sure your dance floor can handle the crowd. Event planners say you’ll need a minimum of 2.5 square feet of dance-floor space for each guest. However, if you know your guests love to show their moves on the floor, opt for 3 square feet.

GRIPE I never received a thank-you note.

WHAT TO DO So maybe you’ve already written 157 thank-you notes but have 43 more to go. Finish no later than three months after the wedding. Make the process as painless as possible by doing a little each night--and get hubby to do his fair share, too.

GRIPE Either there were a lot of party crashers or the couple hadn’t planned well. There were long lines at the food stations and bars.

WHAT TO DO A good way to avoid the lines for food and drinks is to have the wait staff offer trays of drinks and hors d’oeuvres, which will keep some people from queuing up.  

GRIPE The bride and groom were getting pictures taken for half of the reception.

WHAT TO DO A simple solution is to have formal shots done before the wedding. Most couples get them done so they can be with guests immediately following the ceremony. But if you want to stick with tradition and not permit the groom to you before "I do," keep it to a minimum. You don't need shots at three different locales. Let your photographer know in advance how much time you want to allot for pictures.  

By Patricia Canole