What Guests Notice Most on Your Wedding Day
Our goal as your wedding planner is to lead you through a fun and stress-free planning process, and to help you create your dream wedding!
To us, a “dream wedding” means your vision is brought to life in a fun and memorable way and the wedding is beautiful and entertaining for you and your guests. While your wedding day is all about you, if you want your day to truly be the best, you’ll want to make sure that you are creating an enjoyable experience for your guests, too.
There are so many elements you need to consider when planning your wedding day, but there are certain things guests tend to notice most. And we don’t mean decor! We mean things that will truly affect their overall experience at your wedding.
To make sure guests have the best experience, here are 5 things guests will notice at your wedding and ways to make sure your wedding day is memorable in the best way.
Guests enjoy an outdoor social hour at the Hutton House // Emily Paulson Photography
1 — Your Communication
You know that saying, “Communication is key”? Well, it is. How you share wedding info prior to wedding day is an obvious thing guests will notice.
A lack of communication and providing little to no details about your wedding will leave your guests confused when the day finally arrives (and not to mention, you and your guests will be equally frustrated if they have to bug you with so many questions!).
Making sure you let your guests know when the ceremony starts, any unique directions to your venue or parking rules, hotel accommodations, or suggested attire, etc., are crucial to ensuring everyone arrives on-time and ready for the celebration! This means getting your Save the Dates out at least 6 months pre-wedding, and sending invitations ~2 months pre-wedding.
Tip: We encourage you to include all of these important details for your guests on your wedding website!
2 — Venue Space and Seating
One of the most important first decisions you make for your wedding is your venue. Choosing your venue is greatly influenced by your budget, guest count, and location, and each of these factors is important, but when considering the guest experience, the size of your venue can make all the difference!
The Lakeside Room at The Hutton House // Emily Paulson Photography
If your guest list is pushing max capacity and the reception room is completely full with tables…it’s going to feel cramped. With little room to mingle, guests will just be sitting at their tables all night rather than enjoying the party. Not to mention, if tables are blocking space for a dance floor, guests won’t appreciate when they are asked to evacuate their table and move their things so you can make room for a dance floor (and to some guests, it actually seems quite rude).
Guests will also notice if they’re squeezed with little to no arm or leg room at the table. Squishing 10 people at a table meant for 8 makes for an uncomfy dinner. While you might think, “they’re all friends and it’s just for an hour,” you’re disregarding their comfort. It probably won’t ruin their day, but it certainly won’t elevate their experience.
Once your venue is chosen, it’s crucial to think wisely about how you want to use the space and how many guests you’ll have. Does your venue have enough space to comfortably accommodate your guest count? Let’s hope so! Otherwise, we strongly suggest whittling down your guest list.
3 – The Flow of the Day
Your timeline provides structure for your wedding day. When all details have been thought of and your timeline has been intentionally planned your day will be seamless! But, if your timeline wasn’t carefully thought out or you just guessed random times for each event, your day is going to seem a bit hectic.
An outdoor cocktail hour in northern Minnesota at Ivory North // Grace Byron Photography
It’s okay (and expected!) if things aren’t happening on-the-dot, but events should generally be happening within ~5-10 minutes of what was planned. If not, guests will notice and wonder what’s gone wrong. For example, if you don’t account for enough time in the morning for your beauty services, your timeline for the afternoon is going to feel rushed. You’ll either have to cut short pre-ceremony photo-time or risk being late for the ceremony. And if you’re late for the ceremony, we all know what guests are thinking!
Another example that comes up often; if you think you want to take the wedding party on a bus to go somewhere for photos or to bar hop during cocktail hour… you may want to think again. While it’s a fun idea, we don’t recommend it because this almost always results in the wedding party returning to the venue later than intended, which pushes reception activities. Dinner can’t begin and guests can’t eat until the couple has made their entrance! While that party bus hour may be fun for you, a late dinner is no fun for guests.
When you hire a professional wedding coordinator, we will create a perfectly buttoned-up timeline, customized to your wedding goals and vision. On your wedding day, everything will flow seamlessly because we keep you and your crew informed of where to be and when, and ensure your vendor team is in-sync for every moment!
4 – Dinner Service
If you’ve ever been a guest at a wedding, you will either remember the meal because it was soooo good or you’ll mark it down as “just another wedding dinner.” If food is not a priority at your wedding, that’s fine! You don’t need a 5-star quality meal. But, there are certain standards to stick to so that your guests have an enjoyable dinner experience, no matter what you’re serving.
A nice table setting with real glassware, china plates, and linen napkins is a nice touch for your guests.
Whenever possible, opt for real platewate. Plastic plates and utensils don’t belong at a wedding; people may not comment on it, but they notice it. Choose a caterer that provides dinnerware with their meal package or spend a little extra to rent these items.
Ensure you order enough food. Ask your catering team if they typically prepare an additional number of meals or if you can order extra for just in case surprise guests show up. You’ll also want to confirm the portion sizes are enough for a satisfying dinner; how large is the cut of meat/protein size? how many sides are included and are they filling like potatoes or something lighter like tortilla chips? If the entrees seem light, should you order more appetizers for cocktail hour? Discuss your menu with the catering team to be sure you are ordering enough to satisfy your guests.
Confirm your catering team will be responsible for bussing and clearing tables. Your guests should not be expected to do this (it’s messy and poor wedding etiquette), and trash management is not a service provided by your planner. Unless your venue has in-house catering, they likely will not assist with table bussing either. By hiring a full-service caterer, guests can sit back and enjoy their dinner as a guest, rather than having to bus their own table.
For better or for worse, guests are evaluating what’s for dinner and how it’s served! Make sure guests have the best meal by using china plateware, hiring a full service caterer, and ensuring you’ve ordered an ample amount of food.
5 – Music & Entertainment
Have you ever been to a wedding with no music? We’re hoping the answer is no! Music is such an important part of any event or wedding; it sets the tone and creates the atmosphere you want guests to experience, whether you want that to be laidback (acoustic), upbeat (pop), energetic (rock), or whatever else!
For the best experience, you need to hire a professional band or DJ for your wedding. Professional bands and DJs know how to read the room and match guests’ energy with the right songs. Don’t worry, they’ll still play your preferred style of music and all your song requests, but they’ll adjust what they play and when they play it based on how your guests are interacting and responding. They know what songs will bring the energy levels back up if guests start leaving the dance floor, they know when to slow things down to give everyone a little breather, and they know how to interact with your party people to make things fun!
A private property wedding entertained by DJ Zach from Ambient Entertainment and the first dance performer, Matt Simons // HL Photo
In case you’re thinking you can skip the DJ… do. not. do. it. While making a plug-and-play playlist seems like an easy and “affordable” alternative to hiring a band or DJ, it’s not worth the “savings”! Your iPhone isn’t going to read the room and play songs to fit the vibe, or know when to pause the music if someone has an impromptu speech. Instead, a playlist will just create weird situations and awkward silences when trying to cue music for your ceremony and first dances.
If you want guests to enjoy the party, you need a great band or DJ. If you want guests to awkwardly stand around or leave the party early, you can skip this part.
Luckily, as your wedding planner, we have many great band and DJ recommendations in the Twin Cities area!
There are plenty of wedding details that are commonly overlooked by guests such as party favors, ceremony programs, and the bouquet toss. Whether or not you include those things at your wedding won’t greatly impact their experience.
But, things like a comfortable reception space, a seamless timeline, and great music will have a big impact on how guests feel and what they remember about your wedding. If you write down these five things and keep them in mind when planning your wedding, we’re sure your guests will have the best time!
Ready to create the most memorable wedding day?
A little bit of rain didn’t stop these guests from having the best time at this private property wedding! // HL Photo
