Wedding Guests: The Human Beings In Your Spotlight

Photo: Love + Wolves Co

One of my favorite wedding-related quotes is by photographer I worked with a couple of years ago, “There are three things no one wants to be at a wedding: First, last, or wrong.” Of course, it’s mostly you in the spotlight on your wedding day, but your guests feel the pressure, too.  Everyone wants to get it right, so everyone – including you –  can enjoy the day. No one wants to stumble, or go the wrong way, or be late, or early, or embarrassed or embarrassing.

So, back your guests up, where you can. First of all, be clear about what time your wedding starts. If the ceremony is at 5:30pm, don’t put the start time as 5pm. That can back first spectacularly, since most guests will arrive around 4:30p, which cuts into your prep time, and the guests you’re expecting to be late will still show up late. Have clear directional signs at your wedding and reception, including to the bathrooms. Have someone standing by to help them find their place cards. Put the place cards in alphabetical order by last name, not by first name or table number. No one has any clue what their table number is, but they all know how to spell their last name.

And, there are some things you don’t need to worry about. they don’t have to be assigned a particular seat at a particular table. No one is going to freak out if you’re serving Coors Light and $5 wine instead of their choice of martini cocktails. If your brother didn’t tell  you that his girlfriend is a vegan, it’s their own damn fault, try and accommodate where you can, apologize where you can’t.  What would you want if you were a guest? What would you need? Make sure that’s covered. Don’t think babysitting, just think “flow.” You can’t please everyone, but you can make it easier for them to enjoy themselves. And really, it’s a party, it’s a celebration, everyone is pretty much going to have wonderful time. I promise – you’ll see it for yourself.

See you at the end of the aisle,

Liz Coopersmith

What else do you need to know about your wedding right now? Let’s talk about it – go to the contact page or email me directly at liz@silvercharmevents.com to schedule a free consultation. I can’t wait to find out what you want your day to look and feel like.