Despite your best efforts, a poorly organised wedding can make guests feel confused about your wedding day. Large weddings with plenty of guests are easy to slip into disaster where both bride and groom and guests don’t have a good time.
Let’s discuss some of the most common scenarios that make guests confused during the wedding day.
Program
If you have planned a unique wedding program and you expect your guests to participate, make sure to inform them about their role. Also, it is rude if you force the guests to take part in the game. It is your wedding, and you can plan it the way you want, but the guests should at least have the option to choose if they are interested in your program.
The program with too many games can baffle guests because they won’t know their role, the rules, other activities, etc.
Whatever your plan is, take care that your guests feel comfortable when participating in an entertainment program.
No Activities at All
Simple weddings are the easiest to plan. But, no activity is a plan your guest needs to know. For example, maybe you want to have only your closest friends and family at the ceremony and invite everyone else for a drink and dinner later in the day.
Make sure to state on the invitation that there won’t be a ceremony and that you are gathering everyone to enjoy a meal and a toast together. Many couples let the guests communicate with each other the whole evening. However, remember, that weddings without any entertainment at all might be quite boring.
Too Strict or undefined Dress Code
If you plan to demand your guests to follow your strict dress code, they can be confused for many reasons. First of all, if they cannot comply with your demands, they might feel themselves separated from other guests. Therefore, if you want to have a dress code at your wedding, make sure it is something everyone can comply with.
Also, don’t try to be creative when informing your guests about the dress code. Avoid vague expressions and use common wordings to make sure everyone understands them. For example, when you put “festive” as a dress code, some may come dressed up for Coachella, and others may come in their Christmas gowns. Cocktail, casual, formal, black tie, daytime semi formal are the most common expressions that most people understand.
Delays
Bride and groom who want to squeeze everything in the wedding day, including long and detailed photo sessions, might let their guest sit alone for several hours.
Therefore, they can be confused about the further timeline for the wedding. If the delay between the ceremony and restaurant is too big, your guest may get bored and hungry, especially if you want to serve dinner when you come to the restaurant.
Wrong Music
The music is essential for an enjoyable atmosphere. But, if you pick the wrong music, your guest may wonder about the theme of your wedding. For example, a good band or DJ can throw an excellent party, but you need to include sets with background music for dinner and conversation.
Poor Logistics
Planning from the moment the wedding starts won’t leave the guest feeling confused at any moment. Logistics includes planning and organising everything from accommodation through transportation to the seating arrangement.
For example, inform the hotel staff and guests that you are organising shuttles to transport guests to the ceremony point so that everyone can be ready. Moreover, inform them about the end of the night transportation and details.
Make sure to state if the transportation you provided is optional or obligatory.
Inconvenient Wedding Date
Couples that plan their wedding during the holiday season might need to discuss it with their potential guests first. Christmas weddings can be challenging to pull off.
The guest may wonder if you will include traditions they want to skip or if they are expected to follow your family traditions instead of theirs.
On the other hand, pulling off a wedding on Labor day is simple. Most guests will be free from work that day, but they might have other plans. Besides, if you are throwing a wedding during the working day, make sure to state when the party starts and when it is over. It will be useful for all your working guests!
Whatever you have planned for your wedding, tell your guests exactly what you expect from them. They need to be aware of every detail, starting from the date and time of the wedding day, through the program, dress code, music program, accommodation, transportation, ceremony, ending, etc.
It increases the chances that everyone will have a great time!
