While your wedding day is supposed to be all about you and your new spouse, it’s important to take your guests into consideration as well. The day should be a positive memory for everyone involved, and it might be challenging to enjoy the occasion knowing that your friends and family members are hangry, exhausted, bored or in desperate need of a drink.
Some couples, however, just don’t seem to care. Below, you’ll find a post that was shared on the Wedding Shaming subreddit, detailing how shocked guests were at the lack of preparation involved with one recent wedding.
Weddings may be primarily about the bride and groom, but that doesn’t mean guests should be disregarded
Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)
After attending a very messy wedding, this woman hopped online to detail her bizarre experience
Image credits: Jonathan Borba (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Danik Prihodko (not the actual photo)
Image credits: u/Fuschia_apple
Later, the guest explained some of the bride’s demands in further detail
Taking guests into consideration is an important part of the wedding planning process
Image credits: Danik Prihodko (not the actual photo)
We all know that the bride and groom are the stars of their wedding day, but the guests play an important role too. For those of us who choose to invite friends and family to celebrate our nuptials, it’s crucial that we make them feel welcomed, comfortable, and fill them with delicious food, refreshing drinks and provide them with opportunities to have plenty of fun.
According to a survey by Cavin Elizabeth, the average person attends between one and four weddings per year. And when it comes to the guests’ favorite part of attending a wedding, the top four answers were mingling and socializing with other guests; the dancing, food and drinks; getting dressed up; and seeing the couple’s love for one another.
As far as what wedding guests would like to see more of, survey respondents would appreciate more unique spins on the ceremony; more traditions included; seeing the couple actually enjoy their day, rather than being stressed; and more interactive activities, such as games for the guests to play.
Making sure loved ones are entertained and well-fed can go a long way
Image credits: Vinícius Estevão (not the actual photo)
When it comes to what guests really care about when attending a loved one’s special day, The Brighton Savoy notes that food and drink, entertainment, music, a bar, transportation, the event running smoothly, and seeing the couple happy are important. Things that can put a damper on the day are a long cocktail hour that drags on, music that’s so loud guests can’t speak to one another and a lack of tasty refreshments.
Hitched also notes on their site that forcing guests to spend a fortune on attending your big day can be an issue. They might be frustrated if they have to purchase something new to fit into a specific color scheme, travel a long distance to attend the wedding or book price accommodation. Anything that the couple can cover or minimize the cost of for guests is helpful.
To ensure that guests are happy, it’s important to take their needs into consideration long before the big day. Yes, the bride and groom should be satisfied first and foremost. But there’s usually a way to satisfy everyone. According to Brides.com, keeping wedding guests informed about attire, accommodation, what refreshments to expect, how the weather should be and more can help them be prepared for the big day. Nobody likes to be left out of the loop.
Keeping guests informed of what to expect can be helpful as well
Image credits: Terje Sollie (not the actual photo)
Keeping everyone at a comfortable temperature is also key. If the wedding will be outside during the summer, make sure there’s shade or that you provide parasols for guests. If it will be cold, place blankets on their seats. Remember to consider dietary restrictions as well, when planning the menu.
Brides and grooms should be realistic when planning speeches and presentations as well. As heartwarming as it may be, a speech that drags on for 20 minutes will likely leave guests feeling bored, sleepy and distracted. Keep everything short and sweet, and keep the evening moving.
Attending a great wedding can create lifelong memories, but attending an unfortunate one can be unforgettable in the worst ways. We would love to hear your thoughts on this story in the comments below, pandas. Have you ever been to a similar wedding? Feel free to share, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing wedding shaming, look no further than right here!
Readers called out the couple for throwing such an unfortunate event
American here. I'm glad we did a rehearsal, it was fun. Hubby kept saying "I take this [my name] instead of "I take thee". It's been a running joke between us for 30 years now. We had it in a common room at the condo where I was living at the time. There was a kitchen, my MIL and her sister cooked a nice spaghetti dinner for everyone, so it wasn't expensive. It was a way to have the families together before the wedding day.
As a personal policy, I refuse to go to weddings. If I want to see some horror, I’ll just turn on Netflix. If I want to have a really nice time out with my partner, we simply go out together, do our own thing and have a really great time. The last wedding I ever went to… I felt like a wedding hostage
American here. I'm glad we did a rehearsal, it was fun. Hubby kept saying "I take this [my name] instead of "I take thee". It's been a running joke between us for 30 years now. We had it in a common room at the condo where I was living at the time. There was a kitchen, my MIL and her sister cooked a nice spaghetti dinner for everyone, so it wasn't expensive. It was a way to have the families together before the wedding day.
As a personal policy, I refuse to go to weddings. If I want to see some horror, I’ll just turn on Netflix. If I want to have a really nice time out with my partner, we simply go out together, do our own thing and have a really great time. The last wedding I ever went to… I felt like a wedding hostage
38
15