8 Ways to Enhance Your Wedding Guests' Experience

Here are eight key details from A Charming Fête that you can implement throughout your wedding weekend to make a wonderful memory of your big day:

1. Have a Welcome Party 

Welcome parties have become more common over the past few years, especially for destination weddings. This event offers a great opportunity to put a fun, personal spin on the weekend. The welcome party not only allows attendees to meet one another and see the couple prior to their wedding day, but it also allows room for creativity to welcome guests to a special city, state, country, or more specifically a favorite restaurant or private club. 

The aesthetic could be personally themed, relevant to family culture, or anything beloved by the couple – and it doesn’t have to match the wedding design. Couples may also consider a special dress code, which should be communicated to loved ones ahead of time. They will certainly appreciate the effort that went into their special welcome and will look forward to mingling with friends and family in the days leading up to the nuptials.

2. Provide Welcome Bags 

A welcome bag can be one of the most thoughtful gifts your guests will receive, especially if they’re traveling from out of town. Water is always a staple as well as some Advil or Tylenol and a Liquid I.V. to help aid in post-wedding day recovery. In addition, attendees will always cherish a crunchy snack or sweet bite to appease their appetite after a long travel day, or maybe as a late-night snack after the wedding itself! 

Local favorites are always a plus, and if you’d like to customize further, there are many options for personalized gifting based on the couple or locale. Another important item to include in the welcome bag is any crucial information for guests, such as a wedding-day itinerary, transportation details, and information for any other scheduled activity during the weekend event. Partygoers will always appreciate a welcome bag upon arrival, so have fun with this detail!

3. Create a Cohesive Flow 

A good wedding planner will help with this step! The timeline of the wedding day is so important and it should always consider not only the couple and bridal party but the ebb and flow of guests. Your attendees are there to relax and enjoy the celebration of your marriage. Guests won’t enjoy waiting around for hours, so if there is a large time gap in the schedule, be considerate of when meals are served and ensure that your friends and family will be comfortable and cared for all-around. 

It’s important to be mindful of your guests’ time and how they’ll spend it throughout the day. It’s also important to calculate the amount of time it will take your loved ones to travel from one location to another, so allow ample time for guest movement throughout the day. For example, it will take a bit to move 250 guests from the cocktail hour location to their assigned seats inside the dinner tent.

4. Ensure Guest Transportation 

Transportation can come in many different forms: valet, pre-paid parking coverage, private car/SUV, or shuttles. All forms are appreciated! Not only do guests love when they have the opportunity to be shuttled to your wedding, but it allows them to relax and really get into the full experience your wedding has to offer. Providing wedding transportation shows you really care and that you want your friends and family to be fully present and enjoy all aspects of your wedding day, without having to worry about driving home or calling an Uber. 

A good wedding planner will help with this, but the transportation schedule is very important to ensure efficiency, best route planning, and short wait times for attendees. Your guests should feel whisked away for an unforgettable day. Seamless transportation is one of the keys to captivating the perfect guest experience.

5. Invest in an Interactive Cocktail Hour 

Cocktail hour may only last for one hour or so, but if you’re wanting to set your wedding apart from others, having an interactive cocktail hour is one of the best ways to do it! A few ways to create this experience would be to have fun food stations, such as an oyster shucker, freshly made pasta sautéed in a giant wheel of Parmesan cheese, a sushi chef making fresh rolls, or a “his and hers” food station. 

Your guests will love getting to interact with these displays, and it will definitely create a memorable experience. Another option would be to include an element of surprise. Bring in a string trio, a live pianist, or even a cigar roller... The options are endless!

6. Pick Perfect Entertainment 

It goes without saying that wedding entertainment is one of the most crucial elements to a memorable guest experience! Odds are your guests came to have a good time, and the best way to do that is by picking the perfect entertainment selection that best suits your needs. Entertainment can come in many different forms: a band, orchestra, DJ, or even dueling pianos. 

It’s important to consider that whatever option you do choose, the person directing revelers throughout the night should pick up on your guests’ wants and needs. You want your entertainers to value your song selections, but the best will be able to read your attendees’ vibe and recognize when it’s time to switch it up and change into a new beat!

7. Offer Memorable Food Service 

One of the most important experiential elements of the wedding day is the food. Guests will always leave remembering the cuisine, especially if it was bad! We always carefully advise our couples on catering to ensure that no matter what is being served and how, guests will be pleased. 

Timing and service go hand-in-hand with menu selections. Slow meal and bar service (i.e. not enough servers and bartenders) can make or break the guest experience. It’s also very common for some in attendance to have dietary restrictions or food allergies, so always consider this and have suitable delicious gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan options available. A good catering company will work with you to appeal to all attendees.

8. Be Mindful of the Temperature 

Last but not least, the temperature of the day will impact many of your guests’ overall emotions and experience! Attendees tend to hyperfixate on the climate. For an outdoor wedding on a crisp fall night, consider heat lamps or another heating solution, such as cozy personalized blankets for a sweet, sentimental touch. For outdoor summer weddings, implement shade coverage or chic paper fans during the ceremony. For extreme sun and heat, air conditioning should be considered in advance. These details can truly bring all your guests’ experiences to another level and create lovely memories of your special day.

This article was originally published in the Summer 2024 issue of Inside Weddings magazine. To order a copy of the Summer 2024 issue, visit our library of Inside Weddings magazine back issues available for purchase.