Once a wedding is over with, what do your guests remember the most? If you want to make a truly memorable wedding, it’s not necessary to make everything perfect. There are some things that need some extra attention. You want to leave happy memories of the special occasion for everyone involved.
Tiny details like embossing on the invitations aren’t going to stick in the minds of your guests. What they truly remember is how different aspects of the ceremony made them feel. Thus, aesthetic appreciation is important. Focus on these things for your wedding and you’ll be sure to leave your guests with a good impression.
Your Guest List
Making a guest list can be really simple or really difficult. The easy answer is to invite who you want to invite, but if you already know people in your families don’t get along, that could ruin their appreciation for the wedding and could even cause drama. Depending on who they are, there may be no easy way around it but forward. Still, don’t leave someone off that you really do want to have at your special day. Always remember that you and your spouse’s needs are at the center of a wedding.
Wedding Makeup
The aesthetics of a wedding is a big part of the occasion, and it all starts with makeup. Yes, even before dresses! All of the important members of the wedding should look their best. Getting a professional makeover for the women, at least for the bride, will help them put their best face forward. The bride will appreciate looking her best as she receives all the guests. Your men should also look good!
Wedding band
Ideally, you and your spouse will be wearing your bands for the rest of your lives, so you should definitely make sure you like them. Whether or not others do really doesn’t matter, but people are going to want to look at them during the reception. Therefore, wear something you’re proud of and flatters your hand. Price doesn’t matter so long as the wedding bands are the right ones and look good on you.
Venue and Comfort
Most people aren’t going to remember the exact details of the venue decorations, but they will remember how they made them feel. The decorations should be tasteful and fit your chosen color scheme. Your guests should also be comfortable during the wedding and the reception. If you choose to have an outdoor venue, take care of the comfort of the guests. Make sure they’re not too hot or cold as best as you can predict. You don’t want your wedding to be the one where everyone baked in their finery or froze.
Clothing
There is a reason that brides agonize over dress selection. It is a something special that they’ll only wear once (hopefully!) But the other members of the wedding party must also look good. Try to find clothing for the bridesmaids and groomsmen that match appropriately and flatters everyone’s figure. Easier said than done, but so important!
Ceremony
Again, people aren’t going to remember every little detail of the ceremony. However, wedding ceremonies do leave an impression. If you’re having a traditional religious wedding, the details of the ceremony may be very crucial for everyone there to feel like it’s an authentic one. But even in a secular wedding you can’t be TOO irreverent lest your guests think that you’re mocking the ceremony. Then again, if both families prefer a humorous wedding, go for that strange theme!
Reception
Guests expect food and drink at a reception and it doesn’t need to be super fancy. But it does need to fill them up enough so they don’t feel hungry or thirsty. The decision for alcohol or not is a personal choice, but if you choose to have it, make sure some people are sober to maintain order in the crowd.
As far as the cake goes, make sure there is enough for everyone. The enjoyment of eating it will be more immediate than the joy of looking at the pristine cake before cutting. Also, couples, agree on how you’re going to cut the cake and feed it to each other beforehand!
For entertainment, most will be satisfied with a place to sit, some music, and a place to dance, but that will depend on your culture and family traditions. If there are special after-wedding ceremonies to follow, don’t neglect them without good reason.
People don’t remember details. They remember how an event made them feel. If you keep this principle in mind, you’ll leave everyone with happy memories of your wedding.
