As a wedding planner we have Zoom meetings with potential clients to see if we are the right fit for each other. And during the meeting with potential clients, we ask them what they are looking forward to most on their wedding day. And the majority of the time the answer is to have all of the people they love in one place at the same time. Celebrating with their family and friends. It is the one opportunity for them all to be together. Their wedding is time for their families to have fun and create a memory together. We can understand that, especially since during the pandemic we could not celebrate with our loved ones. Spending time and celebrating with friends and family is what matters most. It is what it is all about. 

Since this is a rare opportunity to have everyone together at once, the goal is to create an amazing wedding experience not only for you and your fiancee but for your guests as well! We can understand the importance of this and we want to help you make it even more memorable for them! But how do you plan your wedding with your loved ones in mind and provide them with an exceptional experience?

First ask yourself this question. How do you want your guests to remember your wedding? That the shuttle was available for them or that the food was delicious or that the flowers were gorgeous? What is it that you want your wedding celebration to convey to your guests? Will it be an easy laid back day or a black tie affair? Choose the areas of importance to you and focus on those details. If you want to have an ethnic food, choose a caterer who can create a memorable meal. If you want abundant florals, work with a floral designer to give you a design that you love. If you want to have a dance party, hire a band. It is all about the details! Choose one or two areas of importance for your guests’ experience.

Most couples have either been in a lot of weddings or attended a lot of weddings and they know what they don’t want to do at their wedding for their guests. What they do want to do is make it easy for them to enjoy the day and make it a memorable experience. We have put together a  list of our top tips to make your wedding an extra memorable one for your guests!

To create and elevate memorable experience for your guests we suggest the following tips:

• Choose a wedding date that is important to you and avoid a holiday weekend (prices for hotels and travel are at premium during holiday). And while it may seem to be a great idea to have a three day holiday weekend, it will cost your guests significantly more to travel then. If your guests really want to be at your wedding they will attend and make their own three day weekend out of it! Vendor pricing will also be at premium, so make sure your wedding budget can handle those premium vendor prices before you choose a Holiday Weekend date. 
• Hire a professional wedding planner to give you tips and insights about the guest experience. Your wedding planner will give you ideas that you have not even thought about yet! Your wedding planner might have some great out of the box ideas. Seek the advice of an experienced professional who will make the planning easier for you!
• Provide a detailed Website with information about the wedding. Guests want to know when and where they need to be, what the attire should be, as well as hotel and transportation information. Be as detailed as possible, give phone numbers, addresses, websites and important book by dates. Include on your website ideas for them to visit some of your favorite places in your city. Sightseeing, restaurants and museums are all great choices for them to experience your city.
• Make the process easy for them to book hotel rooms and provide a booking code with a book by date. Again provide phone numbers, addresses and websites.
• Provide an easy way to RSVP (Online with a QR code is very easy for guests to do)! One less step of going to the post office to drop off the reply card!
• Provide transportation for them to and from the venue. Guests like to enjoy the open bar, so knowing they have a safe way home is important for them!
• Hire professional vendors to create an incredible experience. Trust those experienced vendors to bring your wedding day vision to life. Friends may offer to provide services such as cakes, flowers, photography, and entertainment. However we recommend hiring licensed, insured professionals who are familiar with the wedding planning process and  wedding day logistics.This will ensure that your wedding day will run smoothly and seamlessly.
• Make it a weekend experience. Provide them with a welcome party and a post wedding day brunch for them to attend. Make it a mini vacation for them! This will give you more time to spend with them to chat and catch up. The wedding day goes by so fast and you may not have a chance to speak with each guest. This way you will have other opportunities to be with them!
• Give a Welcome Gift Bag to guests at their hotel. Fill with goodies like water, snacks and advil. Also include a detailed Itinerary for the wedding weekend. Again, the more information the better. 
• If your ceremony will be outside, consider an item that is helpful and useful for your guests. If it is sunny, provide sunglasses, if it is warm, provide fans, (which can double as a program) if it is cold, then provide a blanket. The thoughtfulness of this gesture will be greatly appreciated by your guests!
• Make the Seating Chart easy for guests to read. While some ideas of signs are pretty, they may not be easy to read in a dark room. Make the chart in alphabetical order by the last name of the guest, not by their table number! Make it easy for them to find their name. You can think outside the box and use unique, fun ideas like a champagne wall or luggage tags that double as a favor!
• Give them a personalized note at their place setting that says Thank You for attending your wedding. This is such a thoughtful touch that they will appreciate.
• Provide fun items at the reception for guests to use on the dance floor. Think glow sticks and necklaces and glow wands. Anything that lights up or can be considered a dress up item, like a hat. This always gets the guests moving on the dance floor! You can ask your DJ or band to get involved and throw these items out to guests as well! Guests love to have fun, so add these items for your reception. We call it a Crazy Hour!
• Include a specific dance or a song that is meaningful to your family – it may be an ethnic or religious song or a song that resonates with your friends from a sorority or fraternity. 
• Provide a bottle of water to them before they leave the wedding. (They have been dancing all night and they are hot and the bar is closed and they are thirsty) Send them on their way hydrated! We have seen first hand how appreciative the guests are for the water! You can even personalize the water bottle with a photo of the two of you!
• Provide a late night snack after all the dancing as they will be hungry again! Again you can give this to them as they are leaving the reception. Think donuts, french fries etc. Soaks up the alcohol too. 
• Most importantly Thank them and tell them how much you appreciated that they traveled to your wedding. Tell them how much it means to you that you had them there with you to celebrate your wedding day milestone! 

We hope you find these tips helpful when planning your dream wedding! All the little details add up to create an elevated experience.  Make it a memorable milestone celebration for everyone. Make it a wedding that you and your guests will rave about for years to come! For more information on planning an elevated experience for your wedding guests contact Gloria Schulz Events at hello@gloriaschulzevents.com or https://www.gloriaschulzevents.com