Why the guest experience will make or break your wedding

Contrary to popular opinion your wedding day is not just about you. You and your other half are of course at the centre but how you treat your guests will mark a successful or unsuccessful event.

You won’t go far wrong if you put yourself in your guests' shoes. Think about the guest journey from the moment they receive their invitation to the moment they get home after your wedding; every element should be well thought out.

The Invitation

Lets start from the top, an invitation sets the tone of your wedding. Are you having quite a traditional or informal wedding, modern or rustic? The invitation should embody the type of wedding you are going to have. Help guests get excited about your day. Don’t forget to make it easy for the guests to get to your wedding, and put all relevant information clearly on the invitation.

The Wedding Day

Now for the magical day itself. Think about guests from the moment they leave their door. Is there ample spaces for guests to park at your venue? Have you sourced alternatives? Nothing sets a wedding day off on a more sour note than if you have a group of sweaty and irritable guests entering your ceremony. Think about how to welcome guests, you could do this with creative signage, perhaps a glass of champagne, even giving guests some water once they arrive shows thought. Guests almost always arrive early, if the location where the ceremony is taking place isn’t ready for them, make sure there is a comfortable area for guests to wait.

The ceremony

The most anticipated part of your day, the ceremony. A lot of focus should go on this part of the day. The most important thing here is that guests should be able to see the ceremony taking place. Circular seating around the wedding couple goes down a treat, as does an elevated stage so that people can see the action. Length also plays a massive role here, although a long ceremony may be really important to you and your other half, remember there are also many people watching you so it’s important to strike a balance. It is so important to involve guests as much as possible on your day, why not put a ceremony explainer on peoples seats so they can follow the ceremony easily? This will keep people really engaged.

Drinks Reception

Frequently after a ceremony there is some sort of drinks reception. What is the guests greatest pet peeve of any wedding guest? A long drinks reception. If you do need to have a long reception because the main room is being dressed for the party, then make sure to keep guests fed and watered and to provide generous seating.

The meal

Seating is crucial. It’s important that you and your partner don't try and please everyone, but bear in mind that putting people on tables they will enjoy will truly help create a good atmosphere. Don’t put 60 year old recently divorced Sandra with your 7 year old cousin, often single people feel particularly vulnerable at weddings so make sure to sit them on a table they feel comfortable. The tables are a great opportunity to make guests feel special. Why don’t you write guests a handwritten note? You could write a lovely memory you and your guest have shared. Interactive activities also are great ice breakers at a wedding. Why don’t you ask guests to write a ‘wish for the future couple’ and place it in a bowl in the middle.

Food, drink & dancing

Food, drink & dancing is such a key part of a wedding . Make all these three things easily accessible to guests. Make sure your guests aren't queuing at the bar, invest in good quality bar staff so guests aren’t waiting for a drink. Make sure people are well fed and those with special dietary requirements are catered for.

As for the dancing, investing in the right DJ or band will be the single biggest thing that will contribute to your atmosphere, so make sure to think long and hard about this decision. Think about the type of atmosphere you want to create and hire entertainment to reflect this.

Getting home

It is also important to think about guests getting home. Have you got a list of local taxi numbers readily available? Is there a cloak room assistant readily on hand to give guests their coats?These are all important elements not to overlook.

If you put yourself in your guests' shoes from start to finish you won’t go far wrong.

We would love to use our expertise to help enhance yours and your wedding guests' experience on your wedding day. Feel free to give us a call to discuss ways we can assist.

#guestexperience #weddingguests

Love Wins...The Silver Lining To Getting Married During Lockdown

Tanya and her husband Jake got married on 3rd April 2020, during the peak of the corona virus in Hong Kong. I asked Tanya, why? Simple ‘we love each other and wanted to be married’. Tanya and her husband Jake had planned a very different day for their original wedding. A casual beach wedding with a BBQ, drinks & dancing with 100+ guests. This was to follow with a traditional Chinese wedding banquet interwoven with Chinese customs.

The reality

A few weeks before the wedding was due to take place the government in Hong Kong stated that weddings could go ahead but with no major parties or celebrations. This was a monumental blow for Tanya & Jake whose main priority was having their family with them to celebrate their big day. Unfortunately, with the couple’s parents living far away restrictions would make it impossible for their parents to be present. Tanya & Jake were faced with an incredibly difficult decision. They decided to take the bull by the horns and control perhaps the only thing they could in all of this, to be husband and wife, however that looked. They would marry now and figure out the celebrations later.

So how did the wedding day turn out?

Simple, luxurious & intimate, the perfect day. The wedding took place at The Peninsula, a high end colonial hotel with a rich history and heritage. A sentimental ceremony took place around noon conducted by a lawyer with two of their closest friends as witnesses. Champagne, cake & toasts followed with friends & family joining virtually from across the globe. Guests were suited & booted for the occasion with some extremely loyal guests joining at 3am with champagne in hand. The couple truly felt the presence of their guests whilst connecting virtually ‘My Dad made a speech, it was moving (if not, more) than if he was in the room with us’. The touching ceremony followed with the photographer taking some shots of the couple around the hotel and them having a beer at one of their favourite spots a 7/11! The day ended with a luxurious dinner at the hotel with the couple and their witnesses with some more well-deserved champagne.

What was the best thing about their wedding?

Tanya is a self confessed people pleaser so it was unsurprising that the best thing was her not having to worry about everyone and everything else on her day, ‘We didn’t have to worry about the small things? Did everyone eat enough? Did they get here alright? The day was just about us’. This to me was extremely poignant. I adore a big wedding & all the celebrations that come with it but this should just be an extension of the love you have for one another.

Tips for couples thinking of having a wedding during these uncertain times...

Tanya put forward three questions that couples should ask themselves: What do you want to feel on your wedding day? What emotions do you want to go through and what is important to you as a couple? For Tanya and Jake they wanted to feel three things to feel joy, to feel special & to feel love. They felt all these things unconditionally and that in itself made it a day which exceeded every expectation they ever had. So, future Brides & Grooms, a wedding during these times may not have been the wedding you always dreamed of but what these weddings have done is shine a light on the most important aspect of a wedding, each other.

…every cloud

Beautiful images captured by Sunwerks

#lovewins #zoomwedding #hongkongwedding

How to celebrate your original wedding date in lockdown

You have made the difficult decision to postpone your wedding due to the virus that has turned all our worlds upside down. Many of my clients and friends have gone through the painful process of moving their wedding date so I totally empathise with all the difficulties you are going through. With that being said, I think it is still so important to celebrate your original wedding date and treat yourself during this rocky time. Below are my 10 tips to celebrate your wedding date in lockdown.

1. But first…Cake!

What’s a celebration without cake? You may decide to really treat yourself and have a delicious wedding cake by a cake maker like the uber talented Whisk & Drizzle or you may wish to indulge in some delicious sweet treats like the delicious cookies from Blondies Kitchen. Either way, your original wedding date is not a day to watch the calories!

2. Capture it

What a lovely opportunity to have some gorgeous couple shots with your other half. You can still respect social distancing with photographers taking shots from a far and the photos will give you lovely memories to look back on from your original wedding date

3. Virtual Cocktail Hour

What’s a celebration without having a few cocktails. Why don’t you treat yourself and order a cocktail making kit from the wonderful Liquid Chefs UK (based in London) or Jonny Cocktail (based in Manchester). Having a virtual cocktail hour is a great opportunity to invite friends and family if you want them to feel a part of your day

4. Enjoy a fancy meal

Treat yourself to some delicious food without the endless washing up that comes with lockdown. There are so many incredible caterers and restaurants offering contactless deliveries. The Artisan Cookery is one of my recent favourites offering fined boxed catering with everything from afternoon tea platters to middle eastern treats

5. Dress to impress

Part of a brides disappointment is having to delay wearing their wedding dress. So brides, you really do owe it to yourself to splurge on something new for this extra special date night. Whether it’s a fancy dress or satin pyjamas, push the boat out and buy something nice. You deserve it!….and groom’s, lets not forget about you, buy something equally special to mark the occasion

6. Special words

Your original wedding date is a beautiful time to share all your hopes and dreams with your partner and maybe some vows or promises that you wanted to include on your big day. Take advantage of the opportunity that this will just be the two of you. Trust me, on your actual wedding day there are not many chances you will get to do this, so seize the moment!

7. Music

Create a spotify playlist with your favourite hits, maybe include some sentimental songs to help you go down memory lane

8. Flowers

I mean I just love flowers and odds are you do too. There are so many incredible florists sending contactless flower deliveries. Bloom & Wild are an amazing platform who offer letterbox flower deliveries from incredible independent florists. Decorate your space with beautiful flowers to make it extra special and don’t forget to add some beautiful candles to enhance the romantic atmosphere

9. Gifts

A lovely tradition a lot of couples do on their wedding day is to buy each other gifts. No need to massively splurge on this (you can save this for the big day) but why don’t you buy each other a thoughtful gift to show your partner how much you mean to them

10. Get Excited

Finally, it is so important to get excited about your upcoming wedding. Discuss with your partner all the things you are excited for about your wedding day and why don’t you get that chalk board out and start a new count down.

Brides & Grooms, you’ve got this!

#postponedwedding #originalweddingdate