No one wants to have The Boring Wedding.
It’s a tale as old as time: couples go through the motions, check off the lists, and plan the same celebration.
But don’t you want your wedding to be unique and different? Unusual, even?
Don’t worry, I’ve got just the thing.
If you’re reading this, you probably are worried your wedding will be dull, boring, or repetitive. But you want something different. You want to take yours to the next level.
In this blog post, I’m sharing the best last-minute wedding details that will take yours up a notch.
These little-known details are sure to make your wedding more fabulous and exciting and, as a result, more memorable. You only get one shot at a perfect wedding so you need to make it count.
Let’s get started.
Last Minute Wedding Ideas to Add Memorable Details
You don’t need to do all of these, even one or two will do the trick.
1. Set up photo sharing at the bar, at your wedding tables, and stream the pictures live.
What makes a wedding instantly more fun? An interactive activity you can do with your guests. This last-minute wedding detail gets bonus points for being easy to set up and will add to your total number of candid wedding photos by the end of the night.
It’s called photo-sharing: you’re going to set up a gallery where guests can easily upload all the photos they take at your wedding. You can do it easily at LiveShare.
There’s no app, no software to download: it’s an easy photo-sharing gallery here you set up and it’s ready to go.
It’s private, with a password you can set up so it’s only open to your wedding guests.
• Then, copy the link to your gallery and create a QR code here.
• Lastly, create a sign that asks guests to photo share and use the QR code to upload their photos.
It’s simple: just use the template here, edit your names and the wedding date, and order yours.
Place these signs that invite your guests to photo share at places they can’t miss it. The bar, the entry table, and individual wedding tables if you’d like.
TAKE IT ONE STEP FURTHER: If you really want to add an unusual and memorable twist, rent a screen from your venue or bring your own. Then, use an Amazon Fire Stick to set up streaming of your photo gallery in REAL time at your event.
This last-minute wedding idea will create two unique types of memories:
1.) Guests will see the photos shared in real-time, encouraging them to take more pictures to see theirs displayed on screen
2.) Guests who cannot attend the wedding can watch the photos streamed from anywhere in the world as the moments happen and be there in spirit
Plus, you get to keep all of the photos that are uploaded and guests can access them after the wedding. In this way, everyone is contributing to a kickass wedding photo gallery and gets to enjoy the results of it the days after the big celebration. Who doesn’t love that?
2. Hire a live wedding painter to capture yours in real-time.
Your guests will never see anything like it: a live portrait, painted right before their eyes, as the wedding day unfolds.
Family and friends will be in awe as they watch a professional painter capture a true work of art — your wedding day — and one of its most memorable scenes on canvas.
A live wedding painter is every bit as unique as it sounds. The painter sets up their canvas station at your wedding and paints an original art piece in front of your eyes.
You can decide which area to capture, or let the artist do the choosing: will it be the ceremony, the vows, the First Dance? You won’t know until it’s completed and you’ll have a one-of-a-kind wedding gift that is truly priceless.
Note: this example below is a painting that was done from a wedding photo. It’s not a live painting, but a great example nonetheless. You can get it at PortraithyArt. The detail is incredible.
• Here’s an example of a live wedding painter so you can see how it works. Then, book this one or look in your local area to find a wedding artist near you. Note: this has become a popular option, so hurry because some of them book incredibly fast.
3. Display your name in bright neon lights.
This surprisingly affordable option is one of the best last-minute wedding details for this year. Everyone wants their name in bright neon lights and what better than one made for your wedding day?! Neon and LED lights are now more inexpensive than ever, which means you can add this detail to your wedding even at the last minute without breaking the bank.
This store on Amazon offers SUPER FAST neon signs that are custom-made and ship quickly. They’re one of the best last-minute wedding ideas to add that will really impress your guests. This is around $59 (and up, depending on the size of your sign) and shipping is VERY fast. One reviewer said it took a total of 7 days to have the sign in hand, which is pretty incredible.
You can add your sign to the wedding reception as a backdrop behind the head table. It looks especially beautiful on top of a boxwood panel, which you can make with these panels and some zip ties. It does take a bit of creativity and patience, but the result is pretty awe-inspiring. I have one set up on my back porch, neon sign and all, simply because I love the look.
4. Add Fun Fact Napkins to raise the bar.
Your wedding bar is one of the most overlooked areas that is simply begging to be decorated. But many couples skip right over it!
Since guests already need napkins, you may as well take yours up a notch and ditch the boring squares for fun factoids instead.
Give your guests the kind of napkins that ignite conversation with a-ha facts they didn’t know about you as a couple. Made by ForYourParty, these fun fact napkins feature factoids on how you met, where you travel, how they make you laugh anytime they do XYZ, or your dog’s name.
It’s lighthearted fun that guests can’t get enough of… plus, they have something to read while waiting in line for drinks. And these are high-quality napkins that are super absorbent, so they’re utilitarian and not just built for looks.
If you want to mix it up, try these napkins paired with “this or that“: easy convo starters for your guests to break the ice!
► Get them here along with fun facts on how to choose yours.
4. Include your pup on your personalized drinking cups.
What makes a wedding instantly more fun? Personalized cups… but with your pup’s face on them. Guests love to drink from them, comment about them, and snap pictures featuring your cups. You can get these from RubiandLib.
The dog featured is made to look like yours with your choice of wording.
Personally, I like: “I Do, Too”, “Love, _____”. So cute.
Or, “Drinks on me”. ;)
Adding a fun last-minute wedding detail like this one brings your special pet into the day without being there in person. Hey, they’re family, too!
► See more examples here.
5. Add glow sticks and fiber optic wands to deck out the dance floor
Glow sticks aren’t just an easy way to entertain kids at your wedding, but the adults love ’em, too!
Place glow sticks at a side table and invite guests to grab them when the lights go down for dancing. Add a few fiber optic wands like these and you’ll have really fun and memorable photos worth capturing on the dance floor.
► You can buy glow sticks in bulk for cheap here.
► Buy cheap fiber optic wands for weddings in bulk here.
6. Do a Photo Bomb with your guests for personal thank you cards later.
A “Photo Bomb” is an easy detail to add to your wedding day, even at the last minute.
Here’s how it works: the DJ makes an announcement during dinner, asking guests to stay at their seats.
Then, you and your spouse go table-to-table with your photographer to get a picture of all of the guests at each table.
As a result, you get a picture with each guest and they get a photo with the newlyweds. It’s a win-win!
Plus, you can print the photos after the wedding and send it with that guest inside their thank you card.
7. Offer flip flops to your wedding guests.
What makes a wedding instantly more enjoyable? When your feet don’t hurt! Give your guests the spa treatment with pairs of flip-flop sandals at your wedding. Place a bunch of various sizes in baskets with a sign letting guests know they are welcome to take a pair. Buy in bulk to get a wholesale discount and a nice assortment of sizes.
► You can buy cheap flip-flops in bulk here.
8. Offer blankets to your wedding guests in bulk.
Similarly to the niceties of comfy footwear, consider giving your guests blankets in a basket to wrap up in for chilly, fall evenings and brisk outdoor ceremonies. You can place a handful of these pashmina scarves for guests to take, which are large enough to wrap in like a blanket but look elegant at your wedding.
Guests won’t be shy about taking one and staying cozy, plus they can keep them and take them home as party favors. These pashmina scarves even have tags that read, “To have and to hold, in case you get cold”. How sweet!
► This is the best place to buy them in bulk.
9. Add a Welcome Sign.
If you haven’t done so already, consider adding a welcome sign as a last-minute wedding detail.
It’s a small detail that makes a big impact and will create an instantly personalized space.
If you have a little time, I highly recommend this mirrored welcome sign that adds a unique touch to your decor. It’s handmade by ZCreateDesign.
If you’re down to the wire, you can get a personalized sign done here that ships relatively quickly.
10. Place these unique guest book sheets at tables.
Instead of a traditional guest book, include these fun sheets for guests to fill out instead. They offer questions and answers, silly fill-in-the-blanks, and even a spot for them to draw a photo. As a result, you’ll have the most memorable wedding guest book around — not limited to signatures alone.
► Available at HadleyDesignsStore.
11. Create a lighted photo wall.
To decorate one of your wedding spaces and incorporate some nostalgia, create a photo wall with these light strands and pins to hold favorite photographs through the years. Feature snapshots of you and your spouse with family members and friends, some of your favorite experiences together, and even childhood photos for a fun adventure through time.
► Get your photo wall here.
12. Plan a festive send-off after the ceremony.
Tossing petals, birdseed, and confetti is a mess to clean up, but these festive ribbon wands are a last-minute detail that no one is sacked with deposing of after the event! Plus, the ribbons add a cute detail to your photographs as you emerge from the ceremony, MARRIED! The mini bells add a festive touch.
► Get ribbon wands quickly here.
13. Offer a late-night snack.
The meal you have planned is amazing, the dessert bar unstoppable. But guests will inevitably get hungry again after working up an appetite with those dance moves.
Surprise them with a late-night snack offered around 10pm at your reception. Some suggestions include local eatery carryout like pizza, submarine sandwiches, or hot dogs; snacks include freshly-popped popcorn in to-go bags, donuts in take-home baggies, and cupcakes in to-go containers.
Place snacks in bags like these from GiveItPretty to make it easy for guests to grab and go.
14. Include song requests at your wedding tables.
Guests love to contribute to the playlist! If you didn’t already include song request RSVP cards with your invites, add these to your wedding tables. Guests can write down a song they’d like to hear and bring it to the DJ for open requests when openings in the playlist become available.
► Get song request cards here.
15. Record an Audio Guest Book from your guests.
What’s better than a written message inside a guest book? One you can listen to, over and over again, in the voice of your guests! Make a memorable and priceless guest book thanks to FeteFone where you can record an audio guest book and play it forever.
► Find out how it works here.
Be sure to add a sign, like this one by UnmeasuredEvent, to draw attention to the audio guest book and encourage guests to leave a message. :)
16. Add a Signature Cocktail.
Guests love to enjoy beverages at a wedding, but you can make yours even more memorable by adding this last-minute idea: a signature cocktail. Decide whether you want to serve one drink or one of each of your favorites. Then, put it on a sign for guests to order by name, directly at the bar.
► Get a custom sign made here.
17. Add an LED light-up bar sign to your reception.
This sign will really make guests take notice, especially when the lights dim during the dancing portion of your reception! Available at ZCreateDesign.
► You can get yours here
18. Make wedding welcome bags for guests.
I saved the best last-minute wedding ideas for the final point: make wedding welcome bags for your guests. You can put these together at the last minute and they’ll look absolutely fabulous. Have the bags waiting at the hotel lobby for your guests to take upon arrival; inside, pack it full of things they want and could use, especially after traveling.
Simple gift bags in bulk can be filled with:
• These tissues for happy tears
• These makeup remover wipes
• This minty gum for fresh breath
• These tablets for aches and hangover relief
• These remover wipes for accidental stains
and
• These undereye bags to tame puffy, tired eyes
Just to name a few! There’s more to add: see 10 Things Your Wedding Welcome Bags Need for more on this topic.
As you can see, it’s easy to make your wedding day even more memorable with a few of these easy ideas. When you add extra things, even last-minute wedding details, guests take notice and your wedding stands out among all the others.
What do YOU plan to include at your wedding? Tell me about it in the comment box below!
