If you’re wondering what things guests like at a wedding, you’re in luck! We asked, you answered, and in this blog post I’m sharing the most memorable details of past weddings to you can get inspiration and ideas for your own! These twenty-four most memorable elements will guide you, helping you to remember what guests really care about. It’s likely not all the extras you’re stressing over, so perhaps I can help ease your mind and put you into the right perspective.
After reading through the submissions from guests who’ve attended recent weddings, one thing stands out in my mind: those over-the-top Pinterest details? Yeah, many of them weren’t really the things that guests cared about or remembered from the wedding at all! So next time you worry your wedding isn’t going to be exciting or interesting enough, relax. I think you’re going to love hearing what these guests thought were most important at a wedding.
I shared this on our Instagram page yesterday and it made me laugh:
Pinterest is a treasure trove of beautiful, interesting finds and ideas. But don’t get caught up in believing yours has to look as good as what you see on many inspiration boards. Instead, pick and choose your favorite realistic ideas and utilize these tips to keep it in perspective.
UNDERLYING THEME: When reading these comments from guests, one major detail was repeated throughout. Guests loved when the couple was having fun. In love. Totally enjoying the day together. And I think that’s super important.
Ok, on to the list! I know you’re as excited to read these as I am to share them with you. :)
Most Important Things at Weddings, According to Guests
1. “The Couple Had a Fun Intro Video on the Website”
“One unique element I remember from a recent wedding is they had an intro video on their wedding website that told all of us how excited they were to celebrate the wedding in a few months. They talked about how there were so many things to do around town. It was a wedding in Chicago and they mapped out some cool spots and mentioned which ones to check out near the hotel block they reserved. I thought it was a fun way to greet guests in a digital way, something I’ve never seen before. It definitely set the tone for the wedding, which in itself was awesome. Neon lights, smoked cocktails bar, rooftop party vibe.” -Meghan L.
2. “The Food Has to Be Good”
“If I’m being honest, the thing I pay most attention to as a guest at a wedding is always the food. The food has to be good. Does it taste right? Do they have enough of it? Did everyone get fed? That sort of thing.” -Pat C.
3. “Tree Favors”
“I don’t normally remember wedding favors because most of them are really boring, lol. But there’s one that I loved at a wedding and it was a tree. A TREE. The bride and groom are avid hikers and wanted to give back to nature so they gave tree sapling favors to each guest asking them to plant it. What a fun idea and way better than most plastic you get these days.” -Veronica H.
4. “The Couple’s First Dance”
“Call me an old romantic, but there’s something about the couple’s first dance as newlyweds that gets me teary every time. I always remember it after the couple’s wedding.” -Susan L.
5. “The Music!”
“I’ve been to dozens of weddings and the thing most important to me is the music. The music! Give me good ceremony music, a nice cocktail hour, some dinner tunes, and then rock the house with reception music and crank it up. That’s the best way to celebrate!” -Mike W.
6. “The Bride Was Happy”
“I love when the bride is happy. When the bride is happy, everyone’s happy. I think that’s one of the most memorable things at a wedding. You just want the day to be everything they dreamed it to be.” -Mary P.
7. “All The Cake”
“This couple had a wedding where instead of one giant cake, they had a bunch of cakes and mini desserts on a table. I thought that was really unique and there was so much of it to go around. It was from this local bakery they visit often, so it put a personal spin on it too (and supported a local mom & pop business!) Delicious idea. Give me all the cake!” -Bekah S.
8. “The Walk Down The Aisle”
“I don’t remember too many details about a wedding, but one that always stays with me is the walk of the bride and her father down the aisle. It’s such a beautiful moment.” -Terry L.
9. “The Signature Drinks at the Bar”
“Most weddings have an open bar, but this one was different. It had an open bar but also had a few signature drinks the couple picked themselves. It was on a sign with his and hers at the bar. It was a fun element I haven’t seen at another wedding before.” -Blake W.
10. “The Photo Booth Was a Hit”
“At a wedding last summer, the couple had an interactive photo booth which took photos or videos. It was fun to make a video for the couple to watch after the wedding! I never saw that before.” -Alyssa K.
11. “The Couple Played Vinyl Records”
“This friend of mine loves music especially vinyl records. If you’re not familiar, the sound is different… really cool. They got married in this vintage ballroom and hired a DJ who played vinyl records and man did it sound so good. I don’t recall the food on the menu that day, but I do remember that most of all.” -Paul Y.
12. “Lawn Games!”
“Two words, lawn games! This wedding last year had a huge grassy area near the barn reception where they set up bocce ball, corn toss, giant tic-tac-toe, and a huge tumbling tower. The weather was beautiful and you could hear music from the barn inside at the lawn game area. It was fun to dance and then play games for a bit. I thought it was a fun way to have a reception where some guests could dance and others could play games. Plus, everyone signed the corn toss board as a guest book. Fun!” -Bethany T.
13. “The Couple Thought of Everything”
“I attended a wedding in July in the Midwest and it was a hot day but the couple thought of everything. Most of it was outdoors, but there was a tent for shade, bug spray, sunscreen, nice bathrooms, a huge dance floor, these water spritzing fans, and even tons of ice coolers with bottles of water and drinks all day. It made for a really nice celebration and not one complaint!” -Vanessa T.
14. “The Buffet Was Incredible”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this but the most important detail at a wedding to me? The food. Honestly. I’m getting dressed up, there’s gotta be good food. I really like when there is a buffet instead of a family-style, which I think takes longer and there’s never enough room for all the plates. At one wedding, the buffet was incredible – it had 3 entrees, all the sides, and tons of fruit. Bring it on.” -Melissa S.
15. “The Toasts Were Short and Sweet”
“I’ve been to so many weddings where the speeches or toasts from the Best Man or Maid of Honor go on and on. At a recent wedding, they kept it under 5 minutes each, which was refreshing. Plus, I am one of those people that really like to hear the speeches, so they were able to fit a lot of sweet anecdotes about the couple into a nice timeframe. Then we ate! It was perfect timing.” -Lindsey V.
16. “There Was Champagne Upon Arrival”
“At this wedding I went to last spring, wedding staff handed us glasses of champagne upon arrival before the ceremony began. The scenery was beautiful: lush gardens, flowering trees, and it was a beautiful day. My husband and I were invited to walk around and admire the gardens, sipping champagne while we waited for the ceremony to begin. So relaxing!” -Tina R.
17. “The Party Went All Night”
“This wedding I attended had dinner around 5pm and then the reception lasted until 11pm. The party went all night! It was so much fun dancing the night away and not waiting so long for dinner to be served. I don’t know how they did it, but everyone was on the dance floor and it was a great time by all.” -Anna W.
18. “There Was an Open Bar”
“I know this sounds ridiculous, but I always notice if the wedding has an open bar or not. I like to enjoy a few drinks, and it’s annoying when there’s a ticket I have to submit or to pay for my own drinks. It’s a nice gesture when the couple handles it so guests can enjoy whatever they like. I always remember the bar – and the food. Always the food.” -Michael B.
19. “I Remember The Wedding Cake”
“This is probably just because I am a baker by trade, but the most important element to me at a wedding as a guest is the cake. I like trying all kinds of cakes at weddings and it seems like there’s always a new type to try (and then I want to bake it myself!) The cake cutting is special, too. I like to watch that part of the reception when the couple cuts the cake together.” -Luisa V.
20. “The Couple’s Vows”
“The most important element of the wedding is the ceremony, namely the couple’s vows. I love watching them read them to each other. It’s such a sweet moment!” -Teri N.
21. “The Couple Danced All Night”
“At a recent wedding, I noticed how the couple danced the whole night together. I know that sounds obvious, but a lot of weddings I’ve been to, it seems like they’re so busy running around talking to everyone or taking photos that they aren’t even together for a large portion of the evening. I say, meet them on the dance floor! That’s the place to get photos with them! Let them have fun. Plus, it got all of us guests out there dancing, too.” -Terese C.
22. “There Was a Huge Photo Display”
“I went to a wedding where the couple had a huge photo display on a screen. I thought it was a gallery of their photos together at first but realized it was a photo wall of images taken by guests that were uploaded as the day went on. There was a sign at each table with a website or code to scan and you could upload your photos to the gallery. It was an interesting way to get guests to upload photos and I never saw anything like that before.” -Greg H.
23. “A Towering Guest Book”
“I went to a barn wedding that had an indoor space and outdoor area for playing games, like corn toss and Jenga. But the couple set up a separate set with permanent markers and asked guests to sign it so they could look at our names and signatures when they ‘played their favorite game together’. I thought that was a fun way to do a guest book!” -Paula R.
24. “The Grand Exit”
“I don’t usually see this at many weddings, but at this one I remember the bride and groom did a grand exit with these light-up wands and it was really fun to see at night. They drove away and were off to their honeymoon. It was beautiful. They had late night snacks for us (pizza) and a little more music and then the reception ended. Fun way to end the evening!” -Judy T.
Wow, these are such special memories!
Let’s recap.
It seems like most of the responses echo some of the same memories! It seems the most important parts of a wedding (according to guests) is:
• The Food
Make sure there’s lots of it, a nice variety, and a great menu.
• The Music
Play music all throughout the day, and put emphasis into that rocking reception time.
• Drinks
Serve your guests an open bar of delicious drinks – and signature beverages, if you like! – along with plenty of ice cold water.
• Comfort Level
Nice seating, comfortable atmosphere, and food ready on time – no late speeches! – seem to be a huge plus to guests.
• Fun
Alternatives to traditional wedding ideas – i.e. the lawn games, unique guest book, photo gallery, fun photo booth, champagne garden stroll – all seem to be elements that guests remember at a wedding. Focus on adding a little fun to the mix and guests will take notice.
I hope you enjoyed this list as much as I did. Thank you to all of the wonderful contributors who shared the most important things at a wedding based on their experience as a guest. This provides so much insight for couples planning and to remember to keep in perspective. See? Most people remembered the smile on the bride – not necessarily the veil or what type of dress it was.
Guests seem to recall the food menu and the drinks, rather than the place settings and the centerpiece designs. While all of the details are important and paint a large picture, keep this in mind as you plan so you hit the most important details of a wedding first – then fill it in with the other details. :)
It’ll keep you stress-free and put your priorities in order.
► ON TO YOU: What would you add to the list? I’d love to hear the things you like at a wedding in the comment box below. Also, if you have any questions, let me know, and I’ll swoop in to help.
That’s kind of my thing around here. :)
xo
Emma
