Personalise everything
One of the best ways to make your wedding one of the best ever is to make it unique, and what better way to make it unique than to personalise everything? Make your own signature cocktail with its own name. Personalise your table numbers. Tell your love story with gorgeous wedding signage. There are plenty of ways to personalise your wedding and make it unique to just you. It’s the best way to prevent your special day from looking like a carbon copy of every other wedding your guests have been to.
Keep it short
We’re not saying cut your wedding down to suit your guests, but keeping the ceremony relatively short and putting a time limit on the speeches will ensure that no bit of your wedding feels like it’s dragging on a bit. Most ceremonies are structured so there isn't much you can do about that but, a good idea is to pick short, simple readings. Again, when it comes to the speeches of others, there might not be a whole lot you can do about it, you should let them know about a general time limit so they don't go on for too long. It's not unheard of for some speeches to go on for 45 minutes on their own! It's also important to consider having the speeches after dinner, so your guests aren't thinking about how hungry they are rather than listen to the speeches.
Greet every guest
It sounds like an obvious one but guests always remember if they got to talk to the bride and groom. We're not saying you have to spend half an hour with everyone there, but you should at least get to say hello to everyone who's there and thank them for coming to your day. Your guests will leave feeling appreciated and like you're genuinely glad that they came, which will make your wedding more memorable and one of the best ones they've been to.
Have a different dance
Your first dance is one of the most special moments of the day, because it's your first dance as husband and wife. What you decide to do and what song you decide to pick is totally unique to you, but we recommend doing something more than just the slow dance sway. We're not saying you have to go out and book 12 dance classes before the big day, but do learn a few moves to change it up and make it more interesting, and consider including a dip as well. A standard song is roughly three minutes, and three minutes is a long time for just the two of you to be swaying slowly around the dance floor, not just for you but for your guests too. Having something different for your first dance is the best way to make it memorable.
All or nothing
When it comes to social media and mobile devices at weddings, there are two schools of thought. We find that going either one way or the other can make your wedding the best, depending on the type of wedding you’re having and who your guests are, but it is a good idea to commit one way or the other. If you want to go full on social media savvy, then get a wedding app, like WedPics or The Appy Couple, and you should also get a wedding hashtag. If you’d rather go old-school, that’s fine too and can also give your wedding that something special to make it one of the best weddings ever. Consider opting for a totally unplugged wedding so your guests can be fully present on your day instead of hiding behind device screens.
Food and drinks
One of the best things guests remember from any wedding is the food, so don’t just go with a standard menu without giving it some proper thought, and tasting it. Don’t go too wild, but make sure you go for something as universally tasty as possible for the best wedding meal. Having good reception drinks is a good way to make your wedding memorable too. Remember that signature cocktail we talked about? Have that alongside the prosecco, or use a non-alcoholic version for the teatotallers among the guests. If you want to be even more inclusive, consider having beer or Guinness at the reception, but served in Champagne flutes to keep it classy.
Have a lounge area
This is dependent on your venue, but most venues will have some sort of lounge area anyway, but it’s a good idea to set it up properly and decorate it so that guests have somewhere to sit down, relax and still feel like part of the wedding. If it’s decorated well it will also encourage guests to take more photographs. A lounge area is a small but nice addition to any wedding, and if it’s well-decorated and highlighted, guests will remember it long after the wedding is over.
DIY food bar
A DIY food bar is a great addition to any wedding. Whether it’s an old-style sweet cart, an ice-cream bar, a chocolate fountain, or a whole dessert table, there are countless options for a DIY food bar in addition to your five-course meal. Make sure it’s visible to your guests and encourage them to use it, that’s what it’s there for after all. Just consider external factors when choosing your food station. A chocolate fountain is amazing but it can be messy for formalwear. An ice-cream bar might suit a summer wedding best, and a dessert table might be better than a sit down dessert from the menu. There are countless options so make sure you choose the best one for your wedding.
Have useful favours
While some couples often decide not to have favours at all, they can often the best memento from your wedding. Make sure you choose them wisely. Consider a mini-hangover kit for each guest in case they need it the morning after the wedding, or how about turning the favour on its head and putting mini-welcome favours in everyone’s room? You could also give edible favours instead of something your guests will have to take home, or even give charity donations in lieu of actual favours. Guests will appreciate the gesture and won’t have anything they have to mind take home.
Decide on your USP
Ok, we know you’re not ‘selling’ your wedding per se, but the best way to make your wedding stand out above all the other weddings your guests have gone to is to have one particular wow factor, or unique focal point. There’s always one thing that stands out in guests’ minds when they think back to a wedding, and while, it might be the awesome drinks, or the first dance, or the personalised table numbers, it could also be something that was meant to stand out as a highlight. Depending on your budget, it could be anything from a photo booth, to fireworks, or alternative entertainment, but decide what you want to put your money towards. Overall, what really makes a wedding stand out as one of the best ever, is something different, so don’t be afraid to take risks.
- Jenny Darmody
Image credits: Jam jars: Pinterest | Cocktails: Pinterest | Love story: Pinterest | First dance: Moira West | Hashtag: W & E Photographie | Unplugged ceremony: Etsy | Unplugged sign: Etsy | Lounge area: Linda Chaja Photography | Dessert table: Unique Wedding Favours | Fireworks: Dynamic Fireworks