5 Things Your Guests Will Love

As the hostess or host of any event, you always want to be sure to leave a wonderful lasting impression with your guests...so give them something they'll be sure to remember! There are a few things that are sure to get the guest's attention and create a lasting memory they will cherish!


Photo & Video Booth
Photo and video booths are an all-time favorite with the guests! They have tons of fun playing with the props and posing with friends, plus they get to take home a printed photo as a souvenir of the shenanigans! The bride and groom also get copies of the photos and videos, so it's fun for them to look back and watch everyone having such a great time!

Photo by EM's Event Photography

Late Night Food Surprises
Dinner is always fabulous, but it's a great idea to have some late night snacks for several reasons. Not only does it help with some of the alcohol consumed, but the guests just love a delicious surprise to give them their second wind! Food trucks, dessert stations, passed mini foods, a taco bar, a donut table, ice cream cakes....there are all sorts of options for surprising your guests with a delicious treat before they go home!

Photo by Michéll Events

Specialty Entertainment
Interactive entertainment for the guests is always something they will ooh and aah over! I've seen caricature artists and painters, cigar rollers, acrobats, tarot card readers, steel drums, live tables cruising the room, fireworks displays...think outside of the box and give your guests some entertainment that is sure to catch their eye!

Child Care
Onsite child care is a fabulous addition to be able to offer your guests. Some guests aren't able to make the event because they can't find child care, so this will take care of that problem from the beginning! I've seen the child care two ways - - same room as the reception, children had their own table / entertainment / supervision - - or a different room nearby with the same options where they could still be included in the event. Either way, parents can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that child care is available so they can relax and enjoy the event even more!

Anniversary Dance
The Anniversary Dance is a tradition that is still predominantly upheld at weddings. All married couples are invited to dance, and as the songs plays they are excused as their years of marriage pass...5 years...10 years...until the last couple dancing is the longest married couple. It's a beautiful thing to see all the married couples, and an even more beautiful thing to see the longest married couple beam as everyone cheers. They can be given a prize, or sometimes the bride chooses to give them a bouquet rather than tossing it to the single ladies.

5 Ways to Greet Guests in Style

Greet your guests with an unexpected surprise as they arrive at your ceremony or reception. A small special touch will go a long way! You want your guests to feel comfortable, welcomed, and appreciated, so add a special touch that they will remember!

Greet them with a cocktail or mocktail. If you're having an outdoor summer wedding, set up a cute table with mason jars of iced lemonade and straws. If you're having a more elegant indoor affair, greet them with a white gloved server and a silver tray of champagne flutes containing a special champagne cocktail created specifically for your wedding.

 

Photo by Steven Mastroianni

Provide interactive entertainment. Photo and video booths make for great entertainment and give your guests something to do during your cocktail hour. You can incorporate your guest book with the photo booth, so when guests arrive they can take a photo and put in the book as they sign. You can even provide props that go with the theme of your wedding! A caricature artist is always a great form of entertainment. Even those who don't want their own photo drawn enjoy watching the artist draw others. A strolling magician is another great idea to keep guests of all ages entertained. 

 Photo by Boothographers

Have games and icebreakers available. It usually happens that there are guests at the wedding who don't know everyone, so create a fun game of ice breaker questions about your and your groom-to-be that will get your guests talking. It will be an entertaining conversation starter! Games like cornhole and horseshoes are great for outdoor events. You can also provide a few casino games, whether it's renting a roulette table or simply putting dice on the cocktail tables.

Photo from RootWeddings.com

Hire live musicians. Whether you have a harpist or a string trio for your ceremony, or a jazz trio for your cocktail hour, live musicians create a festive ambiance for your wedding. We've had tropical themed weddings with steel drummers, trumpet fanfare as guests arrive, and even bagpipers! Make it different than the normal unnoticeable background music and your guests will be sure to take notice.

Photo by Michéll Events

Provide a "sugar rush" to get the party started. Candy stations and buffets are very popular with children and adults alike! The candy buffet can be designed in your wedding colors to add to the decor of the room, and providing take home bags for the guests will create an interactive favor station for everyone to participate in. Provide scoops and tongs, label each different candy with a sign , and get creative with the setup using jars, bowls and vases.....your guests will enjoy the pre-party boost!

Photo by Michéll Events

Cocktail Hour Musicians

The music at cocktail hour welcomes your guests to the festivities and sets the mood for the evening! Make a memorable impression on your guests by having live music! You can find everything from solo musicians to quartets who play in all styles and genres of music. If you're on a budget, a soloist may be a better choice for you; for example, an acoustic guitar, piano or harp.

Rick Iacoboni, Guitar

Photo by Banks Photography

Cecilia Ilg McKay, Harpist

Photo by Michéll Events

One of our weddings had a tropical vibe with seashell décor. To add to the theme, during cocktail hour we had a steel drummer and a conga drummer rolling out the tropical tunes. It was fantastic and the guests were all completely entertained! Nothing brings on a tropical feeling like steel drums!

Flute and piano make a wonderful duet, and a string quartet or trio is always very elegant for formal affairs. Keep in mind that some musicians won't play outside, and some that will play outside will require the added expense of a cover or canopy. Be sure to inquire about your ceremony location with the musicians before booking.

Photo by Michéll Events