The Guest Experience
Every event is an experience but a wedding in particular is a different kind of experience for everyone involved. The ‘guest logistics’ of a birthday party for example, are very simple and straightforward. You have a host, and the guests.
A wedding is so much more complicated than that. The couple should technically be taking on the role of the host, but in reality there’s more to it. Your parents are also hosts, your in-laws too, sometimes your siblings, even sometimes grandparents. While everyone is there to celebrate your love and join in your joyous festivities; not everyone is that same friend that parties with you on the weekends. What does that mean? It means if you want everyone to have a good time, you need to cater for different needs at the same time!
Our job is to make sure that the day is filled with emotions (all of them) and that the entire experience touches on all the senses for both you, your parents, and all your guests. But we can’t do that alone. Because we don’t know you and we don’t know your guests. That’s where you come in, you need to tell us who you are and you need to show us who your guests are.
Its all about the Couple
Yes, it is your big day. Nobody can deny that. It is true that if want everyone to have a good time you have to think a little more ‘generic’ than your own likes and dislikes; but at the end of the day this is your wedding and you don’t have to listen to anyone (except the pros) about what to include/exclude.
What do we mean? You don’t have to invite your third cousin from your father’s side that lives in Greece that you haven’t seen in the last 15 years. In fact you don’t have to do anything. This is your wedding.
Do you want this cousin there? Invite them. Do you want to wear a not-so-white wedding dress? If you found the perfect one, do it. Do you want to serve Souvla instead of Chateaubriand? Go for it. (Food is an important part of the experience and we have a whole lot of insight to offer into what kind of food you should be serving at your wedding, but that’s a whole different story).
We know you’ve never done this before, you don’t know what you’re doing and you want help. We understand that there’s a lot of advice coming at you – from your parents, friends, other family members, or people that have recently gotten married. Advice is great. Listen to it, take it all in, weigh your options, ask around.
But remember, there is a fine line between making sure all your guests are happy and planning your wedding based on their needs.
At the end of the day, it is your wants and needs that should take priority over any advice you are offered. Every wedding is different, you need to do what is right for you, to make the experience as beautiful as possible for you and for your guests.
The Devilish Details
Details matter, the details are the personal touch.
They don’t matter because people notice them, they matter because they tie in the entire wedding design together, they matter because they are representation of who you are.
We’re not talking about details like the exact shade of colour used in your bouquet, or the distance between your underplate and the edge of the table (3cm by the way) or the exact time to the minute that dinner will be served. These details are things you won’t be noticing on your wedding day, these are our job. We can tell you how its done and we can show you how its done, it is not for you to worry.
What you need to focus on are the details that make your wedding day yours.
Say your favourite past-time as a couple is camping, and when you go camping you spend hours staring up at the stars (yes very romantic). You don’t need to make your wedding a star theme, you can incorporate little details, aesthetic touches to make it that much more special. You could name your cocktails after constellations. The groom’s cuff links could be stars. Or your entrance song could be A Sky full of Stars (Coldplay). Your guests may or may not get the reference but you’ll know.
Let's Drink to that!
We’ve clarified that your guests are important and specified that all the decisions you make should be the right ones for you. We also explained what makes personal touches fundamental in making your wedding your own. But in reality, the most important thing to remember is to have fun.
There’s a lot of things to plan in a wedding, there’s a constant worry that you may forget something and there’s so much information to digest all at once.
At whatever stage of the planning you are, take a deep breath and take a serious step back. It will put things into perspective for you. You are getting married, to the person you love. All your friends and family will be there. And you hired a planner/coordinator, your service providers are all professionals. We won’t let you forget anything, we will take care of all the details.
Kick off your shoes, drink your wine or fancy cocktails (responsibly) and dance the night away. No matter what, this day will be fun and memorable and simply an amazing experience for all.
All the photos featured here are from a wedding we designed at Project and More Events Venue