At Hitch Design Studio in Brookings, South Dakota, we offer wedding planning services. We want to help you wow your guests! Here are eight ideas that are simple to plan and fun for everyone to enjoy.
- Provide Child Care
Consider hiring a baby sitter to watch sleepy kids as the reception dance goes past bedtime. Try to let the parents know in advance and they will be thrilled at the chance to stay out a little bit later! Have bubbles, play dough, snacks, crayons and coloring pages, activities and take-home toys ready for them.
- Serve a midnight snack
After a couple hours of dancing (and drinking) your guests are going to get hungry. Yes, you’ve already fed them once, but this idea is a great opportunity to really wow your guests. Here’s a couple fun options for a late-night snack:
- Order pizza!
- Ask your caterer about a specialty item to serve – like hot ham and cheese sandwiches, a nacho bar, chips and tasty dips and more.
- Popcorn and snack mix.
- Give them a say
It is common to ask for song requests on the RSVP – but why not take that idea one step further? Ask your DJ to play the songs requested by guests and share the name of the person who requested the song. This is a fun way to make people feel special!
If you’d rather keep the song list simple, you could also ask your guests to help you pick out a cake flavor or signature cocktail on the RSVP.
Friends and family will enjoy the opportunity to participate in your big day!
- Play with your food! (And, drinks!)
Dessert bars and build-you-own menu items are a big trend for wedding receptions. From s’mores bars to ice cream sundae bars to burger bars – the options are limitless! The same idea can be applied to drinks. Visit our “Eat, Drink and Be Married” Pinterest board for hundreds of creative ideas.
- #wedding #memories
Yep, go ahead – make up your own custom wedding hashtag! This is an easy, fun way to collect photos of your special day from your guests. Create a cute sign to place at the entryway to the reception. Include the custom hashtag and ask your guests to help you tag and collect photos.
If you’re still in the early stages of planning, use the hashtag at bridal showers and other special wedding-related events. Conversely, if you don’t want photos from your wedding ending up on social media, make a cute sign or express these feelings in the program or elsewhere. Here is one wording option.
- Welcome out of town guests
Put together welcome kits for out of town guests who are staying overnight at a hotel. The hotel staff can pass out the bags/baskets to your guests as they check-in or have them waiting in the room as a surprise. Here’s a few ideas of what to include:
- Maps of the city and brochures for local attractions: These are often given away by the Chamber of Commerce.
- Chocolate, candies, mints, and some of your favorite snacks
- Bottled water
- Wedding-theme related items: Sparklers for a 4th of July wedding or a custom blanket for an outdoor fall wedding
- Sunscreen, flip flops, and a beach towel for destination weddings
- Anything fun or funny that relates to you, the couple, or the location you’re in (Some couples have even included a hangover kit with headache medicine, water, and an energy drink!)
- Say hello to everyone
No matter the size of the guest list, the bride and groom should make it a point to welcome every single guest. This courtesy is the ultimate way to wow your guests.
Need help organizing your receiving line? This article from TheKnot.com is helpful.
Each person can be greeted individually right after the ceremony as guests are leaving the church or venue. Additionally, guests can be individually greeted on their way into the reception or as they wait in line for food (if you’re having a buffet style meal). Because the bride and groom will generally eat first, take time to go around and greet guests as they wait at their tables to go through the buffet line. Spend enough time greeting guests, but get back in time for your cake cutting!
Your wedding is a busy day, but taking the time to hug and thank each guest is so important.
For more support and advice in planning your day to make it perfectly balanced, read, Sample Wedding Day Timeline & Schedule.
- Put a personal touch into the details of your wedding
Whether it’s a scavenger hunt, serving your favorite wood-fired pizza flavors, or offering your favorite late-night snack to guests, make sure you weave in some elements of your personality as a couple. One couple loves vodka lemonades, so that was their signature drink at the outdoor reception – and guests knew that it was a personal touch! One couple got engaged in a hot air balloon, so we tied huge balloons to baskets of Oreos (their favorite treat!). I’ve seen cute favors, entertainment, and outdoor woodsy ceremonies that all reflected the interests of the couple. It’s a great way to personalize your wedding and make it memorable! Here are 10 questions to ask yourselves to make your wedding more memorable.
We are here to help!
At Hitch Design Studio in downtown Brookings, it’s our specialty and passion to help you wow your wedding guests! Please contact us today to set up a consultation; we would love to help make your wedding beautiful, stress-free and fun. And we can help you find and create your personal touch!
