Welcome first time visitors - the first two installments of my Guestzilla series posted on Monday and Tuesday - check them out! Welcome Back to the regulars! Today we're going to take on two more of the Guestzilla complaints and see what solutions can avoid these kinds of complaints from guests.
So let's get started!
Guest Complaint: You Didn’t Say Thank You
These guests are not just full of hot air. It’s truly important to spend a few minutes with guests and thank them for their support at your wedding and make them feel welcome. And it’s not more or less important for local vs. guests coming from a distance. With a plan in place ahead of time, you can avoid this sort of complaint and earn the title of excellent host!
For buffet meals, your caterer or wedding coordinator can plate your meal and serve you as the DJ is announcing that the buffet is open. This saves you some time in the buffet line and the inevitable conversation that will make getting through the line more challenging. If this is not possible, you really should go through the line first with the wedding party, both sets of parents and grandparents following. This allows you and your new husband to get to sit and eat! You don’t have to rush, but by design, you'll be the first finished eating and then you can begin visiting tables of guests and spend a few minutes at each table, speaking to everyone there.
It will take most of the dinner hour to get to each table, perhaps slightly longer depending on the guest count, but this efficient strategy will make your guests feel valued. An added benefit is you'll have successfully visited with most of your guests before the celebration really gets underway.
Keep in mind that thanking them for sharing the celebration with you at the wedding does not eliminate the need to send thank you cards to anyone who brought a gift.
Guest Complaint: Working at the Wedding
Doing what they view as insignificant (such as the guest book attendant) or being asked last minute to "help" was the frustration.
The guest book may or may not need an attendant depending on the ceremony location and your personal preference. If the vestibule is small, putting the book on a highboy near the entrance or adding a decorative sign to draw guest attention to the book will eliminate the need for someone to physically be near the guestbook the entire time. You may still need to assign someone the responsibility of taking the guestbook from the ceremony to the reception site.
While it's free to ask someone in the wedding party to watch the flower girl, it's worth the expense to hire a babysitter so that everyone can enjoy the evening. The venue manager or your wedding coordinator may have recommendations for inexpensive local babysitters. There may be a small room adjacent to the reception room, that can be used for babysitting.
It's super important to communicate with all of your attendants what duties they will be responsible to perform. Springing last minute work on a guest when it's not an emergency is really inconsiderate. Unfortunately, there are brides that think this is OK. But don't be one of them! Plan in advance for all the tasks that will need to be accomplished. Make a detailed list and as soon as possible, but ideally at least 3 weeks before your wedding, ask your attendants and other honored guest if they can lend a hand in a specific area.
See you Thursday for the final three complaints by guests!
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