Your guests are at your wedding for one reason – to celebrate with you! It goes without saying that you want them to really enjoy the celebrations and make things as stress free and easy going for them while you’re at it. If you’re looking to really impress, there are a few little things that will make all the difference to them on the day from bathroom baskets they can nip over to if they’re in need of a freshen up, some flip flops for when the heels take their toll, a babysitter so the parents can let their hair down and even a coach so the don’t have to worry about getting home! Make sure your guests are well looked after with these 11 great ideas…
1. Directions to Your Venue
Photo from Ross & Amy’s real wedding by DKPHOTO
If you’re looking to make sure guests make it to your ceremony/venue in one piece without wrong turns and frazzled nerves, pop a little map or directions in with their invites. We also spotted this gorgeous idea in one of our real weddings – the thoughtful couple made sure guests didn’t have to worry about getting lost by leaving baskets of maps and celebratory ribbons at the back of the ceremony space so guests could pop one on their car and knew exactly where to head. It’s a really sweet way for everyone to feel part of the celebrations and guests can just keep an eye on the cars with the ribbons so they know where to go!
2. Signposts Along the Way
Photo from Louise & Ciaran’s real wedding by Couple Photography
There’s nothing worse than driving through unfamiliar territory trying to guess which turn it is – of course Sat Navs have made getting to places that bit easier but if you’re looking to point guests in the right direction, some sign posts with balloons are a nice touch and will make sure they know they’re on the right track. And at the wedding itself, make sure to clearly mark where guests need to go when they arrive – same applies to any other little details you’ve planned like a photo booth or al fresco drinks reception, you want guests to appreciate all the work you put in so make sure they’re clearly marked! If you’re looking to get signs made up, pop over to River Lane Memories who both specialise in beautiful, personalised wedding signs.
3. Spare Seating
Photo by Nastja Kovacec via Junebug Weddings
The drinks reception is a lovely chance to mingle and enjoy some canapes and a few drinks after the ceremony. But it can get tiring fast if there’s not enough seats to go round. If you’re having a summer wedding and the sun is out, this little idea will go down really well particularly with anyone in heels! Leave out a few baskets of blankets so anyone in need of a seat, can throw down a blanket or if you’re tight on space, have some spare fold out chairs propped up against a wall so guests can grab one if need be.
4. Bathroom Basket Essentials
Photo by This Modern Romance via Style Me Pretty
The bathroom basket has become a bit of a wedding trend with thoughtful couples loving the idea of leaving out some practical goodies for guests to use during the day. These little hampers full of essentials will be a big hit with both ladies and gents with guests flocking to them throughout the celebrations for mints or a squirt of perfume. Include things like wipes, safety pins, chewing gums, hairspray, mini deodorants, scissors and plasters – check out our ultimate wedding bathroom basket checklist here!
5. A Night Off
Photo from Alex & Neil’s real wedding by Lyndaloo in Spain
If you’re looking to really treat the guests with kids, one of the best things you can do is hire some entertainment or a professional childminder who can keep the kids busy for a few hours. There are several companies that specialise in childcare at weddings – Fun ‘n Frills set up a Supervised Portable Activity Areas in the ballroom so the kids can see you and will keep them entertained with crafts and games. FUNtastic Childcare Events can also supervise and play with the kiddos and come armed with goody bags to keep them happy. The Care Necessities set up a ‘pop up kids club’ in a separate room where the kids can safely enjoy fun activities like games, face painting, arts and crafts and a mini disco. Or magician Magic Carl and his little companion, Mr Fluffy the magic rabbit will keep them laughing and amazed for a couple of hours or during the speeches with his awesome tricks and fun balloon models.
6. Yummy Menu Options
Photo from Isobelle & Edward’s real wedding by DKPHOTO
Vegetarians often get a raw deal with a limited or run of the mill menu option so make their day with a fun and surprising menu choice or if you’re going buffet style, even a couple of tasty options. The veggies out there will also be super happy you thought of them! Food intolerances are also more and more common and guests that have trouble with their food will really appreciate you going that extra mile to ensure they’re catered for – it can be good to check if anyone has any foodie issues early on at the invite stage so they get a meal they can enjoy on the Big Day. Check out some awesome foodie trends here!
7. Flip Flops for Tired Feet
Photo from Alex & Neil’s real wedding by Lyndyloo in Spain
We love when we catch a glimpse of a flip flop basket at weddings and we bet your guests will too! It’s a long (but fun) day particularly for anyone in heels so a flip flop basket will be a welcome sight for any guests whose shoes are getting the better of them and want to have some fun on the dance floor. Pair it with a cute ‘Dancing Shoes’ sign to encourage all sorts of antics!
8. Umbrellas on Standby
Photo by Carla Ten Eyck Photography via Style Me Pretty
Regardless of whether you’re having a summer or winter bash, you just never know what the Irish weather will throw at you! If Met Eireann hasn’t predicted favourable weather for your wedding day, it can be handy to have a basket of brollies on standby at your venue in case guests need to borrow one whether they’re nipping out to their car for something or popping out to the smoking area. And if there’s an outdoorsy part to your day, it can also be nice to have some shawls and blankets hanging about that guests can cosy up with in case they get chilly.
9. A Thank You!
Photo from Tara & Fionan’s real wedding by DKPHOTO
A lot of couples like to pop by their guests tables to have a chat and let them know they appreciate them being there, another option is the receiving line after the ceremony. But if you’re worried you might not get around to everyone, a sweet thank you sign with some heartfelt words is a lovely little way to let guests know how much it means to you that they’re there. Check out some lovely ideas and ways to display it here!
10. Taxi Numbers for Getting Home
Photo by Images by Nica
The likes of Mytaxi have made getting a taxi way easier but for those that won’t be relying on their phone, or aren’t that tech savvy, go old-school and display a helpful sign with some local cab company numbers – this will defo be appreciated by guests looking to make their way home!
11. Or Being Chauffeur Driven
Bus available from VintageCoach.ie
Or if you’ve the budget, take the pain out of travelling and ensure guests can really let their hair down by arranging for some coaches to stop by when the celebrations end and do runs to local hotels or the city centre, depending on where you’re based (they can pick up people straight from the ceremony too earlier in the day). There are lots of companies that offer a coach service including Mackey Coaches and Star Wedding Deckers or if you’re looking for something with some vintage flair, VintageCoach.ie have some retro coaches available for hire.
