The nonchalant Eyerolls. Tiring yawns. (The embarrassingly contagious kind) And oh, your guests’ stomachs’re probably doing a little flip flop too! You don’t want to be that couple whose wack wedding ceremony failed to capture the imagination with an electric atmosphere.
Amidst the endless toasts, announcements, cheek-kissings, and intermittent pats on the back (trust me, this isn’t my first rodeo!), it could be tough to create magic. But spurring your creative side to keep the yawns at bay is a sure-fire way to etching such a grand event in the minds of your guests for months, nay, years!
Remember, a wedding ceremony is only as vibrant as the guests enjoying it. That means, you’ve got guest-related considerations right on top of your wedding bucketlist. The guest reception is one of ‘em. Kelsey and Elliott didn’t flunk this part. The Storehouse, Omni Hilton Resort is a destination famed for its beautiful, picturesque oceanfront and dunes that speak of blissful serenity.
wedding
If you wish to vary your wedding from the routine-ish to the extraordinary in a way that leaves you with a delicious feeling in your gut — a desire to do it all over. (Ouhh that?!) then say no more, because we’re poring over the most subliminal activities the best masters of ceremonies swear by. These unique tips’re sure to help your wedding guests have a blast on your big day:
Pre-Wedding Chemistry:
Building the perfect chemistry before the wedding goes a longggggg way in brewing an event that explodes (like a lab test gone BAD. Seriously) with warmth, hearty cheers, and fun.
Here’s one way to think of it — In anticipation of your big day, it wouldn’t hurt to have “dress rehearsals” of some sort. One where long-lost relatives, friends, well-wishers, and members of your nuclear (or extended) family come together to bond and break all the social frostiness that may have gathered moss through distance, time, and make up for all the life-got-in-the-way family outings you never turned up for.
Plus, who says you cannot go over the top?! It’s the 21st century, darling! An extravaganza would not be out of place. You can take the elderly relatives on some exquisite wine-tasting journey, glide their tongues through ages of history rooted in some fine winery, while the younger ones with their nannies are busy jumping through hoops (literally) or having a go at a rousing bowling sesh or a game arena.
The essence of these pre-wedding events is to ensure a more relaxed, in-sync, and electric atmosphere when the big day comes around.
Wedding Favors:
A no-brainer! Getting unique souvenirs for your wedding guests is a unique way to make memories of your wedding stick like glue.
From reusable, cheap sunglasses to wedding party memorabilia, wrapping all the fun memories, celebration, and joy into one affordable gift is not only truly thoughtful because it somewhat rewards guests for their attendance, but it’s also a smart way to immortalize the significance of their presence — and, of course, your wedding.
Food:
Someone once told me that a wedding ceremony without appetizers (that really pack a good dose of appetite), and a buffet to savor is downright RUDE. lol. While I might not totally agree, having a wedding where you’re not looking to serve dinner doesn’t mean you can’t seduce your guests with one-bite appetizers, or ‘get your cocktails on’.
Either way, you gotta serve something!
You need to ensure that your guests are well-fed. That’ll prevent a few yawns and hands you the keys (I promise) to a “turnt-up” atmosphere. Because, as they say, “after a full belly, all is poetry.”—isn’t that how the saying goes? Something like that.
Physical Setting (Location)
The rule goes thus: If you want an atmosphere having all the good feels, your location should naturally inspire that atmosphere. You don’t want your wedding guests having to walk a hundred-ish kilometers from the parking lot to your reception.
Likewise, you also want your venue to be temperature-controlled. These little things compound to create the ideal guest experience. You also need to weigh that against other considerations, thought, for instance, you want to make sure whatever location you book resonates with you and your significant other. Ensure it has enough space for attendees and doesn’t fall short on the aesthetic side of things.
Kelsey and Elliot picked the perfect spot for creating beautiful memories—the dunes, the subtle waves crashing softly in the tide.
Surprise! Surprise!!
Upping the ante at your wedding could hardly ever be complete without chiming in with one or two mindblowing acts with an element of surprise. That way, they’re serenaded with an experience where they just never know what’s coming.
For instance (and it is something I would love to try), instead of throwing the traditional bouquet into the crowd, the bride can throw a wig, while the husband throws and (hopefully, the recipient isn’t too embarrassed!) a pair of clown shoes into the crowd.
The eventual ‘singletons’ then come up and perform a couples’ dance, to the crowd’s amusement. You can also have old-fashioned yard games like badminton, or even map out a treasure hunt, where the winner gets tickets to see the next blockbuster or Disneyland.
Whether you go for something slightly off from the traditional scenes of a wedding, or you go super-duper creative. Whatever rocks your boat. It’s YOUR day. Make it unique, and fun-filled, so in decades to follow, you can look back on that day and it’ll leave a smile creeping up the corners of your lips.
All in all . . .
Kelsey and Elliot’s photos’re proof that whatever cruise you decide to spruce up your wedding ceremony with, we all deserve to feel the length, width, and depth of the life we’re living. We really, really do.
With that, let’s find ways to savor all the “meals” and moments that the day gives us. Heck, let’s even make brand new ones! Here’s to expanding our lives and gobblin’ up those juicy minutes together!
But where do I come into all of this? I’ll capture your wedding stories with candid photos that cover all of the smorgasbords of expressions. It’ll scream how you’re affectionately drawn you are to your newly-betrothed—with a very real, gut-wrenching, chest-thumping, cheesy-smiling, ‘out loud’ kind of love. And how they’re your home, your life-partner, your teammate, and your light in the frickn’ dark.
P.S: As always, the more the merrier, so feel free to share this post with a soon-to-be-wedded couple who might need it! And here are a couple o’ more weddings that were a blast here and here.
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