As couples try to focus on personalization and unique details
for their wedding day, a lot of attention is paid to making sure the guests
have a truly excellent experience. This is one of the many reasons the
popularity of smaller, intimate weddings has increased. However, for some
sweethearts cutting the guest list is simply impossible. Whether you have a
large number of friends, a huge family, or parents who insist on inviting who
they please because they’re footing the bill, hosting fewer than 100 attendees
simply doesn’t work for everyone. In fact, plenty of pairs find themselves with
over 200 loved ones checking yes on their RSVP card! Don’t fret though, you can
still make each of those people feel like they were an important part of your
big day. Here are some ideas on how to make guests feel special at large
weddings:
1. Host a wedding weekend
This is already a major trend, but is
still a wonderful way to get one-on-one time with the bulk of your guests. When
someone gets to talk to you at the welcome party or rehearsal dinner, they’re
less likely to feel slighted if you don’t get a chance to boogie together on
the dance floor.
2. One venue for ceremony and reception
Transporting everyone after the vow
exchange is a hassle even for a small guest list, but parking alone can be a
nightmare with a larger group. Everything in one place will have your attendees
feeling more like loved ones and less like cattle.
3. Seating in the round
With hundreds of people watching your
vow exchange, those in the back rows can barely see or hear. If the seats are
placed around the altar, it lessens the amount of rows, in addition to creating
intimacy as you are circled by your guests.
4. Smaller tables at the reception
King’s tables look extravagant and are
trendy, but for larger celebrations it can make people feel isolated. More
traditional round or square tables allow for more conversation.
5. Lounge areas and bonus activities
Find a venue with little hideaways – or
create them with drapery – to add to the experience and keep the space
from feeling like it’s one big room.
6. Personal touches on escort or place
cards
This is going above and beyond for even the most intimate of
gatherings, but including a note or photo that relates to each of your guests
is something that will make it clear how important it is that they
are there to celebrate your love.
Reference: www.insideweddings.com