Extras at a wedding - what do you actually enjoy?

[Bridecilla]

Guests will be fed and watered. Not wanting to go mad with £££ that won't make a jot of difference.

We've booked a really good wedding DJ. Beer on tap.

Glitter bar? Photo booth??

Also, I like the glitter bar - providing it is eco glitter, i would definitely get glittered. We have a face painter at our work summer party and the children of employees barely get a look in, so much so they have had to double the number of face painters

Canapes / nibbles while waiting for the meal always go down well. Also something for the late night dancers and drinkers. One wedding I went to had bacon butties at 10pm, another did popcorn. Or to save money, you could buy some bits yourself and get a family member/niece/younger sibling to set up a pick and mix sweet station.

IME photo booths are really popular as are sweet bars.
Canapes and drinks between the ceremony and meal and maybe some little bits to keep people entertained in the "lull" periods (quiz coasters on the tables, wedding ad-libs etc). Things to keep the kids entertained during speeches etc (colouring books and crayons, little puzzle books etc)

"It's a wedding, not a fair"
It's a wedding, which is personal to the couple. If they want to include elements that are fun to them and their guests how does that make it a 'fair'?

OP, you know your guests. If they're into that kind of thing you know how it will go down.

As others have had said the essentials are the most important points. Food, Drinks and Seating. I'd definitely get a marque (fail to plan, plan to fail). Personally, I hate photo booths so we're not having one, but we do have loads of lawn games and a bouncy castle. Think about your timeline, gaps are always awkward. Roast meat sharing platter followed by another roast meat on the evening seems too similar food wise to me personally, I'd get the indegestion like crazy.

I'd struggle with your menu and I'm not veggie.
Just not a big meat eater and don't like any of the meats you have on offer.
I'd love a big old cheese and biscuits / bread section though!

Even with all these hellsbells?
Herb roasted potatoes
Artisan bread
Local chutneys
Mixed salads
Coleslaw
Pease pudding
Roasted veg

There's catering for dietary requirements, then there's catering for fussy eaters

Thanks again everyone. I'm now swaying towards wanting a photobooth when it wasn't even on my radar - damn you lovely wedding fans!

Not keen on chutneys or pease pudding.
And if bell peppers are part of the roasted veg, nope!
So I'd have some potatoes, bread, salad and coleslaw.
Which would be fine but I'd love some cheese to go with the bread and salad!
Cheese boards always go down a treat!
Yes, I'm fussy!!!

I'm northern - we all love pease pudding!

Cheese wheels probably won't come out til night time (or maybe with the dessert table - willnleave that down to the lovely lady that runs it!)

Nobody likes sweaty cheese that's been out all day.

@DitheringBlidiot it's strange how different everyone is isn't it! My office would definitely be up for face painting but the next office over would hate it!

Good music. We didn't have a photo booth or sweet cart etc. We did have a guest book for messages but quite basic. What we put our money into was a decent band. We did lots of searching and despite being in the midlands booked a band that were North based. It bit us in the arse a little when traffic meant they were late but they were so good they more than made up for it. Had such a good stage presence, interacted with the guests and had everyone dancing all night. Nothing worse than a crap dj or band and everyone sat at tables looking bored out of their minds.

Oh god. Bands are AWFUL. Dreadful. I've been to countless weddings where the B&G think it would be a great idea but it's horribly cringeworthy. No one dances and if they do it's because they feel bad that no one is dancing to an appalling 3 piece version of 'Sex on Fire'

Please. For the love of god. Just get a DJ.

We had a photo booth at our wedding which I negotiated the price on as they came from the same photography company I used for the wedding photos. Everyone loved it as they got some souvenirs and they all got into the spirit of it all. We also had a harpist for the ceremony and a bag pipe player for the reception as my DH is Scottish.

We did a lot of things ourselves. I got wedding stuff on sale from Paperchase and did a sweet bar for less than £15 which went down a storm with kids, young and a little older. I also got some advice cards and song request cards which kept people entertained whilst they waited in between meals.

Our friends had a beautiful wedding in a barn and they used the green area as a great holding/entertainment area with some garden games and both the adults and kids loved it but it's weather dependent.

I think when it comes to weddings it's up to you guys and your budget. I've been to weddings where they've had extra food in the night and it went to waste and other weddings which ended after dinner with no music or dancing. Each one was unique and right for the couple whose wedding it was. We went with a theme and we enjoyed doing most of it ourselves which saved money but also made it very personal to us but I recognise that's not for everyone and I definitely couldn't do it now with my DD under my feet. 🙈

I love a sweetie table at the right point mine was brought out during my photos so guests could nibble.
Also please just ensure there is a seat for every bum I don't need a bow etc just a seat please.

The best wedding we’ve been to was the one we attended just before lockdown
Hotel venue, short but lovely ceremony at 5.15pm which took place in a beautiful room which overlooked the grounds then to a private bar area for canapés (really good ones) and a glass of fizz, beer or something non-alcoholic whilst photos were done. There was a hot /cold buffet at 7 with a limited but excellent choice, wine /water on the table and the wedding cake - a fruit and fresh cream concoction was served for pudding. There was cheese and a glass of fizz for the speeches and then coffee or something stronger in the bar area while they turned the room around for the live band and DJ. There were plenty of nooks and crannies in quieter areas for guests to sit and chat and the garden area was also available for the children to run around in if they wanted.
There was nothing like fancy, chaircovers, over the top decorations, photo booths, sweet carts or bacon butties before the end and I can’t believe anyone there missed them.

Thanks again everyone. We've booked a DJ so no band. It really is useful to hear other views. Like l say we've been to very few weddings so this really is useful.

Somewhere quiet with a large pot of tea. It provides an escape place for older guests who don't want to go to a disco, any BF mums or just a quiet place where a grumpy child can have a time out.

Toilets near the bar not the other side of a field.

I went to a wedding where we had an impromptu England v Scotland foot ball match - that was fun.

A lot depends on the guests, I have a in instant camera, likethe 1970s poloroid that has intreagued small children and opnce earned me the name, "the magic lady".

If there are a lot of children it might be worth getting a kids entertainer or something to occupy them, if there are more older people then more comfortable seating.

Are guests staying near by?A minibus taxi at set times to take people to accomodation could be apretiated.

Barely any kids coming - fine in our circle.

Transport is difficult. We live in Sunderland, most guests live in or around Sunderland and Newcastle. Venue is Northumberland. We're putting busses on from central Newcastle but most will be going home in different directions so we weren't planning on putting home transportation on.

After mulling over the weather and all the lovely advice we've booked a marquee at least it's one less thing to think about of the weather is rubbish!

OP here's tumbled! Stumbled back on this thread - re-reading it to make a list of questions to as the Brewery lady today!

Honestly, you're all so lovely and helpful 💕