Wedding party tips

[igotbills]

Getting married in June. Would LOVE some tips to add to the below!
After reading lots of helpful threads the advice which comes up the most is:

-Having *plenty of food and seating. Guests often skip breakfast and will be drinking so lots of food on offer

-'Cocktail hour' drink expected but if nothing more than one each, there should be a bar available

-Not taking more than an hour for photographs, take time to mingle with guests and enjoy the cocktail hour.

-Ideally very little traveling between venues

-Thoughtful seating plan - people want to sit with who they know (when possible of course)

What is your best wedding tip? And what worked really well at either your wedding or weddings you've attended?

Feed your guests at a normal meal time - no-one sits down to a huge meal at 3:30, and if it's a time people aren't accustomed to eating their hunger cues will be all wrong

If you need to mix your guests up a bit (because the size of tables means they don't tidily fit in established clumps, think about who will get on with whom, and mix them so there's a good mix(not 10 besties plus 2, but 6 and 6)

Even if you're strapped for cash, provide a drink for toasts and if you can stretch to it, one on arrival.

Make sure cash bar has normal prices!

If people are travelling, good range of nearby accommodation at various price points and enough taxis (nothing rounds a convivial evening off worse than having to wait 45 mins because the only 3 cabs in town are working their socks off and there just aren't enough to meet demand)

Oh, and no-one gives a stuff about wedding favours; nor will they care about matching seat covers or any other finer points of decor. They will care about having enough to eat, affordable drinks, a chance to catch up with people (so quiet areas with chairs to sit and chat), enough loos, not being too hot or too cold, and having familiar music if they want to dance

@RoseAndRose Good point regarding seating during the meal! A good balance is key when mixing is unavoidable

We were advised for the wedding breakfast, approx half a bottle of wine per guest is a good shout so a table with 8 adults should have 4 bottles

During the welcome reception/cocktail hour (ours won't be more than 1.5 hours long) how much drink should be provided ideally? We were thinking enough for 1 alcoholic drink and also a selection of lemonades/fruit punch etc

We are doing canapés as well if this makes a difference

Give the DJ a playlist and tell him to stick to it and not play his own favourite music

I don’t think you will get away with one alcoholic drink each will the bar be open?

@Rocknrollstar Yes the bar will be open (but not free)

More drinks served during the wedding breakfast itself but just curious whether one glass of fizz and one glass of fruit punch/lemonade during the cocktail hour (well 1.5 hours) is going to seem stingy

Ask guests for to give you their 'dancing songs' with their RSVP for the DJ playlist, it might be eclectic but it'll give everyone a chance to dance

My biggest gripe at weddings is access to water. It can be surprisingly hard to just get a glass of water to drink. Plenty of alcohol, some soft drinks, but not basic hydration at often over-heated events

so that is my tip, as you are calculating out a glass of fizz and the cash bar and all of that, make sure guests have a default option of water always available.

I do think that's a bit stingy. If people are drinking alcohol they're unlikely to want just one then move onto juice at that point. 2 each plus soft drinks would be better.