When in Doubt, Go Neon
Although there’s no denying the allure of a wooden sign or the elegance of a mirrored sign, they’re used by everyone. Choose something unique that fits your theme, such as a fun neon sign with a sweet love-themed slogan. Consider using a neon sign with your wedding hashtag as a photo booth backdrop at the reception.
Don’t Forget a Map
Include a map of the area your wedding will be held in with your invitations if you’re having a destination wedding or have a lot of out-of-town guests—after all, they’ll be spending the entire weekend there!
Have Fun With Seating
Instead of benches or chairs, choose unique seating for your ceremony that reflects your wedding style, such as floor cushions or these laid-back tree stumps with tribal print. While it’s easy to get carried away with the look, make sure the seating you choose is comfortable. If you’re looking to recreate a specific vibe, bales of hay, poufs, and ottomans are all worth considering.
Even Cocktail Napkins Can Have Some Fun
Make your cocktail napkins more interesting by having fun facts about you and your partner printed on them. As an icebreaker for guests, you could include trivia questions about the newlyweds.
Tap Into Different Wedding Dance Traditions
Do you have a favorite cultural dance that you perform at family weddings? Ethnic jigs add a distinct flavor to a party, from the tarantella (Italian) to the money dance (Cuba).
Guests Love a Little Photo Booth Fun
Set up a makeshift photo studio at the front desk for guests to pose for the camera. For a fun surprise, include their photos with your thank you cards. GIF photo booths are all the rage these days, but don’t forget to include your wedding hashtag so that guests can spread the #love.
Skip the Party Favors
Is there a charity that you are passionate about? Make a donation in your guests’ names in lieu of favors, and leave an explanation card on each dinner table.
Hire a Live Wedding Painter to Document Your Day
Hire a live painter for your ceremony or reception. They’ll turn your happiest day into a work of art that you can display on the walls of your future home and cherish for years.
Get Creative With the Guest Book
Another guest book idea: Place a glass bowl beside it with cards (or postcards, if you’re a wanderlusting couple) and pens, along with a note inviting guests to contribute a favorite memory of you or your partner, a bucket list item, or marriage advice.
Don’t Play It Safe With Your Wedding Day Menu
Whether you’re a fan of classic egg creams, Belgian waffles, or Philly cheese steak, talk to your caterer about including your favorites on the menu. Jackson also recommends recreating the couple’s first date menu—a “simple salad with French onion soup, followed by steak frites” is sure to bring back memories (for the newlyweds, anyway).
Show Guests Your Hospitality With a Welcome Guide
Fill welcome baskets with a quiz that takes out-of-town visitors on a scavenger hunt through your favorite spots (the best little bakery, a scenic park). Another option, according to Jackson, is to provide “a wedding welcome bag that includes everything you might need for the perfect cocktail hour or perfect day at the beach.”
Add Some Sentiment to Your Ceremony Backdrop
Isn’t this the cutest wedding backdrop? A large piece of parchment or linen with your favorite quote, book passage, or bible verse written on it.
Keep the Weather Forecast in Mind
Are you planning an outdoor wedding? Consider the weather and the needs of your visitors. If it’s cold outside, provide blankets for them to curl up in. Similarly, if it’s sunny, provide parasols for shade and umbrellas if rain is expected.
Bubbly on Wheels
Guests will appreciate a mobile bar during cocktail hour because they will not have to wait in line. To give the bubbly a whimsical feel, add some wheels. Consider having a sparkling lemonade stand or even a sorbet cart for non-drinking guests.
Get Personal
Create a cute infographic of your relationship to display as a sign on welcome tables to help wedding guests get to know you and your partner better. Jackson also recommends including a custom illustration in your save the date card that unfolds to tell the story of how you and your partner met, your first date, and your engagement.
Post-Wedding Snack Favors
By the time they leave for the night, your guests will have worked up an appetite on the dance floor. For a favor that will be used, send them home with a midnight snack (anything from shoestring fries to popcorn) to eat in their hotel.
Get Creative With Escort Cards
Are you and your partner a travel-obsessed couple? Use leather luggage tags to hold the escort or place cards if you want to go the extra mile. Consider using beach balls or seashells as escort cards for a summer wedding.
Use a Large Sign for Heartfelt Messages
Favors are nice, but nothing beats a handwritten note to thank your guests, especially when it’s displayed so beautifully. Show your appreciation by having it written in elegant calligraphy on a large sign that can be seen by all.
Ceremony seating with chairs arranged for a 360-degree view
Create a circular seating arrangement for your ceremony so that guests can enjoy a 360-degree view. Consider how cool a winding spiral will appear from above if you plan on getting drone shots of your wedding.
Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture
At the reception, hang a series of photos of the two of you as children. During cocktail hour, guests can mingle and browse.
Choose Glassware That Fits Your Theme
A southwestern ranch wedding with a boho flair is enhanced by blue crystal glasses and wicker baskets. Are you planning a post-wedding brunch the following day? Mismatched fine china sourced from a flea market will add whimsy to a garden party theme.
Let Your Personality as a Couple Shine Through
Add goofy photo booth strips to table numbers for a fun touch that not only shows off your personalities as a couple but also serves as a fun conversation starter for your guests. From the perspective of a wedding planner, Jackson says, “We like to make small references to the shared interests of our couples. A subtle bird motif will personalize their wedding invitation and be repeated through the use of specially selected fabrics and china for a couple who spends time together walking in parks and birdwatching “According to Jackson.
Get Creative With Your Centerpiece
Make a large floral centerpiece by combining several small vases. Invite your guests to take one as they leave.
If you and your partner are both book nerds, an informal centerpiece could be a stack of your favorite books. You could even go a step further and assign each table a different genre.
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