9 Common Complaints By Wedding Guests And How To Avoid Them … Number 7 will shock you!

Weddings are wrought with thousands of details that you may overlook or forget a few things. While some of these may not matter in the big picture, sure, others will make your guests unhappy. Unfortunately, after the wedding, the couple usually realizes they should have given more attention to these factors. After all, a wedding should be a satisfying and fun event for those in it and for all those who attend it.

Here is a list of the nine most common problems wedding guests complain about. We also have the solutions to each of these issues to help you handle them easily. Make sure you prioritize these potential issues when planning your wedding, and your guests will be a happy bunch.

Incomplete Information In The Invitation

Choosing invitation stationery and coming up with exciting ways to word the invite can be exciting. However, it is not unusual for couples to forget to add crucial information that the guest may need in all this excitement. However pretty your card may be, your guests may not appreciate it if it lacks the basic things they need to plan their availability. Common confusions are about whether children are invited. The invite includes their plus-one’s and unclear venue information.

Solution: The simple answer is to frame your invitation around the bare essentials to be communicated. Follow our invitation checklist on this previous post to make sure you have all the information in place. And keep it simple and attractive instead of cluttered. If your invitation has too many details, ensure that the layout and format highlight the essential information like the venue address, wedding date and time, RSVP date, and contact information. This will allow them to locate what they seek quickly.

Getting Bored By Waiting Around

Your guests will quickly be bored after the ceremony when they have to wait for the reception to begin. They may also have to wait after reaching the venue before the wedding starts. While some amount of waiting is permissible, it can be pretty irritating if they feel they spent too much time waiting for things to happen. So, this is an area you have to work on before the wedding.

Solution: Make sure you have arranged to sit outside the venue if your guests wait before entering it. Similarly, plan some entertainment if there is a long waiting period or delays between events. For example, you can either start the party with appetizers and drinks during the waiting period at the reception or have an entertainer keep them occupied. Also, plan your photography sessions and time to change dress or touch up your makeup so there isn’t too much delay that bores the guests.

Food That They Cannot Enjoy

Some couples make the cardinal mistake of splurging on the décor, dress and other things while skimping on the food. Remember that if there is one thing your guests look forward to enjoying at the wedding, it is the food. They expect not only delicious food but also something different. Dietary restrictions aren’t uncommon, especially when you invite so many people. You will mostly have to handle vegetarians or vegans, those with gluten allergies and nut allergies. If your menu doesn’t cater to these specific requirements, you can be confident that unhappy people will be at your wedding. Although you may not make everyone at your wedding happy with your food choice, you should at least make sure that they have a filling meal.

Solution: Make use of your RSVPs to confirm what your guests can and cannot have. You can ask them to inform you of any dietary constraints by adding that information to the invitation card or your wedding website. If you have different menu options, ask your wedding guests to select what they would like to have from a chosen set of dishes. When they inform you of their choices on time, your caterer will be able to set up the dinner plan accordingly. However, the more important thing is to make sure that your guests can eat at your wedding. If not to impress, at least make sure that nobody has to stay hungry because you didn’t accommodate their dietary needs.

Couples Who Do Not Mind Them At All

Don’t undermine the efforts your guests put in, so they can attend your wedding. It is not only those who travel from far who take pains to be there to witness your milestone celebration. They may have put aside other engagements, made alternate plans to have their children taken care of, driven from far or given priority to your wedding over other meetings on the same day. So, it is only reasonable that they expect you to appreciate their presence. When a couple or the wedding party ignores a guest, it can put them off, even when not on purpose. They expect you to thank and acknowledge them for their presence at your wedding.

Solution: It doesn’t take much to make your guests feel appreciated for their presence. Although you may be busy throughout the day, make an effort to meet and greet all your guests personally. They will be eager to congratulate you post the ceremony, so set aside time for this. Also, be pleasant around them and not look too keen to get rid of them. You have to put up with this on your wedding day, so be prepared. Be a courteous host, and your guests will remember your wedding for the happiness they experienced there and not the ungrateful attitude they felt was meted out. Finally, don’t forget to send your guests thank you notes for their gifts and attendance, and they will be pleased to have been part of your celebration.

Any Extras That They Have To Pay

It is not only the couple who spend money at a wedding. Every wedding guest has to accommodate several expenses to be part of it. First is the gift, then the cost of travelling to the venue. They may also have to spend extra to arrange care for their children if the wedding doesn’t include children. Finally, some of the guests will be shelling out money on their outfits for the wedding. So, it is a significant amount they spend. For this reason, they wouldn’t be too happy if they had to pay for anything unexpected at the wedding. Whether to order their drinks because you haven’t arranged for a bar or an unreasonable parking fee at a specific venue, we are sure no guest will appreciate the extra expenses they have to bear.

Solution: Make sure that your guests will not be required to pay anything unreasonable from their wallets to attend or be part of your wedding. If there is something that they will have to bear, you should prepare them in advance by informing them beforehand. Put a word on your invitation and your wedding website, so they can come prepared and will not end up being grumpy at the wedding reception on account of it.

Music They Cannot Enjoy

Although many guests pretend they don’t like dancing, very few of your guests dread stepping up to the dance floor. Most couples are quite sensible when planning their playlist and accommodate at least a few widely appreciated songs. Nevertheless, some stick with one genre of songs throughout and bore many guests with it. Then the reception can seem unusually long and tedious, and you will kill your guest’s enthusiasm if you take this route. On the same note, they may also not like it if your DJ isn’t too considerate about their comfort level and forces them to participate.

Solution: Irrespective of the theme of your wedding, make sure that there are at least a few songs that are definite crowd-pleasers. Discuss this with your band and DJ, and add songs that appeal to different age groups. There will be at least a few songs for everyone to dance to this way. Also, have pieces distributed evenly, so people can come on and go off the dance floor. They will otherwise feel their turn is over quickly and will be bored for the rest of the evening. Don’t have too many organized dances either, as people love to relax and dance to their heart’s content, rather than feel too restricted by the music being played.

Long Speeches

Wedding toasts and speeches are an indispensable part of wedding receptions, but they can also kill the fun if it goes overboard. While your speaker may want to share many things from the past and present that are relevant to you, it may not be so appealing to the guests. Long speeches are no fun at all, and it is likely that not all your guests will know every detail of your life to enjoy all the long stories that your speakers may come up with. Don’t have your guests dozing off as your best man goes on and on, and your Maid of honour can’t seem to get on with her speech from her tears of joy! Nevertheless, your guests see toasts and speeches as a necessary evil associated with receptions, so don’t disappoint them by having them as the leading entertainment for the evening.

Solution: Keep the wedding toasts and speeches to a minimum by asking only those who matter to speak on occasion. Even so, tell your speakers that you want them to plan their speeches to extend no more than five minutes. Hopefully, they will stick to this limit. If others must say something, move their speeches into the other events leading up to the wedding, and save your guests the torture of sitting through speech after speech. We have previously discussed the essentials of planning a wedding speech, so reading it may give you pointers in this direction.

Being In Uncomfortable Settings

Beaches, winter weddings, and outdoor garden weddings are all romantic but notorious for the uncomfortable conditions they can put guests through. While the extent of discomfort may be trivial, or you may not even consider it relevant, it is essential to think of it from your guests’ perspective. Sitting in the hot summer sun on a beach for a few hours can be torture for at least some of your guests. Similarly, being in a chilly venue in winter or a garden teeming with bugs and insects may not be very interesting. The commute up and down a long winding staircase may also be equally appalling to some of your guests.

Solution: When choosing a venue, look at the various aspects that may make your guests uncomfortable. Then figure out how to counter it. If you must get married on the beach or outdoors in summer, ensure plenty of shade through tents or gazebos and cooling using fans. This way, your guests won’t mind the time they spend outdoors. Have your winter wedding venue warmed up in advance, and throw some blankets into baskets, so your guests can cozy up should they require it. Prioritize your guests’ comfort, and you will have a happier crowd at your wedding.

Queuing Up

Nobody likes to wait in a queue, and especially for too long. Too much waiting can be irritating, whether using the washroom or the buffet to fill their plates. Fortunately, you can plan your wedding to avoid this discomfort for your guests.

Solution: Make sure your wedding venue has enough washrooms, so your guests don’t have to wait in queue for hours to use them when they need them. If your wedding is at an outdoor venue like your garden, rent the required number of portable toilets, so nobody spends more than necessary time waiting to use the washroom. When planning your menu options and setting them up, think in terms of numbers. Think of how long the food service will take, and arrange multiple food and beverage stations if necessary.

With a bit of pre-planning, you can ensure that your guests are happy to be at your wedding and enjoy the experience. So, make it a priority, and you will not be the only one happy on your wedding day. And to realize your vision for the perfect wedding, make sure you drop in at Best for Bride. We have everything a bride needs for her dream wedding!

Summary: 7 Common Complaints by Wedding Guests and How to Avoid Them

• Ensure clear and timely communication with guests regarding the wedding details, such as the date, time, and venue.
• Avoid scheduling the wedding during major holidays or overlapping with other significant events to accommodate guests’ availability.
• Provide ample parking options and clear directions to the venue to alleviate any difficulties for guests.
• Offer a variety of food options, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free choices, to cater to different dietary preferences.
• Keep the wedding ceremony and reception on schedule to prevent guests from waiting excessively or feeling bored.
• Create a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere by providing sufficient seating, shade, or heating, depending on the weather conditions.
• Plan for appropriate entertainment, such as a live band, DJ, or photo booth, to keep guests engaged and entertained throughout the event.

FAQ – Wedding Guests

What is the average number of attendees at a wedding?

In 2021, the typical wedding guest list will be about 167 persons. Smaller weddings typically include roughly 50 attendees, while more significant gatherings might have up to 300 individuals.

Is it customary for parents to invite their friends to their children’s weddings?

Both parents should include their wish lists, which should consist of family members as well as acquaintances and coworkers. There might be as many as four sets of parents to accommodate if any parents get divorced and remarried.

At a wedding, who gets a plus one?

Guests who are married, engaged, or cohabiting are usually given a plus-one. Only married, engaged, and “serious” couples are usually given a plus-one.

Should you invite too many people to a wedding?

According to experts, you should only invite as many people as your budget allows. For example, you should send out 150 invitations if you’ve budgeted for 150 guests. If some of those potential guests submit their apologies, be free to extend invitations to “second-tier” guests, but only up to the initial 150-person limit.

What are the things that wedding guests despise?

Fantastic food, good music, and dancing are all expected. That’s all there is to it. Everything else can go to hell, but those three points are unmistakable. Lousy food was cited by 80 percent of guests as the biggest turn-off for a wedding, followed by a bad DJ.