Include Your Wedding Guests In Your Special Day 

The wedding planning is centered around the Bride & Groom. But, where would the whole experience be without the wedding guests? So, be sure to pamper them and make them feel welcome.

There are many ways to include your wedding guests. Some examples are:

Have your wedding guests participate in your wedding day and leave you with memories of who was there by decorating a square of a quilt. You can send each RSVP’d guest along with close family and friends who won’t be in attendance at the wedding reception a square and ask them to decorate it. Encourage them to use their imagination, sewing, glueing and pictures are just some of the ways your guests can decorate their square. You can display your quilt at your ceremony as a canopy or at the cocktail hour. You will also have a keepsake to be treasured in your home for the rest of your life. 

An alternative to the regular guestbook is to have a polaroid camera and pen available as guests sign in at the wedding reception. Each weddingguest can affix their picture to the book and write a well wish for the bride & groom. 

There has always been the bouquet and garter. Now for the more mature and classy couple comes the anniversary dance. This event allows each and every married couple to participate in a dance celebrating their years of marriage. Even the Bride & Groom. The emcee of your event will play a song during the wedding reception and periodically ask couples who have been married less than 1 day, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years etc. to leave the dance floor. When there is only one couple left then the bride will present a bouquet of flowers to the couple who has been married the longest. Inspiring the newlyweds to have a long lasting marriage as well. 

Share the beautiful flowers from your wedding reception by inviting particular guests to take the centerpiece flowers. You may have the DJ make an announcement or have a card at each guest table describing the selection process. You may even tell special people that they may take the centerpieces. You will want to encourage them to wait until the end of the evening.

Place a memory book on each table for the guests seated at each table to fill with polaroids of themselves. Encourage each guest to share something special about the bride & groom in the book near their picture. You may even be able to include the bride and or groom in your picture. 
Share your special cake creation by giving each of your guests mini replicas of your cake as awedding reception favor. These can be displayed at the cake table around the larger version or at each guest’s place setting.

Decorate all of your wedding guests with flowers in your wedding colors. Have the ushers hand out long stem flowers to each of the ladies as they arrive. Have a lady attendant greet each of the gentlemen guests and pin on a special boutonniere. 

Deliver special welcome gifts to your out of town guests. Include in these bags entertainment information and an itinerary of the wedding events. Some ideas for welcome gifts are:

Spa Gift Bags to include bath salts, lotions and candles.

Travel survival bags to include sunscreen, wine and travel book for your wedding reception and ceremony location. You might even include a blow up beach ball with your names and wedding date on it and have it made in your wedding colors.

Location themed bags, for example a Florida bag might include chocolate alligators, Zephyrhills water, oranges, lottery tickets and a wine from a local winery.

Feel good bag that could include comfort items such as wine, bath salts and apple pie.

Receiving lines are quite passe but you can still greet each and every one of your wedding guests. In fact etiquette dictates that you must. It’s best to stay with your spouse as you both visit each guest table.

Utilizing even one of these ideas will help to make your wedding guests feel welcome and more than just a guest but part of a memory.

Resource from: perfect wedding guide