Things for Guests To Do
Starting the fun before the ceremony has begun… you see, your guests experience of your wedding ceremony will start from the moment they arrive. So why not think of ways to make this enjoyable and comfortable for them right from the get-go.
I arrive at the wedding ceremonies about an hour before the start time, and occasionally a guest will be there before me. I’ve worked out that when guests are unfamiliar with the ceremony venue, they often arrive extra early, just to make sure they’re on time.
The ideas below are also a great way of getting your guests talking and mingling, ensuring that by the time the ceremony starts, they’re already feeling relaxed.
Ring Warming
Have your wedding bands on display, with a sign explaining (or ask your celebrant to explain) that you’d love them to place these in their hands and put their best wishes, love, blessing, or whatever feels right, which you can then carry with you within your rings.
Alternative Guest Books
Traditionally couples would set up a guest book at their reception for all to sign. However, once people start partying, they’re likely to forget to sign it. So why not get it set up and started before the ceremony whilst guests are still mingling?
However, if I’m completely honest, I think guests books can be a little bit surplus to needs. Let’s face it, how often are you going to look at it post wedding?
Whereas, a piece of art or something ornamental that your guests have produced… well that is going to give you the post-wedding feels for some time to come.
Love heart-Art
You don’t need to be a Van Gogh or a De Vinci to produce a love-heart background on a canvas for your guests to sign. Alternatively, you can purchase an array of heart shaped goodness for guests to sign from a variety of sellers such as Etsy, Amazon etc.
SILHOUETTE ELEGANZA
For those whose artistic skills are a little bit more advanced, then these silhouettes can be a fun idea. You could also try copying the basic shape below by magnifying the picture, printing, then tracing onto tracing paper (remember when we learnt to do this at school?) onto a canvas, outlining this in pencil before painting.
GIVE Me An ‘H’, GIVE ME A ‘S’…
You can purchase initials for your guests to sign, or, if you (or one of your family members) are handy with a jigsaw, give this a whirl yourself. Depending on the type of materials you use, you could then hang these up in your home, or have hanging from a garden wall.
Finger Print Prints
Why not get tactile, and ask your guests to ink their paws to make a communal piece of art. There’s numerous companies that can provide you with a backdrop, and all you need to do is provide the ink pads (and wipes to clean mucky fingers!).
Graffiti It Up
Get your guests to let out their inner Banksie. You can either buy a brick-wall backdrop which guests can add graffiti and later have photos taken in front of, provide a canvas with your initials or name, or have a piece of furniture which your guests can sign.
Ask for Advice
Whether your guests are married or not, everyone has an opinion on what makes a good relationship. So why not ask for their advice – whether it’s silly or serious, it’s bound to make good reading.
If you have any great ideas for keeping your guests entertained before the ceremony starts, please feel free to share with me.
And don’t forget, if it’s a sunny day, make sure your guests are comfortable whilst they wait by reading my hints here.
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