From The Straits Times    |

Jeanne’s wedding as seen in Her World Brides March 17. Photo: The Beautiful Moment Photography

We all have our grouses about wedding celebrations, though of course, we do understand that at the end of the day, it’s still just about celebrating, wholeheartedly, the lifelong union of two persons.

Still, whether you’re a couple who plans their wedding with their guests as their top priority, or a couple who wants to make their wedding all about them; (there’s no right or wrong!), here are a few things your guests will most likely appreciate if you have them included in your wedding:

 

#1 Good food – because we’re all foodies at heart

If there’s only one thing you should take away from reading this, it would be this point. There’s been so many brides who’ve shared with us how, they have guests who still gush over the food served during their wedding – long after it is over.

Each Singaporean is a mini-foodie at heart. There’s no way around it.

Whether you’re having a grand dinner reception or having your wedding catered – ensuring the food served is decent will make plenty of your guests happy.

Also read: GET YOUR WEDDING MENU RIGHT: 5 MUST-KNOW TIPS FROM CELEBRITY CHEF ERIC TEO

Her World Brides June’17, photo by: Ndrw fotographie from Hui Ying’s wedding

“Many of our guest reminisced about the prata-man who cooked fresh prata at our lunch reception.” – Michelle, 30

“A few dishes didn’t meet our expectations during the first food tasting session. In the end we had to set up another food tasting session, this time trying 5 chicken dishes in total before we decided on the final one.

Although troublesome, we were happy that our guests enjoyed their food!” – Hui Ying, 26

See more of Hui Ying’s wedding here.

 

#2 A short wait between dishes

Perhaps you’ve been to a wedding where the gap between each dish served stretched up to half an hour.

No one likes having to wait around for food after their appetite has been warmed up, unless you have an entertaining wedding program to distract your guests with.

 

Sheena’s wedding as seen in Her World Brides June 2017. Photo: Stanstills Photography

“[Our] banquet was catered and to ensure guests weren’t left waiting for too long, a new dish arrived every 15 minutes.” – Sheena, 31

See more of Sheena’s wedding here.

 

#3 A painless way to RSVP

For a painless process for both your guests and you, make your RSVP quick and accessible.

Be it asking them to reply via a nifty Google form, dropping a quick text or simply making a call for those less technologically-inclined.

 

#4 Personalised touches – because bespoke is trending

 This could be anything from custom wedding favours to handwritten messages for each guests or even a special program that’s uniquely you.

Your guests are there to celebrate the both of you, so including something that’s significant to your relationship will create something memorable for everyone. 

Her World Brides March’17, photo by: The beautiful moment photography from Jeanne’s wedding

“We kept certain crowd-pleasing traditional elements, like the yam seng toasts, but did away with the cake-cutting, second march-in, table photos etc. (Also read: 7 modern alternatives to wedding traditions)

Instead, we showcased personal messages from friends and mingled with guests.

We felt that we should share something about our personalities and love story, so everything knew a little more about us.” – Jeanne

Also read: PERSONALISE YOUR WEDDING WITH THESE 10 FUN THINGS TO DO!

Her World Brides June’17, photo by: Androidsinboots from Angela’s wedding

“Being able to incorporate both Chinese and Japanese customs meant a lot to both of us.

One of the most memorable moments was the sake-barrel breaking ceremony to symbolise the start of our new journey together, and for prosperity.” – Angela, 27

 

Her World Brides June’18, photo by: Samuel Goh Photography from Janani’s wedding

“We had both been avid readers when we were younger and Harry Potter was a main element of our childhood so it made sense for it to be a huge part of our wedding.

One of the highlights of the entrance decoration were the stands that held the Hogwarts student and staff name cards.

Our guests were made to look at the stand to be sorted into the house they belonged and they got to keep the student cards that were made by us!” – Janani, 26

See more of Jeanne’s wedding here, Angela’s wedding here and Janani’s wedding here.

 

#5 Get creative with your photo corner

While some might view the wedding photo-booth trend as something that has taken too much precedence at weddings, i.e: becoming a must-have, it ensures your guests come away from your wedding with at least one good photo.

That said, you can always give a refreshing spin to the idea.

Such as creating your own photo- frames, DIY backdrops or having life-sized props in your photo corner like carriages your guests can sit on.

 

#6 Entertainment – speeches, games & quizzes 

The standard wedding banquet program can get a bit too predictable – especially if you’ve been to one too many weddings and would like yours to be different from the rest.

Entertaining your guests can be easier than you think. There’s no need for a full-fledged line-up of events.

Instead, you can think of having one or two segments that will allow plenty of interaction between you and your guests.

Her World Brides Dec’18, photo by: Bloc Memoire Photography from Jocina Tan’s wedding

“We had a segment where we had our guests participate in an online quiz about us!

The top three winners walked away with vouchers and we heard from our friends and families that they enjoyed that very much.” – Jocina Tan, 27

 

And here are a few more things on the list that you can keep in mind as well:

  • Quality time / time for mingling
  • Free flow drinks
  • Clear seating arrangements
  • Good music
  • Short speeches

Also read: GORGEOUS BESPOKE WEDDING DRESSES! 15 SINGAPORE DESIGNERS TO CHECK OUT