This isn’t just a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all wedding. It’s YOUR wedding. And if you really want to make it memorable for the special people in your life, try a few of these WOW factors.
Engagement party – not! Invite your closest relatives and friends to celebrate your engagement, and let them know it’s important to you that they be there. Then, surprise them with your actual wedding ceremony! Only your parents and attendants need know in advance. The rest of your guests will be thrilled! You won’t get a table full of gifts. But you won’t have the stress of gift registries, and you won’t have to endure that endless unsolicited advice about how to put on your wedding the way someone else wants it!
Presto, change-o! It’s common in many Asian weddings for the bride to have two different gowns and a cocktail dress for dancing. There’s no reason you can’t do the same thing. You may opt for a gown that can be partially stripped away to reveal a shorter dress more suitable for the dance floor. The groom may ditch his tux for a comfortable blazer, or just lose the jacket and keep the vest.
A chat room. But not the online kind. Create a comfortable lounge area, away from the dance floor, where guests who want to visit with one another can do so in a relaxed setting. Or if your venue has a fire pit, set up some seats around it.
Instagram your wedding. Create a hashtag where your guests can post their favorite “OMG! They did it!” photos in real time.
Make your First Dance something special. If your schedules permit it, sign up with a dance studio and learn a 3-minute choreographed dance. You’ll get the loudest applause of the night!
Keep the food and drink flowing. In addition to your bar, set up snack and Champagne stations around the room – anything from a s’mores bar to a mashed potato bar, from a gelato bar to a cotton candy machine or a popcorn machine.
Spring a photo booth on ‘em! It can be either a picture booth or a video booth. Be sure it includes lots of great props, like funny hats, oversized glasses, feather boas and so forth. Your guests will love to share their own personalities, and you’ll end up with some of your most memorable photos of your big night.
A late night refill. Imagine your guests’ delight when you put out a spread of pizza, or hot dogs, or cheeseburgers or pretzels, just as your dancers are getting hungry again.
A special group photo. Arrange a sparkler or bubble sendoff for the newlyweds, and gather everyone together for a huge group picture. It doesn’t have to be when the party is over. You can take the photo, then return to the party!
A designated after-party venue. 6 hours may not be enough, and a lot of your guests may want to keep the party going, even after your reception venue closes. So choose an after-hours place that can accommodate a few dozen friends, and have your DJ end your reception by announcing where the after-party will be held.
These are just a few ways to set your wedding apart from all those ordinary ones! Your guests will remember your special night for years, and you’ll have great pictures and memories to treasure when you’re both old and gray.
© Fourth Estate Audio, 2018 – Jay Congdon is president of Fourth Estate Audio, a professional Chicago DJ and Chicago Wedding DJ company.
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