Over the past 2 weeks I’ve been talking about a major source of wedding planning stress: the friction between what you and your fiancé want your wedding to be and the expectations of everyone else. I’ve proposed that you should focus on 2 guiding principles to deal with this friction:
- Make your wedding reflect your personality
- Be good hosts
I wrote about some ideas for how to do that in this blog post that you should check out if you haven’t already.
Ultimately I think the solution is to entertain your guests in a way that reflects you. There are many ways to entertain your guests at a wedding ranging from providing a comfortable space for guests to eat and chat to having a dance floor to bringing in a performance. The possibilities are endless! Because of this, the best way to determine how you’ll entertain your guests is to think about which option is most comfortable to you and which one shows your personality.
What if we are low-key?
Some brides and grooms want a totally low-key wedding. For them, food and a nice space for guests to chat is enough. If this is you, do not feel like you need to do anything extra! You don’t need to have a dance floor or any elaborate thing to entertain your guests. They are there to love and celebrate you and if this low-key reception matches who you are, it will make total sense to them.
Dancing
It seems like most weddings these days have a ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing formula. For some, this is absolutely perfect. If you and your fiancé love to dance it out, regularly go to dance clubs with friends, or enjoy being the center of attention a dance floor can be the best option. A dance floor is also extra fun when there is a traditional dance important in your culture.
Games
Games are another great option, particularly if you don’t want to be the center of attention or don’t like to dance. Games can be either outdoor or indoor, like Wedding Bingo. The beauty of games as entertainment is that they can provide lots of options for your guests and encourage them to interact in a structured way. As an introvert, this type of entertainment is fantastic for me! It gives me something to focus on and an easy start to a conversation with someone I don’t know. If you and your fiancé host regular game nights or love carnival games, consider games as a source of entertainment.
Performance
One other option that I’d love to see used more often is a performance. We went to a wedding that had the waiters perform show tunes throughout the night. It was fantastic! And totally fit the couple! Just think of the possibilities. If you are theater people, how about writing and performing a short scene depicting how you met? Or if you're into belly dancing, what about you or a friend you dance with putting on a show? You could go old-school Full House style and be like Uncle Jesse singing to Rebecca during their reception.
Mix and Match
Remember, all of these ideas are mix and match! Just because you have a dance floor doesn’t mean you can’t also have games. The wedding we went to with the show tunes also had a playlist and guests dancing late into the night. Options can be great for your guests because not everyone will like the same thing. But if your choice of entertainment reflects your personality, your guests won’t be able to help getting caught up in your enjoyment. Entertaining your guests in a way that reflects you is the perfect way to achieve your perfect wedding.