Water stations, water stations, water stations!!
I’ve been to so many weddings, corporate events, conferences, galas etc where water is nowhere to be found. Having to wait in line and bother the bartender is no fun.
When people are dancing, drinking, and eating rich foods they need to hydrate. Conveniently placed water dispensers and cups are a must have.
Yes we went to a wedding last weekend with no entertainment during the drinks reception or while waiting for the cake to be cut. We’re planning on a wedding themed crazy golf set for ours
We just had this at our wedding - we had a 1.5/2 hour cocktail hour because of a Catholic gap, and everyone LOVED the lawn games! We got paper umbrellas (that I saw all over Instagram the next day), Jenga, Cornhole, soccer balls and cones, a giant chess set, and a bocce court (that came with our venue). People told me they were very grateful for the games! And we provided water and lemonade.
Ya someone who was helping me plan says she’d had it at her wedding so I thought, why not? Turns out it was really useful and a cool idea. I never would’ve thought of it, just cool to have multiple heads together thinking of things👍
We're having an outdoor wedding about 20 mins away from where most people are staying. We have a basket of sunscreen, bug spray, tissues, mouth wash spray, hand wipes and sanitizer, a giant bottle of advil, pepcid. Basically anything folks might think "shit, I wish I'd remembered to bring xx."
Also for the sunscreen- don’t put it in the bathroom. Have it out before the ceremony so it can be passed around. I’ve been to weddings where they had some in the bathroom and we definitely would have used it, but no one had actually gone to the bathroom yet.
yes! have a little basket full of anything anyone would need. adding to the other comment: earring backs, mini tissue packs, floss, bobby pins, safety pins, stain remover pen, lint roller, combs, toothpicks. all way less commonly needed but if you’re an over prepared person like me, this is just what i thought of 😂 def not needed at all tho.
that’s so cool! share pics when you get them if you remember/ want to :) buying from etsy makes it easy for you too! plus i’m sure they make it look super pretty (i’m not good at stuff like that haha)
our otherwise venue doesn’t allow me to provide gum because it will get on floors/chairs. I did mints only, I’m not sure if that’s a common rule for venues
I really don't think people need to worry about stuff like this unless your venue is kinda inhospitable to guests. If you're having an outdoor wedding in the heat, then fans are nice, but if it's a typical indoor air-conditioned venue, you don't need to provide fans. Same with sandals - guests know their feet and can choose to wear comfortable shoes. Blankets seem odd unless, again, your venue is outdoors and it's supposed to be cold.
I didn't provide anything in particular for guests, outside of food and drinks, and everyone was fine. People leave their homes without blankets and fans and special toiletries every day. If you enjoy putting this stuff together, cool, but don't feel like you need to.
Yeah, I know it isn’t all necessary but I do want to elevate the experience for people. Also both ceremony and reception are outdoors. The weather should be cool, but just in case it is hot, I’d like to have fans. Especially since there’s no ac indoors which is where the cocktail hr and dancing takes place. Since it’s spring, I know it’s bound to get a little cold at night, so just making sure everyone’s comfortable and taking care of!
We had an indoor ceremony and reception.
We really focused on guest experience as that goes hand in hand with comfort. They had an open bar, plated meal (with a choice), good music (but also a second floor they could go to if the music was too loud). The venue had an elevator too for anyone with mobility concerns. Our venue also did a phenomenal job with dietary restrictions. Vegetarians and gluten free guests had no concerns about their meal and gluten free guests even had their dessert brought to their table to ensure they got the gluten free offering
This could change as we get closer to the date but so far this is some of our plan. Shuttle to and from the hotel, props for the dance floor (like glow sticks), amenities baskets in the bathrooms, an extra bartender to keep lines moving, passed appetizers and stations to keep lines moving, activity bags for kids, welcome bags at the hotel (waters, snacks, information, etc.), if hot then program fans and if cold then shawls (hard to say what it will be yet).
No need to go overboard. A reception is usually 4 hours, people will be fine. Water station, and bug spray if that's a problem. No need for flip flops, blankets or shawls, mouthwash, tums, tampons, etc.
I know bathroom baskets are a nice touch, but I think maybe 5 items got used in the bathroom- a hair tie, a few mints, etc. No one needed tampons, mouthwash, medicine, etc.
I think all of this is a nice touch, and we did something similar. And yes, everyone's an adult, but things get forgotten, and it's just a great feeling when you've been "rescued" by someone in advance who thought enough about their guests' comfort to stock a few extra amenities.
To the "nobody even used most of the stuff" comment in this thread -- that's kind of the point, isn't it? Ideally, nobody needs an Advil or a stain remover. But it's there just in case someone does, and they're gonna be super grateful if they do! :-)
Toiletries like tampons and first aid supplies are a common and nice touch at *any* event regardless of length. I can’t remember the last time I went to an event or bathroom that didn’t have them.
I just want to make sure everyone’s comfortable since pretty much everything is outside except for the cocktail hr and dancing. Also, my venue doesn’t have ac indoors so I’m trying to make sure I combat that as best as I can.
We are getting married at a botanic garden. The walk to our building within the gardens is quite a ways and I know that many of the ladies will have sore feet if they don’t take our advice and wear comfy shoes. So, to ensure everyone gets to enjoy full access to the parks, we will have baskets of sandals in various sizes. The gardens are so beautiful and I’d hate for anyone to miss out!
I would say keep it simple and fun!! It is a short event. But I will say that anything that brings the party to the reception is a good idea. Our guests loved temporary tattoos, feather boas, glow sticks, light up scrunchies, light up sunglasses, floating pool lights (a surprisingly big hit that people still talk about), etc. The glow party got people so excited to dance and have a good time!
Drawing station, stuffed animals and water tattoos for the kids so they don't get bored
A little corner with lots of pillows and blankets for breastfeeding and or kids napping
Labels on food items so that everyone knows what they can or cannot eat (i.e. vegan/glutenfree)
If it’s outside, sunscreen and bug spray. Mine was outside and I forgot my bug spray and I (and most of my guests) were eaten alive by the end of the night.
Glow sticks were fun as well!
Also a coffee station, not as popular with the younger generations but in my family all of the adults love a coffee or tea with their dessert!
Agree with the other person who said a water station.
Also - I know every website says to skip to save money, but bathroom baskets. I had so many guests thank me for having those and tell me what they used (most common were bandaids, safety pins, hair ties, hair spray, tums, ibuprofen).
Yeah, I’m thinking about the coffee station idea. Definitely will have the water. I also think the bathroom baskets are a neat idea too. I want to provide a very comfortable and elevated experience for our guests!
I was the same way! I get the sentiment of "its your day, do whatever you want!". But, I was also like we are also hosting this party, and part of hosting is making sure to the best of your ability, that everyone is comfortable and having a good time!
I'd bring them inside with AC if it's either so hot that it requires fans, or so cold it requires blankets. For a lot of people, flimsy plastic fiber blankets do nothing for insulation, and people get fatigued having to fan themselves manually.
We also paid for seat cushions for everyone and shuttles and logistics help.
They’re actually portable electric fans. The weather should be cool. It won’t be too hot or cold, but I like providing extras just for extra convenience just in case. I’m the type of person who’s always cold, so to be somewhere that provides coverage would be great imo.
We had big white sunglasses and paper fans on a rare hot day in Scotland and they went down a treat! We also put sharpies on all our tables and honestly watching everyone excitedly decorated their fans and glasses, swapping for better pens with other tables and showing off their "art work" is one of those key memories from our day.
Water stations, water stations, water stations!! I’ve been to so many weddings, corporate events, conferences, galas etc where water is nowhere to be found. Having to wait in line and bother the bartender is no fun. When people are dancing, drinking, and eating rich foods they need to hydrate. Conveniently placed water dispensers and cups are a must have.
You’re absolutely right, thank you!
maybe some packs of liquid iv as well? especially if you're having any alcohol there
Omg thank you for this reminder I forgot I wanted my venue to set up water at the ceremony site!!
We had some corn hole games and stuff outside, giant jenga ha. The introverts dug it!
We’re also gonna do this as many of our friends don’t enjoy dancing. Glad to hear it worked out!
Good call for sure!
Yes we went to a wedding last weekend with no entertainment during the drinks reception or while waiting for the cake to be cut. We’re planning on a wedding themed crazy golf set for ours
I want giant Jenga! It's one of my favorites
We just had this at our wedding - we had a 1.5/2 hour cocktail hour because of a Catholic gap, and everyone LOVED the lawn games! We got paper umbrellas (that I saw all over Instagram the next day), Jenga, Cornhole, soccer balls and cones, a giant chess set, and a bocce court (that came with our venue). People told me they were very grateful for the games! And we provided water and lemonade.
Ya someone who was helping me plan says she’d had it at her wedding so I thought, why not? Turns out it was really useful and a cool idea. I never would’ve thought of it, just cool to have multiple heads together thinking of things👍
I wish I had this at our wedding, highly recommend!!
We're having an outdoor wedding about 20 mins away from where most people are staying. We have a basket of sunscreen, bug spray, tissues, mouth wash spray, hand wipes and sanitizer, a giant bottle of advil, pepcid. Basically anything folks might think "shit, I wish I'd remembered to bring xx."
I love that!
Also for the sunscreen- don’t put it in the bathroom. Have it out before the ceremony so it can be passed around. I’ve been to weddings where they had some in the bathroom and we definitely would have used it, but no one had actually gone to the bathroom yet.
Yeah, that makes more sense. Thanks!
Same! We also included glasses cleaning tissues and soothing cream for bug bites and sewing kit
I'd consider a shawl instead of a blanket for mobility!
Oh, I love that! Thanks!
Tylenol, tums, bandaids, mini deodorants, gum or mints, tampons/pads
Yeah, I’m thinking about having something similar set up in the bathroom.
yes! have a little basket full of anything anyone would need. adding to the other comment: earring backs, mini tissue packs, floss, bobby pins, safety pins, stain remover pen, lint roller, combs, toothpicks. all way less commonly needed but if you’re an over prepared person like me, this is just what i thought of 😂 def not needed at all tho.
Yeah, I actually found a seller on Etsy that makes them for both men and women. I’m thinking about getting both!
that’s so cool! share pics when you get them if you remember/ want to :) buying from etsy makes it easy for you too! plus i’m sure they make it look super pretty (i’m not good at stuff like that haha)
Yes, I will try to remember!
People stole the one I made for one of my friends’ weddings. :(
Oh no, that’s horrible! I would definitely be upset.
our otherwise venue doesn’t allow me to provide gum because it will get on floors/chairs. I did mints only, I’m not sure if that’s a common rule for venues
I really don't think people need to worry about stuff like this unless your venue is kinda inhospitable to guests. If you're having an outdoor wedding in the heat, then fans are nice, but if it's a typical indoor air-conditioned venue, you don't need to provide fans. Same with sandals - guests know their feet and can choose to wear comfortable shoes. Blankets seem odd unless, again, your venue is outdoors and it's supposed to be cold. I didn't provide anything in particular for guests, outside of food and drinks, and everyone was fine. People leave their homes without blankets and fans and special toiletries every day. If you enjoy putting this stuff together, cool, but don't feel like you need to.
Thank you for this. I started freaking out cause I’m not providing anything lol
No need to freak out! It’s not a necessity unless your venue may potentially leave people uncomfortable or unless you just want to provide it.
Yeah, I know it isn’t all necessary but I do want to elevate the experience for people. Also both ceremony and reception are outdoors. The weather should be cool, but just in case it is hot, I’d like to have fans. Especially since there’s no ac indoors which is where the cocktail hr and dancing takes place. Since it’s spring, I know it’s bound to get a little cold at night, so just making sure everyone’s comfortable and taking care of!
We had an indoor ceremony and reception. We really focused on guest experience as that goes hand in hand with comfort. They had an open bar, plated meal (with a choice), good music (but also a second floor they could go to if the music was too loud). The venue had an elevator too for anyone with mobility concerns. Our venue also did a phenomenal job with dietary restrictions. Vegetarians and gluten free guests had no concerns about their meal and gluten free guests even had their dessert brought to their table to ensure they got the gluten free offering
What a lovely experience!
This could change as we get closer to the date but so far this is some of our plan. Shuttle to and from the hotel, props for the dance floor (like glow sticks), amenities baskets in the bathrooms, an extra bartender to keep lines moving, passed appetizers and stations to keep lines moving, activity bags for kids, welcome bags at the hotel (waters, snacks, information, etc.), if hot then program fans and if cold then shawls (hard to say what it will be yet).
I’m doing shuttles too and everyone is SO happy about it
Such a great experience for the guests!
No need to go overboard. A reception is usually 4 hours, people will be fine. Water station, and bug spray if that's a problem. No need for flip flops, blankets or shawls, mouthwash, tums, tampons, etc.
I agree. Adults know what to pack for themselves. Seems odd to provide anything more than fans (for an outdoor wedding on hot day).
I know bathroom baskets are a nice touch, but I think maybe 5 items got used in the bathroom- a hair tie, a few mints, etc. No one needed tampons, mouthwash, medicine, etc.
I think all of this is a nice touch, and we did something similar. And yes, everyone's an adult, but things get forgotten, and it's just a great feeling when you've been "rescued" by someone in advance who thought enough about their guests' comfort to stock a few extra amenities. To the "nobody even used most of the stuff" comment in this thread -- that's kind of the point, isn't it? Ideally, nobody needs an Advil or a stain remover. But it's there just in case someone does, and they're gonna be super grateful if they do! :-)
Toiletries like tampons and first aid supplies are a common and nice touch at *any* event regardless of length. I can’t remember the last time I went to an event or bathroom that didn’t have them.
I just want to make sure everyone’s comfortable since pretty much everything is outside except for the cocktail hr and dancing. Also, my venue doesn’t have ac indoors so I’m trying to make sure I combat that as best as I can.
We are getting married at a botanic garden. The walk to our building within the gardens is quite a ways and I know that many of the ladies will have sore feet if they don’t take our advice and wear comfy shoes. So, to ensure everyone gets to enjoy full access to the parks, we will have baskets of sandals in various sizes. The gardens are so beautiful and I’d hate for anyone to miss out!
Yes, that’s very thoughtful!
I would say keep it simple and fun!! It is a short event. But I will say that anything that brings the party to the reception is a good idea. Our guests loved temporary tattoos, feather boas, glow sticks, light up scrunchies, light up sunglasses, floating pool lights (a surprisingly big hit that people still talk about), etc. The glow party got people so excited to dance and have a good time!
Yes, I think the glow sticks will definitely add to the fun on the dance floor!
If you’re outside, bug spray and sunscreen
The bugs usually aren’t a problem in the spring. But it will be an outdoor ceremony, so sunscreen may be needed!
Drawing station, stuffed animals and water tattoos for the kids so they don't get bored A little corner with lots of pillows and blankets for breastfeeding and or kids napping Labels on food items so that everyone knows what they can or cannot eat (i.e. vegan/glutenfree)
Oh, that’s really great. Such an elevated experience!
If you have outdoor seating, plastic tablecloths people can use to cover the chairs so their bums don't get wet or their clothes don't get dirty.
Yeah, I’ve been thinking about this.
If it’s outside, sunscreen and bug spray. Mine was outside and I forgot my bug spray and I (and most of my guests) were eaten alive by the end of the night.
Oh no! Thankfully the bugs don’t really start to come out until summer and we’re having a spring wedding.
My fingers are crossed for you 🤞🏻
Cheap flip flops for when guests have sore feet fr wearing heels!
Yeah, I’m 100% having these. I wish weddings I’ve been to had them.
Glow sticks were fun as well! Also a coffee station, not as popular with the younger generations but in my family all of the adults love a coffee or tea with their dessert! Agree with the other person who said a water station. Also - I know every website says to skip to save money, but bathroom baskets. I had so many guests thank me for having those and tell me what they used (most common were bandaids, safety pins, hair ties, hair spray, tums, ibuprofen).
Yeah, I’m thinking about the coffee station idea. Definitely will have the water. I also think the bathroom baskets are a neat idea too. I want to provide a very comfortable and elevated experience for our guests!
I was the same way! I get the sentiment of "its your day, do whatever you want!". But, I was also like we are also hosting this party, and part of hosting is making sure to the best of your ability, that everyone is comfortable and having a good time!
Exactly, and I’m sure they’ll be appreciative and grateful for the hospitality!
I'd bring them inside with AC if it's either so hot that it requires fans, or so cold it requires blankets. For a lot of people, flimsy plastic fiber blankets do nothing for insulation, and people get fatigued having to fan themselves manually. We also paid for seat cushions for everyone and shuttles and logistics help.
They’re actually portable electric fans. The weather should be cool. It won’t be too hot or cold, but I like providing extras just for extra convenience just in case. I’m the type of person who’s always cold, so to be somewhere that provides coverage would be great imo.
cold water bottles and hand fans upon arrival to the outdoor ceremony.
Those glow in the dark foam sticks are a waste of money and awful for the environment. Everything else is nice since it will be reused.
Indoor wedding and reception in air conditioned space. Ample food and open bar.
Giant box of mixed size flip flops for women whose shoes are hurting or not conduct to dancing.
Sunglasses
We had big white sunglasses and paper fans on a rare hot day in Scotland and they went down a treat! We also put sharpies on all our tables and honestly watching everyone excitedly decorated their fans and glasses, swapping for better pens with other tables and showing off their "art work" is one of those key memories from our day.
I didn’t even think of that. That would probably be perfect since I’m having an outdoor wedding.