Best and worst of weddings-- what are some great and not-so-great things you have seen at weddings and why???

Question

What are the 5 best things that you remember about some of the weddings that you have attended and what was it about them that made them so wonderful??? (e.g., the food [what type], the cake, the band, the music played, the flowers, the time of day the wedding was, the place the wedding was held at, etc...) If I have to spend $$, I want it to be on something worthwhile that guest will appreciate! On the flip side, what are some of the worst things that you have seen/ experienced at a wedding??

Answer 1

BEST:
-- shuttles from the main hotel to the church to the reception and back to the hotel (avoids drunk driving AND helps all the out-of-towners)
-- having an actual band... like a swing band that can do some popular hits
-- open bar
-- aura of "fun" not stuffy
-- DJ who has a HUGE selection so that all requests can be accomodated (we were at a cousin's wedding once and we have a family song -- I know, lame! -- but the DJ didn't have it.. .now all cousins have to be certain prior to hiring the dj that he'll have that song!)


WORST:
-- appetizer buffet as the only food
-- only beer and wine served (cash bar -- if you're going to make people pay for liquor, at least serve liquor!)
-- guests who don't understand the dress-code and demeanor expected at a wedding/reception
-- having the reciption 45 minutes away and 2 hours after the ceremony

Answer 2

Here are some things that I enjoyed at weddings that I've attended: #1- food(because everything is prepared by close family and friends and not catered), #2-the DJ, #3- the wedding march (it's always some kind of dance move), #4- the reception(for a minute, you'll think you're at a club), and #5- the cake (it's prepared by grandma) Here are the bad things: #1- the wedding party is 2 hours late to the wedding, #2- the bridemaids' dresses look like what whores would wear, #3- too many people in the wedding. (20 bridesmaids, 20 groomsmen, 2 flower girls, 2 candy girls, 2 preachers, and a junior bride and bridegroom), and #4- people bringing alcohol when there's an open bar. Oh, did I mention that this was an african american wedding!

Answer 3

The last wedding I went to the cake was dry. The wedding itself was at a ski resort that is used in the summer to host parties. The place where the guests were had HUGE windows and the sun was blaring in so you could barely see. They has some singer up there who really struggled through the song. On the walls they had tacked up some table cloths to cover the bathrooms that we were sitting right next to. To top it off, someone came in smelling like they had been smoking Mary J!

Ok now upstairs to the reception. While the hall itself upstaris was GORGEOUS, they had more tables than guests and lots of the tables couldnt see the floor, in fact, they were technically in a different room. I thought that would have been ok if they would have invited the guests who sat at the other end of the world to move closer to the event. Where we were seated we could barely see the couple.

Alcohol. the guests were told it was an open bar however, they were not clear as to what was the open bar, so many guests went up there expecting a "drink" while in fact it was a wine, beer and pop open bar. They did have a table set up to BYOB, but no one knew about this, therefore no one had any. Mu fiance and his friend went to the liquor store to grab a small bottle to share at the table.

The couple didnt greet the guests at the tables (i am used to that) but rather stood in a receiving line (makes it very uncomfortable)

The grooms biological mother showed up (invited at last minute) and got in an arguement with the step mom. DRAMA!! Oh yeah and the room was cold too until the owner turned up the heat.

Food was alright...

I hate bad food, bad music, not being able to see, and everything i said above. Also- some people wore jeans!!!! with dirty shirts!!!

What makes a wedding good for me is good food, lots of dancing, interation with guests by the bridal party, and seeing all the personal little touches that reflect the couple.

Her wedding wasnt horrible- just not one that I would like to have myself.

Answer 4

Here are somethings I find important in a wedding.....

First of all make it personal a true expression of you and your fiance. For example I am Italian and he is Cuban so I created a best of both world scenario. #1 Great food, pick a location that has great food trust me it matters (at least in an Italian wedding) #2 Music, I am actually having a band and DJ to accommodate both families. The DJ will be in charge and play my "Italian" music where as the band is a 7 piece salsa band and the Cuban side will love this! #3 If possible "Open Bar" this is so important in my family it is a mere slap in the face when someone has to pay for their own drinks. One way I have found to "control" this is during dinner have wine service only and don't open the bar until after dinner. This helps lower your cost and controls guests overall consumption. #4 Details....like mentioned before I also am having a Cigar Roller hand roll cigars at my wedding during the cocktail hour it's a huge surprise and I love how it ties into the Cuban theme! There are so many options out there just research and good luck!!

Answer 5

I went to a wedding where the mother was the coordinator and she had implemented everything for every wedding that she did for her daughter's wedding. The wedding was so long and the space was so small. She had made a video that had questions about when they first met and everything. She even had the bride and groom's daughter christened at the wedding. (This was all apart of the ceremony) Then she called everyone who owned her a favor and asked her to cook a dish for the reception and she expected it to be free, so it was a potluck reception, but the ironic thing is that her uncle is a caterer. That was the worst thing about a wedding that I ever been to.
The best thing is seeing true love before my eyes! Seeing my family have dance contests! Seeing my family! Seeing old people try to act young and do the dances that they see on B.E.T.! Eating great food! (The D.J. and the caterer are a must have)

Answer 6

5 best things...

1. at midnight they did a "carnival hour"...the music all the sudden changed, people came out carrying elegant eye masks, horns, beads, feather headbands/hats, etc...a waiter had a little push cart covered with a table cloth with tequila shots lined up along with a chaser shot, as he walked through the crowd of people he tooted on a horn. It was cool because people that didn't have a drink all night had a shot.

2. A mariachi band closed the night
3. ice cream cake, people really bragged about that alot
4. For a "black tie" wedding all of the girls wore black dresses, with each bouquet being a different bright color.
5. the videographer did a few really cute things for this wedding video....1. he made the bride spin so that she looked as though she went from wearing a silk rode to wearing her gown in 2 seconds, very cinderella like, made the bridal party do very "beatle" like things...the abbey road album cover

6. this couple had a local cigar shop set up a display and they hand rolled cigars upon request...really cute people really used the balcony of their location


Worst things...
1. the dj played a toni bennet concert on the screen during dinner
2. the food offered was "ethnic"...it was typical spanish food which isn't a bad thing necessarily but perhaps the choices weren't things that everyone would eat, like fried plantains for example.
3. sunday weddings when everyone has work the next day.
4. "cocktail style wedding" where they purposely allow for minimal seating in hopes that people will mingle...well diasabled adults should be promised seating...if you know what i mean
5. really long speaches/slide show

Answer 7

some of the best things i liked about weddings,
1. this wedding i went to gave the guest fudge for our favors
2. from the same wedding the table cards telling you were sitting weren't numbers but places the couple visited
3.i love the picture slide show
thats it for things i love at the wedding
worst things at the weddings
1. drunk brides
2. drunk brides call her husband's cousin a cee u next tuesday.
3. the drunk brides braidsmaids throwning a glass of red wine on the cousin
4. sushi at a wedding
5. the bride and the groom taking all the leftovers home. i know that you paid for the food but seriously. a doggie bag !!

have a great wedding day

Answer 8

5 best things:
* Hire a band, not a DJ...it really sets the mood of the party and gets people dancing.
*Get the open bar...it is rude not to supply your guests with alcohol
*Extra lighting...it gives the reception site that little extra ambiance and makes it very warm for guests
*Sit-down, plated dinner...it is more personal and shows the guests that you care
*Sparkler send-off...how great to give your guests sparklers and have them lined up to send you and your hubby off?? Have them form two lines and an arch and walk through them, very nice.

4 worst things:
*Buffet lines...unless you really can't afford a sit-down dinner, do not do a buffet. It is not personal and doesn't feel like a wedding.
*Money dance...unless it is a family tradition or custom your guests are used to, don't do it. It is tacky to keep asking for money.
*Garter toss...it is very outdated and, honestly, a little tacky. No one will miss it, I promise.
*Not hiring a wedding planner...save yourself the time and money and hire one from the beginning. They have vendors on speed-dial and can get you great deals that will actually save you a bundle in the end!

Answer 9

WORST:
1. Having all the bridal party gathered in the door way of the church so you could hardly walk in and enjoy the scenery.
2. The wedding started late
3. groom walking down the isle before the bride... he missed her whole entrance.

BEST
Immediatly following the ceremony, hor d'houvers hour followed by the dinner and dance, that way there is no long break between your wedding and reception, your guests will appreciate it.
2. Tall ROSE centerpieces, they were beautiful,
3. Good party favor like a cookie, I hate the hershey kisses, and little bubbles, that is overplayed and its junk.

Answer 10

Well i havent been to many weddings, i ve had one myself and if you're thinking of having one, then here is one thing i messed up on and that i Regret: I didnt invite the people i should've! I got caught up with my financials and how much money for how many people (cause i was on a very low budget) and when it came to handing out the invitations i decided to invite alot of old friends from high school that i hadnt really heard much from in about a year, and old family members that i hadnt seen in even longer, instead of the people i see everyday like co-workers, and neighbors, and acquaintances. To make a story short, yeah..those old high school buddies...remain old HIGH SCHOOL buddies, cuz only about a handful showed up. And those old relatives, Forget It! Less than a handful. So needless to say there were ALOT OF EMPTY SEATS and ALOT OF LEFT OVER FOOD. which equals out to ALOT of Wasted money (and a little bit of a grudge against those people).

But oh well, you live you learn. i still enjoyed my wedding, how could i not it was the greatest day of my life! but the guilt and looks that i had to deal with afterwards really SUCKED.

So thats my advice to anyone when it comes to weddings. Invite the people that matter to you Right Now. Because more than likely You matter to Them just as equally.