How can I make my wedding memorable for myself, and the guests?

Question

I am 20 years old. My mom was married 2 years ago to a man that she has been with for 14 years. Our family tends to be very traditional with events such as weddings. To be honest? My moms wedding was BORING! There were about 300 people invited, and my mom didnt even get to dance becuase my grandma told her she "HAD TO" go around to all of the tables and visit with the guests.
NOT my kid of wedding.

I dont dance! but I dont want to spend my wedding walking around saying hello to people who i havnt seen since i was in diapers. My fiance and I have not set a date yet (I'd like to finish college, i have 2 more years) but we have a binder and notebook that we're putting some ideas into.

I dont want to go TOO overboard, and I wont have a lot of money (not near as much as my mom) for the wedding. My fiance and I will have to pay out of our own pockets (My father passed away, and my step father wont help)

(More details coming...)

I was thinking about having something like a magician walking around preforming small tricks for the guests...

or a comedian walking around to guests/table to talbe telling a few jokes.

We have decided that we might skip out on the professional photographer and place a few cameras on each table. I am very big on pictures (scrapbooking) so each guest will get a camera (as the favor), wrapped nicely in a nice bag..with a tag that says "A picture is worth endless memories..." (one of my sayings)...

any suggestions are welcome!

lol, im sorry that i gave the idea that i wouldnt have a dance floor. Everyone in my family (including the elderly people!) as well as all of my friends LOVE dancing. It wouldnt be a wedding without dancing (I was just trying to say that my mom was upset becuase she did not get to dance at her wedding...I wont feel deprived if i dont get to dance at my wedding HOWEVER i still dont want a wedding like my moms...where all the bride got to do was walk around and say hello)

Answer 1

its your night i say let the people come to you for the most part! also have a dance floor even if you wont use it. have fun also my cousins went to a wedding one and thee was a photo booth like how there are at the movies or sometihng hwre guests can go in and out and gwet a strip of photos. it was too cute!

Answer 2

OK. Here's some advice:

Greeting all your guests. You MUST do this. You and your fiance are hosting a party and as hosts you need to talk to your guests. One way to make your wedding memorable is to have everyone think you're rude by not taking out the time to thank your guests. It doesn't take long - keep it short and sweet.

Entertainment. I'm glad you guys thought about entertainment. I like the idea of the comedian, but it might be a little weird having some stranger walk around talking to people. It could go either way.

Photography. If you are into scrap booking, get a pro photographer. Your friends and family will not be able to take enough good pictures for you to scrapbook and you need someone to take the important shots, like the wedding party and family members. We got one of our friends to take the important shots and set up a computer where people can upload their digital pictures on to. Everyone has digital cameras and it will be a lot cheaper for you than getting film cameras. Luckily we also had some friends who were pro wedding photographers as well so we ended up with over 1000 pictures to choose from. This won't be the case with what you're planning. So if you want great pictures, get a photographer. A photo student will be just as good.

You have 2 years, so take this time to get the best deals so you can stay within budget. Good luck with your planning!

Answer 3

Hi and congratulations!

Sorry to say...your ideas are not good (at least in my opinion). A guest comes to a wedding to see and VISIT with the bride and groom. Sorry that you think your mom's wedding was boring, but the CORRECT and classy way to have a reception is to go around and chat with your guests. It doesn't need to be a 1/2 conversation...a few minutes with each guest is all that is needed..."thanks for coming...we hope you have a good time."

Why would a guest care about a magician or a comedian? If I want to hear a comedian, I will go to a "comedy night" at a bar...not to a wedding reception. And a magician is for a birthday party...not a wedding.

Save your money by cutting down your guest list. The first thing to go should be any guest, as you say, that you have not seen "since you were in diapers." DO have a PROFESSIONAL photographer. The table cameras are a waste. Kids end up grabbing them and taking all sorts of strange pictures, or they just sit there. You will never get those memories back if you don't have a professional shooting the pictures.

Just my opinion....

Answer 4

THE MOST IMPORTANT part of any wedding reception is a really, really, REALLY, great DJ. One who can keep things moving along, keep things going, keep people involved and entertained and get them up on the dance floor playing favorite songs. This of all things will keep the guests happy. That and some good food and lots of drinks available.
Don't worry about moving around being a "host". People will be coming to you since you are in your big dress and the star of the show. They will come to you to congratulate you and your husband. Don't feel like you have to invite your great uncle Bob and your second cousin Alice to your special day, if they're not people you'd even see on a yearly holiday. If they complain about not being invited, you can explain it's a small wedding for immediate relatives, and they can come by your new home to visit afterward if they'd like, and leave it at that.
I wouldn't hire a magician or anything like that, I think that may be a waste of money. Put that money into the DJ, the food and drinks. The DJ should keep the life of the party going, and you don't want to take the spotlight off of you and your husband. And above all, just have fun. Don't let anything get you down -- as long as you are in the mindset that you're not going to let anyone or anything ruin your day -- you are going to focus on you and your hubby and getting married and celebrating, you will have a wonderful time no matter what.

Note: I suggest investing in a professional photographer and not relying on the table cameras for all your pictures! Every wedding I've gone to (including my sister's) that had the table cameras in addition to the photographer -- the pictures that came from the tables were such a joke! I don't know if people were drunk when they took them, or they were being goofballs, but she got loads of pictures of plates of food, people's feet, people's noses. Some cameras were missing because people mistook them for favors! I'm NOT kidding. Don't rely on that, unless that's what you want to make an album out of. Plus they mostly come out blurry.

Also -- by saying GREAT DJ, I mean great because there are bad ones out there. A few of my good friends' weddings bombed all because the DJ was so awful. I'd get one highly recommended, with good experience to prove they can do the job and then some.

Answer 5

I really like your comedian idea who doesn't like to laugh but check him out first. a live band is always nice. for all of the guest you can at some point in the night take the mike and thank everyone for coming for all of those that you didn't get a chance to see. the closer people will come up to you anyways. Most important don't let your self get stressed over something that goes wrong because with alot of people things will go wrong. but it really isn't that big of a deal. It's your day so keep having fun and always smile. Look all i can say is do it your way and of course your fiance. HAVE FUN and enjoy being married i know i do. my sister in law got married and they put cameras on the table and they were so fun to look at we got silly face's from people we never though would do something like that. people drink and do things they might not do and you will get that on camera but i do think if you want picture of you and your new husband you won't have that with the cameras on the tables. but you will have all the guest. hope you have a great wedding...

Answer 6

It is good for the bride and groom to personally thank every guest for attending. Good ettiquet and guests appreciate it ( i know I do, otherwise you go to a wedding and don't even get to talk to the hosts). If you don't want to waste you time on people you havn't seen for years just don't invite them. It means the reception will be cheaper for you too.
Please do get the photographer. The photos from the cameras on the table will be of the guests on that table, not of you. Plus you are giving them as favours, people may not even use them on the night. You will want some professional shots of you and your husband and I can tell you right now you will regret it if you don't get them. Get the photographer, even if it is just for a hour or so.

Answer 7

First- visiting tables. I didn't do it at my wedding. I didn't have a receiving line, either. We had 120 guests. I mingled all night, and was on the dance floor most of the night. I know there are people I didn't talk to, but I didn't sweat it. I know this flies in the face of tradition, but I find the practice of "visiting tables" to be very forced and awkward. People had every opportunity to interact with me, so I don't feel bad about it. Many people have told us it was the best wedding they have ever attended, by the way.

DON'T have the table cameras as your only photos. You will be very, very disappointed. The one area you don't want to cut corners is photography. My table camera pics are awful. Two of them disappeared from the table- I guess people didn't read the little card that was next to them and thought it was a favor, I don't know. Even if you hire someone you know who is good with a camera, make sure you have someone whose only job is to take pics- otherwise you won't have any formal pictures of the two of you at all.

I honestly don't think you need anything extra to entertain people. People will take their cue from you and your new husband. If you are both having a great time and enjoying yourselves, they will, too.

Answer 8

You will greatly regret not getting photographer. All you will have are some shoddy pictures and if some idot or kid gets them in their hands you will really hate it. No pictures of you and your friends and family. Make it a magical fairy land with giant butterflies, Get an excellent band or DJ because most people want to dance even if you don't. A magician will be waste money because he won't be the entertainment for all only one table at a time.

You may want to contact an wedding coordinator for ideas to make this your special day.

Answer 9

Make your wedding as you want to. Don't worry about what other people have done. Tailor it to your needs. You should have time for dancing. The dj or band should be able to help you as well so that you can mingle with people and dance. I went around to the tables talking to people. I was able to dance a little bit too. My stepkids were there so it was a little difficult being able to dance with my husband. It won't be perfect necessarily but you do have more control over it than you may think. It sounds like you have plenty of time to iron out the details and figure out what you want. I suggest prioritizing.

Answer 10

you ought to truly like this park to comply with no music. No alcohol is undesirable sufficient whether you could continually have an after social gathering to compensate. besides, i'd say your ultimate guess is to have a take a seat dinner, or if that may not available save it user-friendly with cake and punch. i does no longer go the finger nutrition direction. Are there any activites on the park which you would be able to get the travellers in contact in? How formal is your wedding ceremony? i've got heard the latest variety is to have a number of game form video games set up like horse shoes and badmitten...