Let’s begin by saying this: your wedding day is your day and whatever you say goes! Well, within reason. But as we all know, it is nigh on impossible to please everyone. Even the most well-planned weddings cannot anticipate every situation that could potentially leave a guest's feathers ruffled, but we have identified the seven most common wedding guest complaints and the good news is - it's really simple to steer clear of each one. Take a read below.
1. The Wedding Date
Remember, you will never be able to please everyone. However, choosing a date that is midweek, close to Christmas, New Year's Eve or even bank holidays may result in a few more declines than expected.
Resolution: Plenty of notice! If you are planning for a Christmas or New Year's Eve wedding, let people know well in advance. It can be harder to arrange childcare over the holidays or people might have family visiting. Remember to account for distance as well at those times of year, as it might mean people won't be able to stay overnight, or for a whole weekend if they have other events happening at the same time.
2. Invitation Stipulations
From no children, and no plus ones to no social media and cash gifts only. Invitation conditions can typically result in some rumblings from guests. But because this is your day, do not to let anyone make you feel bad about any decisions you make. These are all very valid requests.
Resolution: If the 'no children' or 'no plus ones' stipulation is an issue, think about hosting a day two that is more laid back and allows guests to come along with their partners or kids. As for the invitations, make your requests clear. Make it clear by writing the name of the guest on your envelope and invite, and make any stipulations quite visible.
3. Not Enough Notice
This wedding guest complaint is most common for destination weddings or weddings that are two-day events in a far-flung part of the country. If this is the case try to send your invites out earlier than usual, with enough time to also invite your B list, or even your C list if you get a few declines.
Resolution: Send out your save the date cards or invites to your A list as soon as you can. Add as much information as necessary about the accommodation and flights and ask people to RSVP. Guests must have enough time to schedule childcare, plan their own family holidays, and request time off work.
4. Accommodation Availability
If your venue is booked out in advance with your family and closest friends, guests may need to look for alternative options nearby. You will have enough planning to do without having to find accommodation for all your guests so to avoid grumbling we suggest the below.
Resolution: Talk to your wedding planner or coordinator, as they will have recommendations from previous weddings. Attach all options for B&Bs, guesthouses, Airbnbs, etc with contact numbers and websites to your wedding invite or wedding website. Trust us, your guests will appreciate this a lot!
5. Not Enough Food or Drink
Guests chowing down on toasted sandwiches from the bar menu during your drinks reception is the last thing you want to see! But hangry wedding guests definitely make the most complaints. If you have a big gap between the ceremony and the dinner reception, or people have travelled a long way that morning, guests will undoubtedly be ravenous when it comes to the post-ceremony drinks reception and you don't want them ruining their appetites for the fabulous meal to come.
Resolution: Order plenty of canapes, and hold a reserve of food and bubbles for late arrivals, who might be busy checking into accommodation, or taking photos - particularly the wedding party.
6. Seating Plan
Ah, the table plan. The politics of this might cause you to go grey prematurely, not to mention trying to ensure everyone is seated with people they know or will enjoy hanging out with. However, you will have some aunties looking to be seated here, and friends not wanting to be sitting here. It's worth taking the time to create a thoughtful seating plan as soon as you have the majority of your RSVPs back.
Resolution: If you find yourself in a dead end, speak with your wedding coordinator or planner. Your wedding venue can help with table sizes and placement. Choose a few smaller tables, or perhaps one or two large trestle tables, rather than packing a few strangers together in no-man's land. If everyone's having a good time, then it will add to the buzz of your day.
7. Never Ending Speeches
Remember, if you choose to have your wedding speeches before your meal, you need to keep them to a strict timing to avoid overcooked meat and the resounding echoes hungry tummies. The same applies for after the meal, you don’t want to be looking at post-meal yawns or your wedding band giving you ‘wrap it up’ hand signals!
Resolution: This a simple one to avoid, ask your speakers to rehearse and time themselves. We highly recommend reading this post too as it has everything you need to know: How to stop your speeches going on too long.
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