First of all, may we offer our hearty congratulations to both of you. The question has been popped (well done, sir. It’s always terrifying), and now you can begin building your dream day around the things and people that you love most.
Working out how to please all of your guests can be a daunting process – some will prefer house music to The Rat Pack, there will be dietary requirements to consider, facilities to demand and locations to think about. The best way to make sure you cover all of your corners is to see the event from your guest’s point of view. The day is entirely about you two, of course – but there is a little something you can do to ensure you’ve considered everyone’s needs – something that requires no more than a spare hour, some paper, some pens, and your order of events for the day. First, divide your list of guests up into categories. We’ve always found that ‘Elderly’, ‘Child’, ‘Peers’ and ‘Parents’ make good titles for these groups. Now, pick a category, and start writing down the order of the day according to what that group of guests will experience. Elderly – are there stairs up to the venue? Is there a disabled toilet nearby? Is the food suitable? Are the jokes or music too risqué? Etc. Child – what can I play with while the parents are being boring? Where can I go for quiet time if I start acting up during the ceremony? Am I old enough for the grown up food yet, and do child’s meals have to be ordered for me? What time do I need to leave, and is there somewhere quiet I can nap? How far does Daddy have to carry me to the car? Etc. Peers – for Bobby, the music is important. The food needs to absorb the alcohol. It’s probably a good idea to force some water down myself. And it might also be a plan to keep me away from Nana Patsy, who can’t abide scruffiness. For Karen, my high heels dig into the lawn. There’s no mirror in the bathroom for my make up touch-ups. Can I put my child down to play so I know he’ll be safe while I eat? Parents – how’s the wine? I don’t really want to see everyone smoking. This music has swearing in it! Are there plenty of soft drinks as well? Perhaps a more upmarket recommendation for nearby hotels and B&Bs to stay in afterwards? You get the idea. By the end of this exercise, you’ll be able to map out your wedding from your guest’s point of view. You shouldn’t have to change anything about the core style, theme and atmosphere of your day – but it does allow you to make tweaks and small changes to ensure everybody is accommodated. Get in touch with Next Level Music here (http://www.nextlevelmusic.co.uk/#!contact/ctwr) to have a chat with us about music for the reception, or have a read of our blog entitled Planning Your Wedding Day Entertainment (yet to be written, insert link later) to start gathering some inspiration! #weddingplanner #planning #wedding #band #music #live #livemusicuk #weddingbandsuk #functionbands #nextlevelmusic #nextlevelallstars #londonpartyband #showbandlondon #bestweddingbands #weddingDJs