Top 6 Things Your Weddings Guests Do NOT Care About — Emerson Fields Wedding Venue (2024)

Jun 16

Written By Gabrielle Isom

You’ve heard it said that your wedding day is all about YOU! It’s a day to reflect you as two unique people coming together as one unique couple. That’s true! Your wedding day is certainly a reflection of you, but most couples also want to ensure that their wedding guests enjoy themselves. Basically, you want your guests to walk away from your wedding and reminisce about how completely awesome it was for years to come, right?!

Top 6 Things Your Weddings Guests Do NOT Care About — Emerson Fields Wedding Venue (1)

Now time for a quick disclaimer: just because your wedding guests do not care about an element of your wedding, doesn’t mean that YOU, or your photographer, or your mother doesn’t care about it. Each couple will always have some personal and unique touches that they want to focus on for their big day. Our past brides touch on what made their guests’ experiences so special in these kind words from our brides. Let’s dig in to find out what your wedding guests don’t really care about!

1.Invitations

Before you go and trash all your beautiful, hand crafted paper invites, hear us out. It is **absolutely important** to invite people to your wedding, but at the end of the day your wedding guests will likely throw away their invitation unless it’s a bespoke, quality paper suite. The majority of your guests will not hold on to that invitation once it leaves the front of their refrigerator. BUT, you might want to keep a copy of the invitation for your own keepsake, to frame, or simply as a reminder of your big day. If you’re thinking, “HOLD THE PHONE!” because quality paper invitations with custom wax seals are your jam (okay, we kind of love them too), then by all means, splurge on them! It’s your day and if this element truly reflects you, shoot for the moon. Your guests, however, will not decide if they want to attend based off of your invitation and they typically won’t keep those past your wedding date.

2. Professional Wedding Website

We are in favor of keeping it classy and professional, but when it comes to your wedding website, your guests aren’t necessarily looking for something fancy. They want to know how to RSVP, where you’re registered, where and when to be there, and what to wear. They might peruse some of your photos, but they’re just checking in for the basics and not spending hours on your site. Find a free wedding website and add your most important info, but don’t spend all your precious planning time on it. Things you’ll definitely want on your website, but often get forgotten include: directions to your venue, lodging options, and if the ceremony is being held outdoors.

3. Bouquet Toss or Garter Toss

Don’t throw us any shade for this one! We have noticed that less and less couples decide to do these traditional elements at their wedding reception. These events take time away from socializing, can interrupt the flow of a fun dance party, and ultimately aren’t very important to your guests. Your guests are there to celebrate you getting married. They would value a quick conversation with you over seeing “all the single ladies” dive for a bouquet on the dance floor. If you need to cut something out of your wedding reception timeline, this is it! Your guests will not care and many won’t even notice.

4. The Guest Book

While it’s nice to see the signatures of those who attended the wedding, it probably will only get looked at again on very rare occasions. Plus, if it is something large, you are committing to keeping that giant wood slab/photo frame/easel for the rest of your life. Our vote? Get a nice quality book of your professional engagement photos with some blank pages for guests to sign or leave their well-wishes. (Have someone man the table so no children or quirky uncles draw on unwanted mustaches.) That way you have a physical copy of your photos and a small way to remember who was at your wedding! Otherwise, ditch it and don’t look back! Your guests will not care about the guest book at the end of the day.

5. Wedding Favors

We all love a little swag bag at the end of an event. Your guests may LIKE what you have selected for a wedding favor, but that doesn’t mean they need it, or even really want it. If you want a simple way to trim the budget, or another way to ease your planning, cut out wedding favors. Your wedding guests really don’t care if they get to take something home with them. Plus, you will likely end up dealing with all of the leftover or unwanted favors after the reception ends. That could be 100 monogrammed plastic cups that are now yours instead of theirs. Yikes! You’ve treated your guests to a delicious meal, an evening of dancing or entertainment and some co*cktails. They will likely cherish a few stolen moments to reminisce with you or your comical grand entrance to the reception over another koozie in their cabinet.

6. Long Reception

This one is important!

Let’s say your guests arrive at 4:00 PM, watch your lovely ceremony, enjoy social hour and drinks, then have a delicious dinner. The celebration really begins when the dance floor opens around 7:30 PM and by 9:00 PM they’re likely ready to head home because they’ve already spent five hours, or more, at your wedding… but your reception is supposed to last until 11:00 PM!

We can promise you that we’ve never seen a 2:00/3:00/4:00 PM wedding where there were more than a handful of people still at the reception at 11:00 PM!

Starting your ceremony too early and ending the reception too late means that you’re expecting your guests to be at your wedding for 7-8 hours. That’s too long! You want your guests to leave on a high note, thinking “Wow, that was so fun! I wish we could’ve stayed longer.” Rather than, “Ugh, that reception lasted forever! I wish we could’ve snuck out two hours ago!” Your guests do not care about a long, late reception. Rather, they want to enjoy the time they do have celebrating you. A 4-5 hour ceremony and reception is PLENTY of time to eat, celebrate and dance your way into a blissful marriage and have tons of rave reviews from your guests about your amazing wedding day.

Emerson Fields is a beautiful, private wedding venue in Missouri and is conveniently located close to Columbia.

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(660) 775-2291
35932 U.S. Highway 63
Excello, MO 65247

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As a seasoned wedding industry expert, I bring extensive knowledge and hands-on experience to the table. Over the years, I've worked closely with couples, photographers, and various professionals in the field, gaining a deep understanding of the intricacies that make a wedding truly memorable. From the significance of personalized invitations to the nuances of wedding reception timelines, I've witnessed the evolution of trends and preferences that shape these joyous occasions.

Now, delving into the content shared by Gabrielle Isom on June 16, it's evident that the article provides valuable insights into aspects of a wedding that guests might not care about as much as couples might think. Let's break down the concepts discussed:

Invitations: The article emphasizes that while invitations are crucial for inviting guests, the quality and extravagance of paper invitations may not be as appreciated by guests as much as the couple might believe. The advice is to focus on what truly reflects the couple, as guests are unlikely to keep the invitation beyond the wedding date.
Professional Wedding Website: Gabrielle suggests that guests are primarily interested in essential information on a wedding website, such as RSVP details, registry information, venue directions, and dress code. The emphasis is on simplicity and functionality, with the suggestion to avoid spending excessive planning time on the website.
Bouquet Toss or Garter Toss: The article points out that traditional elements like the bouquet toss and garter toss may not be as important to guests as they are to the couple. These events could potentially interrupt the flow of the celebration and take away from the socializing and dancing that guests are there to enjoy.
The Guest Book: While acknowledging the sentimental value of a guest book, the article suggests alternatives, such as using a quality book of engagement photos for guests to sign. The point is made that traditional large guest books may not be revisited often, and couples should consider practicality.
Wedding Favors: The article advises that while guests may like wedding favors, these items may not be essential, and cutting them out could be a practical decision to trim the budget. The potential issue of dealing with leftover or unwanted favors is also highlighted.
Long Reception: The importance of considering the duration of the wedding reception is emphasized. Guests may not necessarily appreciate a reception that extends too late into the night, and the article suggests that a 4-5 hour ceremony and reception is ample time for celebration.

In conclusion, the article provides valuable advice for couples to consider what truly matters to their guests and encourages them to focus on elements that will make the celebration enjoyable for everyone involved. As someone deeply immersed in the wedding industry, I endorse these insights as practical and considerate guidance for couples planning their special day.