5 Ways To Keep Your Wedding Guests Happy While You Sneak Off For Photos
5 Ways To Keep Your Wedding Guests Happy While You Sneak Off For Photos
When we’re chatting with our couples in the lead-up to their weddings, they sometimes bring up their worries about keeping their guests happy, especially during cocktail hour — which is the time between your ceremony and your reception.
The truth is, keeping your guests happy while you’re off getting photos doesn’t need to be complicated at all. Just stick to a few simple ideas, and everyone will feel comfortable, relaxed, and included.
1 — Don’t Overthink it!
When you’re planning your wedding, it’s really easy to fall into the trap of thinking you need heaps of things to keep your guests entertained during cocktail hour, such as lawn games, themed activities and little stations scattered all over the place.
But here’s the honest truth from all the weddings that we’ve been a part of…
90% of the time, they barely get touched.
At this point of your wedding day, Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs runs the show.
Most of your guests will just want the basics:
✓︎ Something to drink.
✓︎ Something to eat.
✓︎ A comfy spot to relax.
✓︎ To know what’s happening next.
✓︎ To be around people they know and love.
Nail those five things and your guests will be pretty much set.
If you do want to add something extra, just make sure that it’s something effortless for guests to dip their toes in and out of. A photobooth always wins at this time of day (instead of later at night) because it’s simple, proven fun that requires zero explanation.
But if all you have is a beautiful deck overlooking a beach, a breezy garden full of comfy chairs, or a cosy area where people can mingle freely, you will do way more for your guests comfort levels than anything else!
2 — Get your Family Photos done early
We’ll almost always do your group and family photos straight after the ceremony, right after the hugs have finished. Everyone’s already gathered together, the energy is high and no one has wandered off just yet (except for that one uncle who needs to toilet, badly!).
We’ll have your list of family photos ready to go and we always recruit one of your loud, well-known guests to help wrangle the troops nice and quickly.
Keeping your family photo list short and sweet — which usually means immediate family, or close to it — does wonders for you and your guests’ experience during cocktail hour:
✓︎ It’s quick and organised, so your guests won’t get bored or restless.
✓︎ Your guests aren’t hopping in and out of multiple photos, which would definitely happen if we get the Aunties, Uncles and Cousins involved!
✓︎ Everyone knows where to be, so there’s no waiting or confusion.
This way, your guests feel included, they feel relaxed and they can move straight on to enjoying drinks, chats and the relaxing atmosphere of your venue without feeling like they’ve been left hanging.
Oh, and don’t stress about anyone missing out, as we do have ways and means of getting everyone involved for a photo! (see below…)
3 — Get Your Guests Involved In the Photos!
One of our favourite ways to keep your guests happy is to actually include all of them in the fun. Instead of disappearing straight after family photos, many of our couples will set themselves up in one spot and have everyone take turns to jump in for a very quick chat and a photo. Whether they’re solo guests, couples, families, or a group of single friends from high school, everyone gets a go.
Your guests will love it because they’ll all get a beautiful, relaxed photo with you while the excitement is high and the energy is flowing.
You guys will love it because:
✓︎ Every guest gets a great photo with you.
✓︎ Nobody is left hanging and wondering where they’re meant to be.
✓︎ It keeps the momentum going before you duck off for your photos.
✓︎ And best of all, you can choose to skip the table photos entirely!
Doing this will save you from that time-consuming shuffle from table to table later in the night when all everyone wants to do is relax, have a drink and hit the dance floor to celebrate with you. By getting everyone involved early, your guests feel included, you stay present and you ultimately free up more time at your reception to fully enjoy it.
4 — Let Your guests know what’s Going On!
Your guests don’t need a full rundown of your wedding timeline, but they’ll definately appreciate having a general idea of what’s happening and what to expect next. A tiny bit of communication goes a long way towards keeping people happy.
Ask your MC, or a trusted guest with a confident voice, to give everyone a quick announcement as you duck off for photos:
“Natalie & Mitchell are heading down to the beach with Lynn & Justin to grab a few photos. While they're away, feel free to grab a drink, have a bite to eat and catch up with everyone out here on the deck. They’ll be back before you know it! We’ll head inside to the tables at around 6pm. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves and come and have a chat to me if there’s anything you’re not sure about”
It seems like such a small thing, but this simple heads-up keeps guests relaxed, engaged, and prevents restlessness among the crowd.
When people know what to expect, they settle in, enjoy themselves, and the whole afternoon and evening tends to flow smoothly!
5 — Trust That your Guests are happy!
If you’ve checked off the previous 4 tips, you’ll find that you’ve done more than enough to create a fun evening for everyone.
A few extra tips to help make things even smoother:
✓︎ Add a little light entertainment — Nothing complicated. Maybe a playlist, a musician that’s easy to listen to, or something that naturally draws everyone together. Only if it suits though!
✓︎ Choose one general location for your portraits — Less time moving around means you’ll be back to your guests sooner and enjoy a quick breather with them before the reception starts.
✓︎ Keep your guests in one general area — A deck overlooking the water, a lush lawn or a cosy courtyard makes it easy for guests to relax, mingle and know where they should be.
Following these simple tips will keep your guests in a happy and positive mood in the lead up to your reception. When everyone feels comfortable and a part of the celebration, the energy tends to carry through for the rest of the night.
At the end of the day, just remember that your guest’s experience and memory of your wedding isn’t going to hinge on fancy décor and cliché gimmicks. Its going to be about how they felt. And the good news is that simple always feels better during cocktail hour!