Planner Series, Enhancing the Guest Experience - Amy Piper for Signature Events

Amy Piper from Signature Events shares with brides some really great ways to enhance the guest experience at weddings. Check out just some of Amy's ideas!

When planning an outdoor wedding there are a few things that a bride can do to ensure that her guests not only feel welcome, but also well taken care of when they arrive for the wedding!

Be sure to place a Welcome Bag, Basket or in this case, a Welcome BUCKET in each guests hotel room! One of my weddings this past summer featured a fishing theme. We incorporated the fishing theme into the invitation (We’re hooked on each other…Cast your reply….) and carried it through to the Welcome Bucket. Each bucket included a brochure promoting businesses and things to do in the local area, a welcome letter from the bride and groom, bottles of water, a bag of gummy fish and worms (tied with raffia and a bobber, of course!), a carton of gold fish crackers, apples, granola bars, mints and a souvenir magnet attached to the bucket. In addition we tied a bandana to each bucket handle and added a “fishing pole” (a twig from a tree branch) complete with the guests name written on a hand cut paper fish! Guests can’t help but feel wanted and welcome when they arrive in their hotel room!

Providing transportation for your guests is also a nice gesture, especially for out-of-town guests who are not familiar with the area. I love to add a little local favor by using a trolley service, especially for summer weddings. Guests love to ride in the open air trolley (they do have sides they can put down for inclement weather) and the trolley always makes for a good photo opp! Be sure to create a schedule for each hotel location and add it to the Welcome Bag so your guests will know when to be ready! Most guests appreciate the ride and it makes for a more enjoyable wedding when they do not have to worry about drinking and driving besides!

Having an outdoor wedding? Here’s another way to make your guests feel comfortable... Consider splurging on a luxury restroom trailer instead of porta potties! I know it seems like a strange thing to talk about, but believe me your guests will definitely be talking about these restroom trailers! The Presidential Series supplied by Dave's Septic Service in New Hampshire comes complete with flush toilets, air conditioning (or heat), faux marble walls with stained wood trim, skylights and even an attendant! In a recent conversation with a father of the bride, he told me that among other things, the luxury restroom trailer at his daughter’s wedding received rave reviews from his guests! I have even had guests take photos in the restroom (I kid you not!) and I have heard guests exclaim, on more than one occasion, “this bathroom is nicer than my bathroom at home”!

So, go ahead…Pamper your guests! You’ll be glad you did!