5 Ways to Make Your Wedding More Memorable

April 01, 2024

What wedding have you attended that has especially stood out in your mind? Every couple wants to make sure their wedding is special, fun and a unique reflection of themselves. Most want to avoid the “no-one-can-care-about-ribbon/colors/linens-this-much” experience, but can all admit this is a big moment, and standing out for all the right reasons, would be worth all of the enormous effort required. We totally get it!

Perhaps, the first thing to do is forget the adage “it’s my day” and update it with “it’s my day... to have a great time with my wonderful family and friends, celebrating this commitment!” It seems so simple, but with so many choices out in the wedding world today, it can be overwhelming.

Here are a few ways we think you should consider helping make your wedding more entertaining and memorable. Not just for you and your one true love, but all the people you choose as your honored guests.

1. ENCOURAGE PRE-CEREMONY MINGLING

Building up the chemistry of your guests ahead of “I do” time will get them feeling like they know each other, and by the time the ceremony arrives, big hugs and great conversations will take place all throughout the big night. Activities that are accessible, engaging, adventurous and even kid-themed can be especially rewarding.

Whether you have a cocktail hour preceding the ceremony or not, invite the whole guest list to a post-rehearsal dinner social gathering at your favorite local hangout or first date location.

Plan an easy but beautiful 1-mile walk-a-thon, complete with start and finish line entertainment at a nearby park.

Hire several nannies and lifeguards to watch all of the kids at a hotel pool or YMCA while the adults play a round of golf, go on a local brewery tour or do some wine tasting.

With everyone encouraged to show up in costume, rent out the bowling alley at 9 am and provide donuts and coffee while you mingle among the lanes.

Have everyone bring a chair, one food item and one drink ingredient to a taco bar set up outside of your house (or friend’s with the largest yard).

If it seems like adding ‘another event/party’ is too much additional work, delegate a couple organized friends to help you pull it off. Usually, they’re more than willing to step in and help, especially those that have hosted a wedding before!

You’ll be glad for all the time and conversations you can get in during these casual, pre-wedding social gatherings. At the rehearsal, ceremony, and reception, you’ll likely not have the chance to mingle in this way.

2. WEDDING FAVORS YOUR GUESTS WILL ACTUALLY USE.

From Jordan almonds to cheap sunglasses, wedding favors come in a wide variety of options, but unless very clever and/or meaningful, most of the time they’re sadly forgotten and never used again, which really seems like a waste.

We feel if you’re going to spend resources on guests favors, rehearsal dinner thank-you gifts or wedding party memorabilia, you want it to be something your loved ones are not only going to use on the regular but also help them recall the wonderful occasion when they received it. They’re remembering friendships, love, celebration and good times had by all, wrapped in one small, affordable gift. Simple, right?

Contemplate this option: totally reusable, uniquely useful and easy-to-handle silicone drinkware that travels well, keeps drinks insulated, and maintains the pace at any party. With wildly colorful choices, customization options and availability in eight different sizes, Silipint’s silicone drinkware is giving the wedding favor market a shakedown. We’ve had scores of couples order customized silicone cups for a wide variety of gift-giving inspiration, like-

Offering stemless wine glasses to add class with no broken glass, on the dance floor at your vintage, classic, rustic or formal wedding alike.

Gifting a 16 ounce Pint for a weekend-long, event-packed wedding bonanza that guests take from one activity to another.

Presenting a Taster base on each table setting during the reception for all guests to commemorate the champagne toasts in unison.

Bundling a 1.5 ounce Shot with a mini liquor bottle to toast the entrance of the bride and groom, or to have back in their hotel room.

 

We’ve seen guests bargaining with each other to score some extras at the end of the night. Brides hoarding a few for the honeymoon suitcase. Kids entertaining themselves with their new cups for hours on end. Once back at home, they are brought out, again and again, always reminiscing about “the best wedding they’ve ever been to.”

Whether you envision a beautiful monogram, a silly message or something in between, we’d love to work with you to create the perfect custom Silipint in colors that will match your big day and score you some extra-cool points. Learn more about custom cups for your big day here.

 

 

3. SPICE UP THE GUEST BOOK

 

The traditional guest book is well-intentioned and easy, but what about something a little more interesting that reflects who you are a bit more? Here are a few options:

Have guests sign something non-traditional that represents something you both love, like a guitar if you love music, a globe if you’re travelers or a pair of old skis if you love winter sports. This becomes a memento that will be a piece of your home to enjoy in the open, forever.

Rather than just signing a name, encourage guests to include a special message to the couple. What about haikus on origami paper folded into a shape that gets added to a mobile, or painting notes onto rocks that live in a large glass bowl on your mantle?

Create a Polaroid guest book. Just nominate a few especially social friends to snap portraits of guests as they arrive, then post them in a book with each guest’s special written message accompanying it.

 

4. CONSIDER A UNIQUE VENUE

If you’re ready to embrace going outside the traditional wedding location for either the ceremony or the reception locations, we’ve brainstormed some destinations that will engage your group in the spirit of adventure. Think outside the box, literally. Into the fresh air (being mindful of the weather!) – you could have your beautiful wedding event at:

Summer camp

Art Galleries

playgrounds or parks

mid-mountain ski lodges (guests can ride the chairlift up!)

small amusement parks (wedding photos on a carousel!)

group campgrounds

The further outside the norm, sometimes the more excitement you can create. These types of locations are set up for groups and often have a more amenities available that you may initially consider, at possibly lower the cost.

 

5. SURPRISE YOUR GUESTS AT THE RECEPTION

Surprise, you’re married! Wait, that’s not a surprise. It’s sweet, it’s exciting and it’s the first step in your new life, but it’s not really surprising. You know what is surprising?

Giving swing or salsa dancing lessons to guests at your reception.

When guests explore your reception venue and discover a secret tent that’s serving a themed shot.

If tossing the garter or bouquet was tossed out, instead, have guests try catching a Marge Simpson wig and a pair of clown shoes for the embarrassed (and hopeful) still-single couple to adorn as they share a dance.

It can be as simple as providing old-fashioned yard games like croquet or badminton or as complex as a mapping a treasure hunt, creating a s’mores bar around the fire pit or a setting up super sweet kissing booth full of lollipops.

Whatever you can think up, the element of surprise should not be overlooked. Your marriage certainly will be full of it!

Weddings come in all shapes and sizes. So, whether you tend to the more traditional or to the super off-beat, there are many ways to add a touch of something different that is uniquely you. After all, it is THE day to celebrate your love!