For years, I spent most of my weekends working for strangers at weddings as a bridesmaid for hire. In fact, since starting the business about a decade ago, I’ve attended well over 125.
Throughout the many ceremonies and celebrations, I’ve found that guests don’t care about lavish decor and monogrammed party favors. Rather, they really care about the three C’s: cocktails, comfort, and a catered meal.
If you’re in the thick of wedding planning, take notes. Here’s what I’ve found guests actually want — and what they never seem to notice.
It’s worth it to spring for delicious food.
Most guests arrive at a wedding hungry, so the more food options you have, the happier they’ll be.
If you choose a caterer or a venue with a top-notch chef and delicious menu options, you’ll impress your guests and leave them feeling satisfied.
Investing in high-quality bites for cocktail hour and solid dinner options is worth every penny.
Everyone is looking for dance-worthy music at a wedding.
If your venue has a dance floor, splurge on entertainment that will get your guests excited to get out of their seats.
Spend time researching bands or DJs with good ratings who have a style you enjoy. After all, having good music playing throughout your wedding makes it both memorable and fun for your guests.
Guests usually notice and appreciate a well-structured event.
I’ve found that wedding guests love having structure and a timeline.
Rather than having a “go with the flow” celebration, make sure the event has some sort of order, preferably planned out hour by hour.
If your cocktail hour goes on too long or your ceremony feels endless, your guests will get tired — and might even start to fall asleep.
It can be helpful to hire someone, such as a wedding planner or a day-of coordinator, to ensure the day follows the game plan you’ve set.
It’s nice to offer a variety of drinks.
Weddings are just a big celebration, so food and drink top most people’s list of things they look forward to.
When it comes to beverages, whether you decide on an open bar or not, ensure you offer enough options to please most of your guests.
Comfort trumps aesthetics at weddings.
One thing that will make your guests truly enjoy the time they spend at your wedding is allowing them to feel comfortable.
When making decisions about food, venues, and even decorations, remember who’s spending six to eight hours at your party and choose options that will make them feel at ease.
So, you may want to reconsider choosing fancy chairs that aren’t comfortable or hosting your wedding completely outdoors during the hottest time of year.
On the other hand, having tons of intricate decorations is rarely worth it.
When you’re imagining how your wedding will look, you might picture tons of personalized decor, from multiple printed signs to monogrammed cocktail napkins.
However, those details can get expensive, and most of your guests are so busy that they don’t even take the time to notice them.
If you’re looking to save money on your wedding, consider cutting out some of those decorations and details.
Many guests end up discarding their wedding favors or not taking them at all.
It might seem like a nice gesture to send your guests home with a wedding favor, but many forget to grab one at the end of the night, or purposely choose not to take it.
If you’re going to spend a lot of money on favors, at least go for something consumable that your guests can use immediately, such as a personalized bottle of water or a bag of cookies.
Or skip favors altogether and put the money behind an extra appetizer at cocktail hour — your guests will likely enjoy that more.
Flowers are nice, but there’s no need to go overboard.
One way to save money on your wedding is to avoid having tons of floral arrangements.
Covering everything with big bouquets and vases of flowers might make your wedding look spectacular, but it will likely cost more than it’s worth. Plus, guests hardly notice the intricate arrangements.
Selecting a venue that’s gorgeous on its own will help you achieve this without sacrificing style. However, if your venue is simpler in appearance, you can fill the space with candles, greenery, and other decorative elements.
Don’t waste a bunch of money on late-night snacks.
In recent years, it’s been trendy to have caterers put out late-night snacks during the final few hours of a wedding.
Although it might sound like a good idea to have pizza or burgers with fries, a lot of guests are stuffed by that hour and won’t touch much of the food.
If you still want to offer a final presentation of food, go light on your offerings so you don’t waste your money.
The hotel welcome bags really don’t need to be extravagant.
Although it’s a kind gesture to present out-of-towners with a welcome bag when they check in at the hotel near your venue, you don’t need to go overboard.
As your guests get ready to celebrate your big day and recover after it’s over, they might appreciate some practical essentials like water, pain medicine, vitamin-C packs, and snacks.
But that’s really all you need.
This story was originally published on November 8, 2022, and most recently updated on December 31, 2025.
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