When you're organizing a wedding, you need to find the right balance between two things. On the one hand, you want to fulfill your vision for your Big Day and celebrate things in the way that you're most comfortable with. On the other hand, you also want to ensure that your family and friends are having a great time at your wedding. Otherwise, what's the point of inviting anyone at all? While there's no such thing as a 'perfect' wedding, you still want to put in the effort.
Imogen Marshall went viral recently after inviting everyone to share their thoughts about weddings and marriage. She asked wedding guests to spill the beans about the things they honestly hate and wish that couples would stop doing. Scroll down for their thoughts and opinions. And if you're organizing a wedding this year, you might want to take some notes…
#1
Destination weddings!
Image credits: Isabella
The Knot reports that based on their findings, the average cost of a wedding in the United States in 2023 was $35,000. And that’s not counting the wedding ring!
The biggest costs included the venue (37% of the average wedding budget), catering (28%), the band (12%), and wedding rings (9%).
Other top wedding costs included photography, alcohol, and flowers (all 8% of the average budget), as well as videography (7%), couples attire (also 7%), the wedding planner (6%), event rentals (also 6%), and the lighting and decor (5%), The Knot found.
#2
The narcissistic ‘list of rules’, the must-be-perfect complex & it’s MY day & ‘I’M in the spotlight!’ You’re getting married to a person. Not crowned empress of the universe. Calm down.
Image credits: Nero
#3
Purposefully seating you with people you don’t know to “get people chatting” just sit me with people I know please, none of us are here to make friends.
Image credits: mrcuttyknife
Meanwhile, according to The Knot 2023 Guest Study, the main things that wedding guests care about include a well-thought-out wedding website, delicious food (yay!), great music, a beautiful reception setting, tasty drinks, as well as fun wedding entertainment.
Other details to focus on include reliable transportation, a smooth ‘show’ with good timing, and seeing the couple happy. “You could spend all the money in the world, hire a celebrity performer and have a 50-yard slip-and-slide—but if you and your partner are unhappy, table-bound or M.I.A. for the night, no one will have a good time. You two, the beaming newlyweds, are the North Star of this party. If you’re relaxed, smiling and dancing, your guests will follow suit and never forget how much fun they had.”
#4
Having four day hen weekends abroad that cost a fortune, what happened to a local night out
Image credits: Danni57
#5
People spending a fortune to try and make the day perfect but forget to actually enjoy the day.
Image credits: user8648091933635
#6
Leaving the guests hungry! I’ve started bringing protein bars in my clutch bag. Better to have more bulky but cheaper canapés. And speeches after each course as opposed to all before
Image credits: tdavis338
Deciding who and how many people to invite to your wedding is a massive question that’s going to impact practically every aspect of the Big Day. It’ll affect the size of your venue as well as its location. It’ll have an impact on your food and decoration vendors, the entertainment you have to plan, as well as a dozen other things, big and small. And, yes, it’ll affect your budget.
To put it plainly, if you want to have a big wedding, you either have to have a huge budget or convince your family and friends to pitch in for the grand celebration. On the flip side, a smaller guest list likely means less financial stress.
#7
Taking hours to do staged photos - 100% will not be doing this at my wedding
Image credits: Chloe🍁
#8
It’s just me and my problem as I cringe at it - but when they serenade each other. Guys … I love that you love each other but this isn’t high school musical
Image credits: Manxie_mum 🇮🇲
#9
Expecting you to leave your small children at home and travel to a distant location to pay a whopping cost to stay overnight just to see you say I do.
Image credits: heffalumpohef
Event and wedding planner Brianne Garritano told Vogue that the size of your guest list will tremendously influence your wedding budget.
“Your venue and your food and beverage are going to comprise some of the largest proportions of your budget. So, the very first thing that you have to do is figure out how many guests you’re going to be inviting, and then out of that number, what is the probability that they’re going to come? Because sometimes there’s a 10% drop-off, and it’s dependent on what time of year [and] where it is,” she explained.
What are the biggest dos and don’ts from your perspective as wedding guests, dear Pandas? What do you love and loathe that marrying couples do? What do you value the most as guests? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
#10
Requesting money for honeymoon. Just seems tacky to me. You can either afford a trip or not.
Image credits: DC
#11
Probably talking about nothing but their wedding for months and months and months beforehand.
Image credits: Sandysand
#12
Getting married in the middle of nowhere without any recommendations for either travel to venue or local hotels. Not all of us can spend willy billy on cabs and hotel rooms
Image credits: Alex
#13
Someone wanting me to spend 1000s on their wedding. Its your day, I get it - but be realistic.
Image credits: mv
#14
when speeches drag on and contain really specific references that are not known or relevant to 95% of the party, cool you got a laugh from your old college buddy..but the rest of us are like "Huh?"
Image credits: Gubnet Jones
#15
Being weird about plus ones when there isn't a space restriction. I'm recently disabled & can't travel alone. My my long term bf was not invited as only if your engaged or married.
Image credits: Bored2Work
#16
Christmas weddings
Image credits: user4379489433427
#17
No quiet areas. Only having music so loud you can’t have a conversation
Image credits: Nonny
#18
Wedding favours. Such a waste of money. We did chocolate coins no waste but I’d almost avoid it entirely. 99% of the time they get left behind or in the bin. Keep the money or donate to charity.
Image credits: jessclancy23
#19
No heating. Don’t ask me to dress up in strappy shoes and a little dress so I can freeze for the whole day
Image credits: Ruth08642
#20
I don't care what happens as long as I am not hungry or cold. I would say don't waste your money. I don't need sugared almonds as a favour etc
#21
My friend had a two hour drinks reception with very limited canapés and everyone just wanted to go home before the night even began because they were so bored and hungry
Image credits: Silver_melody
#22
Singing servers & saxophone players
Image credits: 💕Roz Blair💕
#23
Expensive Hotel weddings where the rooms get a 'discount'- it's still out my budget, there's no alternatives anywhere close and it's too far from home so we HAVE to stay there
#24
Invite work friends, doesn’t have to be a full day or +1, but it’s hurtful when you think of them as friends but don’t get an invite after sometimes years of listening to the plans!
#25
Dinner too long, first dance is ridiculous, bachelorette costs too much
Image credits: Daphnefromtherealm
#26
It’s not the couples chance to pretend they are rich and important. No one likes their friends that much to put up with that. Invite people you love and family, give them a good meal and speeches.
#27
Evening only invitations! If I’m not good enough to go to the actual wedding, they’re not good enough to get my time!
Image credits: Mrs V
#28
Stop trying to please everyone it’s their wedding day they can do what they want to with their money, everyone else should just zip it or not go if they want to give an opinion
#29
being stuck at the remote venue till the first midnight coach arrives to take you back to the hotel. taxis were too expensive to order.
Image credits: alex5
#30
Have an early wedding with lunch straight after and then they disappear for hours leaving the guests bored and hungry and so bored. Start later and make the party flow without gaps
Image credits: ZachtheRescuecat
#31
Booking the wedding at an expensive venue then having drinks stashed in their rooms while guests pay over the odds at the bar - very tacky
#32
Dinner too late, lots of forced group photos of alllll guests (I get it for family!) speeches that drag on if they’re not good
#33
Inviting people to the ceremony. That’s the boring bit. Just invite people to the reception.
Image credits: Rebeccah
#34
Having a dancefloor too big vs the size of the group. Makes the whole thing feel sparse and not as fun.
Image credits: GTLD3000
#35
Bright lights on the dance floor. Immediately no
Image credits: travs452
#36
Wedding gift lists or requesting money for their honeymoon
#37
Giving out cheap drinks for the wedding breakfast and having their own bottle of champagne on the top table
#38
The bride recording her voice for the groom before walking down the aisle it's such an ick!!
#39
Those fake dances where someone falls
Image credits: hausofmiren
#40
Round tables. You can only talk to people either side of you
Image credits: user9998791210281
