LAST week we learnt that a wedding cake is as important as the bride and groom at any wedding, therefore, understanding its origin was beneficial.
In case you missed it you can visit www.times.co.zm. Check article titled “Your Memorable Wedding”.
This week, we will look at ways of making sure your wedding is not boring. Attending a wedding is an amazing privilege, but sometimes it is not always a pleasure.
The bride and groom definitely get disturbed to see their wedding guests checking their watches and leaving reception early feeling bored.
Planning a wedding can be stressful if those involved do not know what to do, there is, however, a way of having a stress-free wedding.
Just imagine for a moment, hosts being incessantly on edge avoiding sabotaging your mood and assigning last minute tasks to monitor if guests are enjoying the function.
You seriously need to relax on that day otherwise your face would expose you to show how disorganised the ceremony is, if things were not in place.
You need to think beyond the wedding cake which is still a staple on all weddings as every guest must have a bit, but consider expanding the selection for those with a sweet tooth, surprise them with additional cupcakes, homemade cookies which can be done by housewives.
We are talking about full deserts which can double your wedding favour, believe me, this is another way of avoiding a boring wedding.
Put the cupcakes and cookies in organzas, favour bags or small cake boxes for your guests to take for the road.
In real life, many wedding guests if not all, love to carry something to show they attended a wedding.
Nothing beats a live band, this is an ingredient that brings out the goodness of the wedding. Entertainment at any wedding will make sure that the event is not boring.
There is a time for everything, a time for the bridesmaids to dance, a time to eat and a time to give speeches and so on.
Put a time limit on all these, yes! It’s nice to hear words of encouragement and well-wishes; the problem is that if they become too long they can easily go from sentimental to excruciating. Limit the number and length for all key elements and let everyone get back to the party.
This calls for sticking to the schedule; no one expects things to run with military precision, especially when it comes to rushing your older relatives and the senior citizens.
You do not want to force your guests to be idle while you share the cake. This is where free dance hour comes in.
Set up a dance floor for your guests to mingle and equip the area with snacks, drinks and plenty of space to enjoy and even a little music to set the mood and keep the party atmosphere alive.
The other way to help avoid a boring wedding is that you must work your sitting arrangement properly.
Making your guests who are strangers sit on one table can be boring, therefore, pairing friends and those who warmly recognised each on arrival would excite not only the guests but the reception too.
A well-played seating chart is a cost-free way to make sure your guests spend time with people they know.
A wedding brings two families together, and sets of friends usually mean a big group of people who don’t know each other awkwardly attempting small talks.
The solution is that invited relatives from both bride and groom’s side and out of town guests are introduced to each other day before the wedding to break the ice.
This move will also introduce those who might have common interest. That uncle who is passionate about football? Definitely link him to your workmates who play football.
By the time the wedding rolls around, your guests will have met in a more relaxed atmosphere the day before and hopefully keep the conversations going at the reception.
Put the writer on the table where there is a hot debate, oh my! You will make their day as they will have a lot to write about.
Your budget will be a huge factor in determining where you host the wedding, but picking an interesting reception site can go a long way towards keeping guests entertained.
Even an otherwise bland reception space can be dressed up with dramatic décor or specialist entertainment, so be sure to talk to your planner about your options.
Plan an exit strategy, this is optional, but if you really want guests to enjoy themselves at your reception, and you can afford, well then arrange for transportation to get them home safely afterward.
Some couples choose to throw their reception in a hotel banquet hall so that the out of town guest can have rooms where they can spend their nights from.
Do not let your guests go hungry. Even if you plan on serving a full dinner at your reception, it is a good idea to have a few nibbles for your guests to nosh on while they wait for you the newlyweds.
You need to ask your co-workers, neighbours, church members in passing the type of food they like to eat when attending a wedding, why they miss church service, for how long they seat at a wedding reception and why they leave early, make sure you write down the reasons so that you apply and make sure they are on the invite list.
Ask those that had their wedding and learn more about the organisation, the budget, food, attires, how they said vows and above all pray effectively.
A home is something that cannot be bought. You can buy a house but only a woman can make of it a home.
Enjoy your memorable wedding
I’m gathering information on the Zambian weddings from 1964 to 2014, from the stories told the 1960’s, 70’s, 80’s wedding sound as if they were stress free.
We look forward to such write ups.
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