Wedding Invitations & Signs: Communicating With Your Wedding Guests (Featuring 10 Clever Ideas Found on Etsy)!
If you’ve attended a wedding then chances are you know first hand that anxious feeling that comes with being a wedding guest. Just getting dressed in your Sunday best can be exhausting and lord help you if you have to dress up and drag along kids too! Honestly, it proves exactly how much you care about someone when you’re willing to put your time, effort, and often money into being present on their special day. The least the bride and groom can do is put in equal effort by providing the run down of need-to-know essential wedding day info!
So listen up brides and grooms-to-be, because we’ve identified the main stress inducing moments that wedding guests endure and we’ve put together this top 10 list for ways you can help alleviate their stress! And because we are anti-stress for everyone, we’ve found creative, practical, and adorable solutions that come straight from Etsy!
1. HELP THEM GET TO THE RIGHT PLACE BY SENDING WEDDING INVITATIONS WITH A MAP!
First and foremost, make sure your guests know how to find you! Is your venue off the beaten path or maybe tucked in the heart of downtown? If so, guide your guests with a clear address, street map, and/or tips for using GPS! Think of any advice you wish you’d had when you first visited the venue yourself. Don’t forget, if you have separate locations for your ceremony and reception (or points of interest like a reserved parking lot or hotel) give specific directions to/from all of your hot spots!
Consider helping guide your guests with these custom map wedding invitations from papercakedesigns!
2. HELP THEM GET THERE ON TIME WITH WEDDING INVITATIONS FEATURING THE WEDDING DAY TIMELINE!
Not too early and not too late, but right on time. A lot of brides and grooms focus on making their invitations fancy and forget to include the more helpful information. For instance, it’s nice that your wedding starts at “Half Past Six in the Evening” but it would be helpful to know what time I should actually show up. Remember, if guests are coming who have a long drive, it’s even more important that they know how much “wiggle room” there is. One nice and effective way to communicate this would be “Doors Open at 6 in the Evening, Ceremony To Begin Promptly at a Half Past Six.”
Check out these wedding invitations from TavernCreative that don’t only show the suggested arrival time but an outline for the entire day!
3. HELP THEM PARK WITH A WEDDING PARKING SIGN!
Trying to find a parking spot in an unfamiliar place is a struggle we’ve all dealt with. Don’t make your guests deal with this on what is already a stressful day. Help them spot the parking lot from the road with a clear wedding parking sign. Also consider, if your venue already has signage you can help make it pop by adding flowers or balloons! Pro tip: just make sure whatever you do is weather and wind resistant!
If your parking lot is on or near grass, this adorable stake wedding parking sign from DutchGoldfinch might be exactly what you need!
4. WELCOME THEM RIGHT AWAY WITH A WEDDING WELCOME SIGN!
When your guests arrive to your wedding venue, they will be frantically looking around to triple check that they’re indeed in the right spot. That desperate look of trying to find a familiar face can be spotted from a mile away. A nice sign with the groom’s last name can immediately signal to your folks that they have indeed made it!
Or, why not show everyone the two familiar faces they really came to see as soon as they walk in the door with this adorable photo wedding welcome sign from CreativeUnionDesign!
5. HELP THEM FIND THEIR SEAT WITH SEATING ARRANGEMENT SIGNS!
I think there is something about choosing a seat that brings back painfully awkward memories of walking through the lunchroom looking for friends to sit with. There is no reason to make your guests go through that at your wedding! Instead, consider having ushers walk guests to their seats so there is no guess work involved on their part. Or if that feels a bit too formal, try letting them know there is a special place just for them with “reserved for blank” seating signs.
These ceremony seating name “tags” from DreamyDayDesigns are both punny and practical!
6. SIGNAL WHERE THEY CAN PUT THEIR CARD OR GIFT WITH A CARDS & GIFTS SIGN!
They already had to buy, wrap, and lug your gift in from the car, so be sure to have a special spot close by the entrance of your reception venue for gift (or card) drop offs! And if you didn’t guess already, we suggest putting a cute sign nearby so your guests don’t have to go around looking for it!
This gift table sign from EastCoastVinylDecals would do just the trick!
7. HELP THEM FIND THEIR SEAT (AGAIN) WITH A WEDDING SEATING CHART!
Second verse same as the first. Don’t make your guests stress about where to sit! If you are having a formal sit down dinner, make your seating chart big, bold, and beautiful! As soon as the party starts your guests are gonna line up to find their spot so you want something that actually functions (don’t make grandma squint just to find her seat!). Also remember, as soon as everyone sits down this chart is basically trash (I’m sorry, but it’s true) so don’t waste too much time or money here!
That leads us straight to PrettyTemplate’s poster board reception seating chart template!
8. SAVE YOUR GUESTS AN AWKWARD CONVERSATION WITH A CASH BAR SIGN!
What’s the situation? Is it an open bar all night? Or is it a cash bar and if so, how much are we talkin’? First, remember to give all the details on the booze ahead of time on the invites. That way your guests can come prepared with either enough cash for their drink(s) of choice all night or with just the right amount to tip the bartender. Or maybe for less formal receptions, you want to let your friends and family know that BYOB is allowed! Whatever you decide, just make sure to communicate it clearly to your guests on your invites and again with signage on site!
Speaking of signage on site, check out this gold cash bar sign from Foiltations!
9. TELL THEM WHAT’S BEING SERVED WITH A WEDDING DINNER MENU!
In my opinion the best stress reliever is comfort food! We recommend you let those guys and girls know what fan favorites will be featured on tonight’s menu as soon as they sit down. It’s also nice to give people a heads up so those with allergies or dietary restrictions can steer clear. Also, if you’re having a cocktail reception rather than a full sit down dinner that is more than okay! Just let your people know ahead of time so they can plan accordingly. The one thing you don’t want at your wedding are hangry guests!
Let your guests know what food will be in their hand (and mouth) in just moments with these handmade wedding dinner menus from LuellaPaperDesigns!
10. LET THEM KNOW HOW LONG THIS PARTY LASTS WITH A SEND OFF TAG!
Let’s face it, the old folks are going to want to leave once the cake is cut and your younger friends won’t want to leave the dance floor. So instead of making people guess what time they’ll be heading home, just be up front about your closing time! If you’re planning an after party then let your best friends know to save their best moves for later in the night! Or maybe you want the iconic newlywed send off where you wave goodbye to all your guests as your groom sweeps you off your feet and into your getaway car? Or a more modern twist, a “sparkler send off” with the guests holding up sparklers as you walk through together and away for the night. Either way, let everyone know your exit plan so it can be a part of their plans too!
If a sparkler send off sounds fun, let everyone know up front to stick around til 11pm with these sparkler tags & matchbooks from PicturePerfectPapier!
