top10 wedding guest complaints
Top 10 Wedding Guest Complaints
A wedding has many shades of memories, some of which are decorated with bitter, and some with sweet complaints by guests. What is it that annoys wedding guests the most, despite the couple's best efforts to make the wedding enjoyable to one and all? Buzzle invites you to the list of the top ten wedding guest complaints. Read on...
More than 80% of wedding guests consider entertainment as the most memorable part of the wedding.
Making your wedding day special is a big task, and all those being a part of this beautiful experience, make it more memorable. While you put your best foot forward to make sure everything goes smooth and as planned, there may be times when things can go wrong. By this, we mean 'slightly' or 'laugh-it-away' wrong, or horribly wrong. A few light moments can be forgotten, however, major blunders can spoil it all. The last thing you want is, your wedding being remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Complaints by your wedding guests, sure can get you on the wrong nerve. Some guests may simply have a down and ugly attitude, so no matter what and how much you do for them, they are going to frown with some or the other reason. But in most cases, complaints may be out of genuine inconvenience. Remember that they are your well-wishers, so rest assured that they are not going to be picky about small things.
So, what are the bigger things that may spoil your guests' excitement and happiness? We decided to sneak on a few weddings, make a note of the not-so-good aspects of the entire event, and find out what really makes guests complain, despite the free food and entertainment!
#1 Inconvenient/Bad Dates
Deciding upon the wedding date is entirely the couple's decision. However, if these dates fall during festive days or other public holidays, where most people may have plans with their family or loved ones, it may be inconvenient for them. Also, if the invitation is sent at the last minute, it becomes tough for most guests to plan their schedule. So, be on the safer side; send invitations in advance, and check with your close family and friends, before finalizing the date.#2 Confusing Invitations/Limited Invites
This one, perhaps, is the most common complaint wedding guests make. Many invitations do not clearly state the number of invites on the card. This leaves them assuming they can get along a partner or a guest. Things get more awkward, when they come to know at the wedding that there were limited invites. With that said, some guests also get annoyed if they get limited invites, whereas they wanted to bring along a guest or child for the wedding. To avoid confusion and awkward moments, simply write the names of the guests invited on the response card for your wedding. To be safer, mention a check box alongside each name.#3 Cash Bars
It is most embarrassing and awkward for any guest to receive an invite, be a part of the celebration, and at the end of it all, loosen cash from his own wallet to buy drinks at the reception. It is always advised to avoid the concept of cash bars. Why would the guest pay in your wedding party? Most guests absolutely hate the idea of cash bars. They may have already spent enough for your wedding, like for the traveling, gifts, dresses, and other expenses. You may want to provide other beverage options, in case the open bar concept is shooting up your budget.#4 Never-ending Toasts/Long Speeches
Remember those weddings, where the number of toasts exceeded the number of people attending the wedding? Most of us have attended at least one such wedding. Well, it is absolutely fine to stand up, raise a glass of champagne, and share a few words of affection for the couple. But, the problem arises when each one present wants to raise a toast for the couple, leaving the guests doing nothing but reaching for the glass and raising it high every few minutes. Add to all this, the endless stories and poems some people make at the wedding. Come on, we all know it gets boring after a certain point. Keep the toasts short and sweet, to keep all the yawns at bay!#5 Food Shortage/Bad Food
Perhaps, food is one thing that most guests look forward to. It makes the most important part of the celebration. Food that tastes bad is a big turn-off for the guests. Another added complaint regarding food is the shortage of food. Even if the food is good, it is not enough for all. If you invite them, make sure you feed them well, with good quality and quantity of food. Bad food is a big disappointment and an embarrassing memory for the wedding couple too!#6 Inconvenient Seating Arrangement
Mismanaged and cramped seating annoys guests the most. Firstly, if there is less space, your guests have to sit through the whole ceremony, trying to save their elbows from the person seated next. And secondly, if the seating is not managed well, people might end up sitting with a group of strangers, which can get awkward and boring. Seats right next to the speakers are sure to cause migraine. Make sure you get people seated where they can feel comfortable and at peace.#7 Too Much Time Between the Wedding and Reception
Now that the ceremony is over, we understand, you need time to relax and prepare for the next event, which is the reception. However, most guests, especially those who are new to the city, or to your family and friends, may feel left out. People complain of the time duration between two ceremonies to be too long, and they are left without any options to kill time. Try to cut down this time to minimum. Also, try to include activities and entertainment, in case there is a long wait for the next event.#8 Loud/Boring Music
Wedding celebrations are supposed to be fun, right? So, if your DJ is going to play boring music, the guests are, no doubt, going to be unhappy. Most of them complain of the music to be very loud. The constant thumping not only adds to the frustration, but it gets very difficult to communicate. It is also annoying for most to listen to a genre of music, where nobody wants to get up and dance. Keep the music soft for the cocktails and dinner, and consider opting for loud music, once the dance floor opens. Also, consider playing music that will be liked by most guests.#9 Disorganized Wedding
This one makes it big among the most common wedding guest complaints, because at the end of it all, a disorganized wedding, means nothing has gone right and smooth. Right from making the guests work, waiting for hours for the bar or reception venue to open, to making your guests do the chicken dance—everything defines poor management, and adds up to disappointment. While it is alright to ask for a little help from close family and friends, plan well in advance, and make sure that the wedding goes on smoothly, without any major hassles.#10 Ungracious Hosts/No Thankyous
Most guests complain, that despite their efforts to make it to the wedding in a busy schedule, standing in the receiving line, and all the exhausting activities during the wedding, nobody thanked them for their presence. The married couple is too busy, enjoying their newly-found happiness. Yes, we agree, it should be this way. But a small 'thank you' or a warm gesture of appreciation, goes a long way. You may also consider sending thank you cards to the guests later.