Be Our (special) Guest

On wedding days I tend to meet a lot of bridesmaids – but one in particular recently stood out to me.  Grace has bilateral hearing loss, which means that she wears hearing aids in both ears and experiences difficulties with hearing what the rest of us hear. 

Having read her most excellent blog (and now featured in it) I started to think far more about guests with extra needs at weddings, and how wedding planning can take their needs into account without having to make too many changes.

So, when planning your wedding day – do you have any guests who may need extra consideration?  I deliberately don’t say “disabled” because I am sure you don’t view them that way, but therefore may inadvertently overlook their needs.  This may be anything from a friend who uses mobility aids to Grandpa who walks a little slower.

I’ll start with hearing loss – because Grace has taught me so much!

When planning your wedding breakfast room, take into account the table layout, and the table positioning.  Grace prefers a round table, because she needs to be able to see the other guests’ faces.  If space allows you can use round tables without seating people all the way round to ensure that all guests can see top table, which is also just a nice thing to do! Nobody really wants to have their back to the bride and groom!  When it comes to the speeches, I always recommend using a microphone – its not just about how loud the speech makers can talk, but how noisy the room is. This is extra relevant if you have a guest with a hearing impairment.  If the room doesn’t have a PA system, consider bringing one in (I have several freestanding speakers with radio mics that are perfect for this).  It doesn’t have to be complicated, and with wireless technology it will be possible to position the speaker in the best place to support your guest rather than having to physically seat them next to a speaker – which may be your consideration if the pa system in built in and fixed.

The same is true for the ceremony itself – when you marry you will be facing your partner, which means that any guest who relies on lip reading will only be able to see one of you (at best).  A discreet microphone/pa system will benefit your hearing-impaired guest, and all the other guests too!

 From a legal point of view it is worth knowing that your “witnesses” are exactly that, they must confirm that they heard you make the legal declarations etc – so you must ensure that they can actually hear the whole ceremony.

 

Mobility needs come up at many weddings.  It isn’t just a case of whether or not the venue has a wheelchair ramp (and remember that some of the most beautiful venues are listed and will therefore present their own challenges).  Wedding days can involve a lot of moving the guests around to tight timescales.  Keep in mind any of your guests who may need a little extra time – you might want to assign an usher or family member to assist them, ensure they are seated close to anywhere they need to move to and advise the venue/Master of Ceremonies so that they can be given advance warning of when guests will be asked to move to the ceremony room, wedding breakfast, first dance etc.

When it comes to comes to seating plans consider not only access for your guest, but also take into account any other movement around them – the last thing you want is a guest who feels like they are in the way or a hindrance to your day.

 

We want to ensure that every guest enjoys your special day, so don’t forget to ask an expert – your guest!

The End Is (Almost) In Sight

 

There’s a lot of excitement around the latest announcements about the road out of lockdown and COVID-19 restrictions, but what does this really mean for weddings?

Now, I don’t want to sound at all negative, but I do want to make sure we keep a firm grasp here!

The big date is 21 June, when all restrictions are lifted, but the frankly massive caveat is that this is a “not before” date, and depends on all milestones being hit.

Everyone has put this date into their diaries as the day that we can all go and party again – and I hope we all can!  But please, no matter how long you have waited for your special day, don’t feel pressured to accelerate your wedding plans to have it at the earliest possible date!  One thing that lockdown has shown us is that small intimate weddings are a great way to celebrate a marriage.  You can have a marriage without a big party!

Why not have a small, intimate wedding day, and follow it up with a big party at a later date?  Although June 21 is the BIG date the “roadmap” actually allows for smaller ceremonies at an earlier date – Step 2, (not before) 12 April allows for weddings of 15 people, step 3 (not before) 17 May allows for weddings with 30 people, so if you want to bring forward your marriage but not the big party, you can get married as early as April or May.

 

Many wedding days have a “daytime” guest list and an “evening” guest list – so why not split that across two days?  I know it has been a long wait for many, and I certainly understand the frustration you must be feeling, but with a whole year of weddings to catch up on dates and suppliers will be in high demand.  Do you want to compromise?

 

But Won’t two Wedding Days mean Twice the cost?

The short answer is no.  The longer answer is also no!  Almost half of all couples who did get married in 2020 saw their wedding costs reduce.  By having a small wedding day with a reduced guest list you are able to save on catering costs, save on entertainment costs, transport costs and quite possibly on venue costs.

 

It’s not a crazy idea!  82% of couples who married with a guest list of 15 are planning a second celebration, while 63% of those with up to 30 guests are also intending to do so (figures from Bridebook’s UK wedding survey)

 

The dress, the suits – you get to wear twice!  No need to have an all-day photographer at the second event, and the catering can be less formal – and it’s something that you can have some real fun with!  How about street food, a pop up bar…  The possibilities when you have a second day are endless, and without the stress that can come with a full on wedding day – especially if you are trying to arrange it in a hurry!

 

Ok, so here comes the sales pitch!  As a Wedding Butler and DJ with years and year of experience I can handle both days for you, adding a touch of glamour and style to the actual wedding day and making sure the party day goes exactly to plan.

 

And yes, if I do both days for you I will of course do you a great deal!