6 Things Guests Hate According to Jamie 1. Too hot or too cold- temp control 2. Not enough restrooms 3. Food taking too long to be served 4. Not enough food 5. Large timeline gaps with no entertainment 6. No alcohol or a bad DJ Very informative! Definitely will keep these in mind.
Pre warn them. Serve interesting non alcoholic drinks. I went to a wedding recently where hardly any guests drink, but the only alternative was water. Make the drink interesting.
Introvert here! I don’t like when I have to participate in weddings. I’m very happy and having the time of my life, on my seat. Please, don’t force people to dance, catch the bouquet, sing a song or do the conga line (true story all of them). Keep in mind there are different personalities and just because someone is on their seat, means they’re having a bad time.
That's why alcohol is served, people can climb out of their shell a bit and celebrate with the couple with having fun with others who love them. Just have fun and relax about social anxieties.
Same for me and my fiance! We're going to have a bunch of interactive stuff (a murder mystery game, social scavenger hunt, board game stations) but we're also planning a lot more chill stuff, because that's something we missed at other weddings (quieter music in general and a nice area far from the speakers for people to sit and chat with their friends and family, plus a secret easter egg hunt)
One wedding where a bunch of people left early was because we were squished into a space that was too small for the number of people, and the couple barely acknowledged the majority of their guests. I was an old friend of the bride, but even her family members left early because nobody felt like the couple actually cared if we were there or not. Greet your guests!
Worst wedding I ever went to was in mid-summer and the bride, who was always cold, decided on an outdoor, non-tented wedding because she didn't want to be in air conditioning. All the guests were melting before the ceremony was over, and she had a 2-hour gap between the ceremony and the reception and didn't allow for snacks OR BEVERAGES in between time. 80% of the guests left before the actual reception started, and the bride was shocked when she arrived to see it.
My worst weeding was also an outdoors one, but it was so fkn cold at night and there was no heating, no scarves handed out, nothing. She did it there because she doesn't like indoor venues which is absurd. I'm having mine in an indoor venue for sure. Outdoors venue fkn suck.
I would add to this levels of outdoor exposure that aren't disclosed or intuitive from the invitation. I've attended two winter weddings that did not specify that they were outdoors and another that did not specify that the ceremony was up long dirt road from the specified location. PLEASE give your guests the opportunity to dress appropriately for your vision in advance by specifying any conditions that need more than cocktail attire and basic cute outerwear. Guests will jump through hoops if they know in advance not to wear heels.
I attended an outdoor wedding in November. I had to call the groom's Mother to find out about those things. It should of been on the invitation so everyone knew what to be prepared for with clothing and coats. They said they would have blankets, but they only had enough for Grandparents and a few others. They had no outdoor heaters. This was a flop in planning imo.
Very good point. If I know I'll be sitting outside for an extended period in the winter then I'll wear a heavier coat than I might otherwise wear to an event.
I feel so bad for couples in your shoes- to think your parents would ruin your big day, because they can't act like adults. Maybe have your officiant speak to them or do a family counseling session. If things are that bad it's going to be an issue in your marriage, not just wedding and it could be the first step to normalizing relations.
@@26Bluegb these are all great points, I’m in the same boat and the biggest thing for me (not just around events like a wedding) is setting and sticking to boundaries.
Unrelated a bit but my mother dislikes her dad. I think she shouldn't have invited him in the first place, but she gave him the closest seat from the toilets as a "f you". Personally as long as my grandfather is not at my wedding I think it will be great
As a counterbalance to 5 I'd like to add that there is such a thing as too much entertainment with not enough time to socialize in between. Guests may have traveled a long way to meet people they haven't met in years. Or two guests who have never met each other but have very much in common (such as a college friend + a colleague) may be hitting it off, and too much of a schedule can disrupt the organic unique social situation that a wedding is.
Can definitely vouch for comfort level! Attended a summer wedding in the UK a couple of years ago. The reception was in a huge hall, with no windows and no AC. The sweat was literally dripping down my back. I left after their first dance, it was awful! I did apologise and give my love, but I was starting to feel sick 🥴
I would like to add that large gaps between the ceremony and reception can really suck for out of town guests. I’ve definitely spent 2 hours at a random Panera in between a ceremony and reception in dress clothes, definitely not comfortable. While this wouldn’t necessarily make people leave early, I could definitely see people skipping the ceremony entirely in that situation.
I attended a wedding recently that just felt "off" and my family and boyfriend and I later pinned it all on the DJ. Between continuing to play an entire song even when everyone exited the dance floor to the abrupt end of the wedding ("okay now for the bride and groom's last dance" and then the lights came on). I never doubt Jamie but now I'm completely with her on the importance of a good DJ!!
Great advice! As a future bride, every wedding I have gone to recently was a mental note taking session for me and I learned ALOT. And many things Jamie has preached were validated. Dry weddings, 90% of the guests left early. Freezing/hailing wedding with just a tent, 90% of guests left early. Open seating, a disaster.
You said if it gets below 60 degrees you need a heat source and I laughed, and then remembered you’re from California. That’s perfect weather in Michigan. 😂 Also, I have to say another thing guests hate is a long wait between the ceremony and reception. My cousin got married and there was FOUR HOURS in between where we had nothing to do, and couldn’t even go home for a break because it was out of town. My fiancé wanted to just leave but I felt too bad since we obviously RSVP’d for our seats.
I have lived all over the world and 60 degrees is cold! It’s subjective really. However, I wouldn’t sit outside in 60 degrees with a dress on but I will walk around the city. Moving around makes a big difference.
@@sdarling6518 I think it depends on how you live. Sure, you've lived all over. But if you've only lived in a colder state and your body is used to the remperatures there, 60 degrees can feel amazing. Especially if you just had a long winter. Now if you've had a long and hot summer where it's 80-90 degrees, then the next day it's 60, then it'd feel cold. I think it's mostly dependent on the season and what your body is used to.
Although I understand why people like to have speeches at their wedding, i have to say I am one of those guests that get so bored during toasts! I won't do any toasts at my wedding for that reason. I think the ceremony, first dance, family dances is pleanty for people to sit through in my opinion
My daughter wanted a small bridal party so there was the maid of honor and the best man. Both said a speech that lasted under 5 minutes. No one else spoke and the party got rolling before anyone could have a chance on getting bored. They did the first dance, father daughter dance and that was it. The grooms mother had passed away so there was no mother groom dance. They did the cake cutting and that was it. The rest was party time!!
I've been a wedding DJ for 27 years. You are absolutely right about a DJ making or breaking your wedding. There is another component to getting a great wedding dance floor going. That is the guests need to have a desire to want to dance. If your guests are more interested in catching up with each other then it will be difficult getting them on the dance floor.
As someone who has attended many weddings with a 3-4 hour gap between the ceremony and reception (big Catholic family), my recommendation for anyone attending a wedding like that is to either use the time to go home/your hotel and take a quick nap & refresh hair/makeup so you are energized for the reception. For my fellow introverts, this time to recharge your social battery has been invaluable. Or plan a pre-game at someone's place with other guests. It's probably because I grew up primarily attending these types of weddings & it's what I am most used to, but I actually prefer the gap. I definitely understand maybe an awkward length of like an hour where it's not enough time to go home is frustrating, but having multiple hours in between has always been less stressful than the weddings I've been to where the reception immediately following the ceremony. And having a mini-party at someone's house in-between is always a good time to catch up with out of town friends and family, meet their new significant others, eat some snacks, and prepare for a late night of partying. I've even brought a change of clothes so that my wedding outfit stays fresh until the reception. (If you have kids attending the wedding, this is also great so they are not cranky throughout the whole reception!)
So, just went through all the comments and wanted to share something for those wondering about alternatives to dancing due to COVID restrictions... we had a family friend get married about a month ago and they had background music playing, but where the dance floor would normally be, they had a caricature artist for wedding guests to have their caricature portrait done! People really enjoyed seeing how each one turned out and it was a nice gift/favor for folks to take home with them. Thought it was a great idea.
Found your channel while researching for my 2023 wedding. I FULLY bought in! I bought the Master plan, I’ve watched all of your videos on this channel and am currently binging your lifestyle channel. All of this in the last 3 weeks! You are an amazing human and you’re killing it!!
We just made the decision to postpone our wedding another year (after postponing from last year). I've been feeling super down about having a COVID wedding and now I feel so much better. I'm glad I can finally watch your videos and get excited instead of anxious!
I'm glad you mentioned temperature as your first item. I attended my nieces outdoor wedding. It was August 28th this year (2021). It was 90 degrees with 50% plus humidity. And little to no breeze. Two small fans placed so no one could feel them. I stayed until I couldn't stand it anymore. There was plenty of cold water or, I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did. All that planning and expense right down the drain because the majority left early. And there was almost an hour drive to the wedding. So, I spent two hours on the road to be miserable. Ridiculous. Only 1 bathroom too for about 90 people.
I once sat through 2 hrs of toasts lol. We ended up having to leave b4 it finished because the last ferry of the day was going to go 😬. Made me say no speeches for my day. But I've relented to 3 speeches and it has to be 3 mins each. Hate speeches with a passion.
Dj definitely makes the wedding on my search for the perfect MC/DJ I’ve realized they make the whole wedding! My mom thinks I’m silly treating this as a performance but it’s true I need to put on a great show and celebrate! I can’t believe I’m doing this alone
I totally agree about the DJ! A good DJ is much more than just the music. He can MC the evening better than the brother or best friend, or he can coach/assist the MC. The DJ will read the crowd and see if they are bored, he will rotate types of music so the grand parents can dance to Sinatra and the younger crowd can dance to the top 40, and everything in between. A great wedding DJ will start working on your wedding a long time before the actual day comes!
Yes, I have left receptions more than once because of being hungry! I’m sure there was enough good food WHEN it was finally served. To combat that problem at our reception, we made a separate card in the invitation that said Dinner Reception would begin at 5:30. (Our wedding had been earlier in the day; there was no cocktail hour.) Also, we did not get the DJ we wanted and understood we were getting. His name wasn’t specified in the contract, so we had no recourse. If you are expecting a specific person, make that name part of the written agreement. Just sayin’!
Totally agree about DJs, a bad DJ/MC can really bring everything down 😬 We are paying a ridiculous amount for our DJ lol but he was the DJ for my best friends wedding and we LOVED him 🙌🏼 Highly recommend asking for vendor information from your friends if you enjoyed their wedding
Your advice is super helpful. You should ignore people's negative comments. People get hurt by other people's opinions sometimes, but there is no reason to. If they're negative it says more about them than you. Thanks for being honest with us and taking the time to share your knowledge on this platform!
I went to a wedding last summer and it was plagued with almost every issue that Jamie has mentioned in this video! The bride refused to call off an outdoor wedding and all the guests were poured on until the call was made to move it indoors (roughly 30 minutes in the rain). Everyone was upset and had muddy shoes. Buffet dinner took too long to get to and guests needed to answer trivia in order to get food (it was the entertainment they had planned) but everyone was just hangry. The food was undercooked and not appetizing. The DJ was good until the dance floor opened; played music that nobody wanted to dance to. The real kicker was it was a completely unplugged event. Nobody had cell service and the only option was to drive 15 minutes from the venue to get access, or pay ridiculous amount of $$ to get a 15 minute wifi pass. It is truly so important for the bride/groom/planners to put themselves in the guests' shoes to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy because a build-up of negative events will lead to an overall negative memory of the wedding from the guests.
My cousin had a comedy performance at her wedding, it was quite entertaining. But the performers were interactive with the guests which made it even more entertaining to the guests. (Having these performers at birthdays and weddings n such are a big thing in my country and people love them)
Do not let your photographer dictated the timeline or flow of your wedding. This happened to me because he wanted to go home so he rushed everything ahead of schedule and my guests were waiting for our send off when I had paid for our band for another set. The photographer did all of this behind my back. I was pissed! Have a wedding coordinator or a printing timeline for your guests to see so they know what to expect and when.
Seriously shopped for a better DJ because of the advice here! Hired a DJ that does it as his main job, and not his side job. He is booked up each week. I'm so excited that we went with him.
Omg I've been that guest who passed out because of heat :') too hot, no water or anything, not enough chairs so I couldnt sit down... I just fell flat on my face (in a short dress...) when the bride and groom exchanged vows. Everyone panicked because they thought the mother of the bride was having a seizure. Talk about being embarassed. Omg.
I left a wedding early because the reception space was so small. We were packed in there like sardines. There were too many people at tables that were already so close together. I got up to go to the bathroom and it felt like I was trying to leave my seat at a school assembly, having to scoot past everyone. Needless to say, I didn’t return after I left to find the bathroom.
I've been watching before getting engaged and now that my wedding is less than 4 months away, these videos make me nervous! 😅 thankfully I think I have everything covered that you mentioned! Great video as always!
As a guest, I have experienced: 1. SO many outdoor weddings with no outdoor lighting once the sun goes down. We couldn't even see our plates and wine glasses in front of us. Everyone was walking around with the flashlight on their phone on. 2. Food being super cold and we were the first table served (wedding party). They ended up running out of food and 6 tables didn't even get food (my family being one of those tables). Food truck weddings are the absolute worst, it takes forever to get food, one time we still didn't have food by 10pm. We ended up going to In N Out and then came back after.
Our wedding is happening in May and we are having a religious ceremony celebration and we opted for a violinist which will still be playing beautiful music and serenading the tables with our guest and we will have a cartoonist that would be drawing couples some entertainment for our guest as there won’t be any alcohol or dancing involved. But ultimately it will be beautiful.
Omg yes the waiting on food is terrible. I went to a Quinceañera where they called tables up by numbers. There were 32 tables and it took way over an hour for everyone to get their food. I was one of the last tables sitting right next to the food!!
Not engaged, but my boyfriend and I plan to have a winter wedding outdoors in New England. Sounds wild, but (our ceremony) will be an elopement (just us two, no guests) so no one gets to complain about the temperature and we get what we want.
Agreed! We went to a wedding and although it was lovely the buffet food ran out so fast, I managed to get only two sandwiches 🤦🏻♀️ - Another thing not listed was the no table seating sign or place cards. We didn't know where to sit and didnt want to sit in someone elses seat
Discovered you last week and I. Am. Obsessed. We are doing SO many things untraditionally, but I very much appreciate an expert's perspective no matter what! Okay... I'm off to watch a dozen or two of your videos. Thanks a bunch! ~Malyssa
You have made this whole planning a wedding during a pandemic thing so much more enjoyable! I’ve gotten so many great tips from you to carry into my wedding day. THANK YOU!
I went to a wedding last summer and it seemed the bride and groom did not care about the guests experience at all! They spent well over 2 hours getting pictures done and had all their guests mingle around in the heat for the cocktail hour(s) with not nearly enough food and barely anything to drink. The bar was not opened until after the meal, which came close to 3 1/2 hours after the ceremony and again, there wasn't enough food. My fiancé and I had to leave before the meal was even over because we had to get our baby home for bed (couldn't get a sitter). Frankly, we just felt neglected by the bride and groom and like they really didn't care about our experience, which I realize might sound a little selfish. But for me personally, I can't have a good time if my guests aren't. Their experience is so so important!
Love your videos even though I am nowhere near ready to get married. I agree with this list 100%. The weddings where I was the most cranky had DJs that were too loud, super long gaps, and waiting FOREVER for food.
Personal experience : I went to an outdoor wedding and I absolutely didn't enjoy it. It was so cold at night and Nothing was done about it. During the day, it was very hot, but that was fine because they had enough water and ice for everyone plus alcohol, but at night it was a disaster. She's right when she says that the tempeture of the room is so important. You wanna have an outdoor wedding? Sure, but have AC and a heater. I still prefer the indoor setting because temperature is way more stable and controled. 😊
I would say the flow of the wedding, which includes all of the above, is a part of what an experienced wedding planner should be proactive about. Dynamic timeline, speed of service, guests' comfort should all be part of the details that a wedding planner looks at.
Thankfully our wedding ceremony and reception are in the same place. The schedule we have seems to keep things moving at all times so I'm hoping our guests will be comfortable enough. The ceremony and cocktail hour will be outdoors so that is something we'll be sure to communicate to others.
Right like if I have to buy a gift, a plane ticket, rent a car, and then stay in a hotel for the night i expect to be at least given a decent dinner and alcohol!
Hey Jaime, I don't know if you will see this, but, I only just heard about the crazy winter weather in TX. I don't know how hard you guys are getting hit, but please stay safe & warm, you and you hubs, and your kiddos, and your animals. I'll be keeping you guys in prayer as you weather the storm! 💞💞
My fiancee and I are getting married in a couple months! Definitely on a budget, and doing some DYI! I've loved watching your videos! We have a close friend who is ordained AND is a fantastic and fabulous local musician in our area, she's handling the ceremony and live music for the reception! But must admit, the thought of live comedy is awesome!!!
I have 100% left a wedding to go through a Krystal’s drive through 🤣 I can’t party if I’m starving because you only had cupcakes at your reception! Also, the 2 hour photography gap between wedding and the reception is just 🥴 we just had our guests involved in the photography portion so it wasn’t a huge dragging gap between activities, AND we got some awesome keepsake photos of everyone all together which is so hard to get normally!
All i can remember from the last wedding i went to was sitting in a hot car for two hours waiting to follow the brides party bus from church to reception. I was from another state and flew in and there were no restaurants around i was thirsty and hungry and then when we finally got to the reception the bride and groom had a 1 hour cocktail and no snacks i was soo hungry theee hours hungry and just waiting around cuz i had no plus 1 i didnt leave cuz i had nothing better to do from out of town. That is all i really remember from the wedding and it was an all day thing.
Your videos are hands down the most helpful and realistic videos I have come across on RUclips! You're advice is always legit and I'm never left wishing I had learned something new. Thank you Jamie!
Food trucks sound fun, but take forever. At my office, we've had a few food truck events. They are painfully slow. I don't understand why the trucks prepare 1 thing at a time when there is a limited menu and they could cook up a heap of meat at a time to quickly make tacos or whatever is being served. I'd be very weary of having a large group's exclusive access to food or drinks being 1 food truck. If you really want a food truck, ask how many people they can comfortably serve in an hour. Also, if you can visit them at a location like a farmer's market or wherever they do their normal business, time how quickly people are getting their orders.
As a mobile DJ...your comment about the DJ being the unsung hero is correct. When I DJ weddings, I don't just show up and play music. I coordinate with the couple and make a Master Wedding Outline. No wedding goes perfect or on time (at least in my experience), but having one of those helps keep things going in a general direction. A good DJ becomes the unofficial director of the wedding by keeping the events relatively on time. That consultation also helps with the pronunciation of some people's names. There is nothing more embarrassing than mispronouncing a name (especially if it is someone in that couple). I also get a song request list beforehand for a couple of reasons. One...so that I can make sure that I have all of the songs on their list. Two...it gives me an idea of what type of music they would like me to play. Since I'm a phenom of music history knowledge, I can be a human Pandora and play other songs based off of their requests to fill out the evening. The point I'm trying to make is to get a DJ who actually cares about making the couple have a memorable evening. Sometimes I can help with Point 5 by alieving the long gaps of time with no entertainment as well by playing some great music!
One time my fiance and I left because of how cold and WINDY it was. Their venue, bless them, didn't have complete walls. Like rather it had pillars so it allowed wind in and aside from it messing up all of our hair and blowing dresses up, it was blowing food plates around. It was stressful and as much as we understand, we knew when we get married we NEED a good shelter away from those kind of weather elements.
I agree with all. Toasts, especially. I went to a wedding recently where the speeches were not only too long but by too many people which were by the best men (2 of them), groom's sister, bride's father, groom's parents, and maid of honor. I felt awful for the maid of honor because it was the bride's sister who was last and when that happened, she had to politely ask everyone to quiet down. It was so unnecessary to have that many speeches. I'm sorry, I know your wedding day is important and those important to you want to make the speech but you just cannot do that.
Once went to a wedding that didn't have enough chairs by more than half. We all had to stand in a park pavilion in heels in Autumn it was 2 degrees Celsius out. We were cold and our feet hurt. When we went inside for "cocktail hour" it was just a folding table full of 2L pop bottles and dollar store plastic cups and then they "made a mistake with the seating plan." So a bunch of people didn't have anywhere to sit. We left before dinner even started. We still left our card and gift despite leaving early and never recieved a thankyou card either. Sufficed to say we don't talk to them any more.
Your post reminded me of one of the weirdest experiences I have endured at a wedding reception: my sister and I were part of the extended family being photographed after the ceremony, so, we remained at the church while the guests headed for the reception. When we arrived at the reception, the bridal party had reserved seating but not us. Since we were family, we did not have the option of leaving, so, we literally had to wait for other wedding guests to exit before we could actually sit down (approximately two hours).
Girl😳...these CURLS! 😍 The curl and color combo it totally distracting lol. But these were excellent points! The football on the phone story👉🏾my jaw literally dropped🙀😂
Jamie! My fiance and I recently got engaged and I feel so comfortable planning everything, having watched you for over a year now. He and I are big swing dancers, so we're going to have a quick and basic jitterbug lesson after the dinner. Hopefully that's entertaining enough!
That is a fantastic idea!! My boyfriend and I are big swing dancers as well, and if we do decide to do a reception there will obviously be swing music playing. This is a great way to make the non-dancer guests feel more included!
@@stephpals Hey!! We got married in October! The lesson for beginner guests went well. :) People who didn't join in were still very entertained watching the lesson. If you want another fun idea, instead of numbers, I named the tables after different styles of swing and famous dancers (Lindy Hop, Balboa, Frankie Manning, etc). Our theme was 1930s art deco, so it worked great. Good luck with your wedding!
My cousins wedding went from 10am to 3am. In three different cities. There was no cocktail hour upon arrival at the final reception venue. We stood in a cramped space for 2 hrs while the bridal party took pictures. My feet were killing me.
We aren't going to have dancing at our wedding (no alcohol & at a church) but its gonna be vintage themed so I want some oldies and some smoothe jazz in the background at least
Umm... I love this comedy show idea! How would you make that work? like a short comedy set during dinner? so that then the DJ can take over afterwards and people can get up and start dancing? VERY interested in this idea. My fiance and I go to comedy shows a lot (pre-pandemic), and he could easily find some comedians that are up and coming. so not only would it be very us, but we'd love it!
Possibly consider a set during cocktail hour so your guests can be entertained while you're with your photographer or while the ceremony space is getting flipped.
@@deanamarie6316 Sorry, I should have been a bit more specific. I'm eloping months before, so I'll be with everyone throughout the night (pictures will be happening before the event even starts). And the cocktail hour will be when guests are actually arriving to our "post-elopement celebration" so that seems like an awkward time as I can only assume guests will be slowly trickling in.
It's the, watching you now on my laptop, sitting down to scarf my food down, wedding planning books all open, during a thunderstorm, and then turning on my tv and it's the Wedding Transportation video you made on my TV too for MEE!! HAHAHA, gotta love it! Thank you so much for all of these wonderful videos and tips! :)
My Cousin got married in summer 2019 and they had the DJ play the couples favorite music which is literally just background sounds. Nobody was dancing and i can tell you that my family is big on dancing. The only time everyone ( and i mean everyone) started dancing was when my dad hijacked the mic and sang Elvis ( he is really good). But then the bad music continued and we left at 1 am which is really early considering me, my sis and our bfs are on our early 20s and usually don't leave that early. In Germany ( where i am from) i don't think a Wedding without alcohol is possible.... I literally don't think any vendor or locations would offer that. Well, Jamie i love your videos and you look stunning today!
I went to a two hour outdoor reception in a park, that served good food, but there were no bathrooms anywhere! My kids were little so I drove to a gas station nearby so they wouldn't have accidents! Bathrooms are so important and so overlooked when event planning!
I got married in November in Brazil. It was a dream come true 🥰 Jamie, thank you so much for being a part of this! I can’t stop watching your videos though 😂🙈 and I absolutely LOVE you hair! I looks so gorgeous ❤️
All i can remember from the last wedding i went to was sitting in a hot car for two hours waiting (bridal photos at the church) to follow the brides party bus from church to reception. I was from another state and flew in and there were no restaurants around i was thirsty and hungry and then when we finally got to the reception the bride and groom we had a 1 hour cocktail and no snacks i was soo hungry three hours hungry and just waiting around cuz i had no plus 1 i didnt leave cuz i had nothing better to do from out of town. That is all i really remember from the wedding and it was an all day thing.
I almost thought you were at one of my friend's weddings. The toasts were super long and most of the guests couldn't hear it, so my husband and his friends propped up a phone and watched a gam. So embarassing. However, they had LOTS of booze and it was the prettiest wedding, and we absolutely adore them, so we partied hours after the toasts! This is so helpful though, my bestie wants to do a food truck.
I’m a 24 year old male and was YouTubing honeymoon destination and she ended being next on my auto play.(second video I’m watching) Kind of surprised how interesting these videos are 🤔 It’s like playing a big a strategy game being a wedding planner but with actual ppl as far as keeping the wedding party and the guest equally as happy and having fun and making sure all is smooth
I am currently planning my own wedding and I really want a "diy photobooth" where I have a designated area with a nice backdrop where guests can take their own photos and print them, stick them in our guest book but I will still have the digital copy to send to them later if they so desire and I was just wondering if you could lend some advice as I have 2 ideas about how to make this possible but I am not sure which would fit better. #1 I set up an iPad on a tripod that is connected to the Zoemini photo printer or #2 I set up the Canon Zoemini s camera on a tripod and people take selfies and the camera just prints them. With both I will have signs that instruct guest how to do it themselves. We are trying to do it this way because we are still on a lockdown and are only allowed 50 people at a wedding (servers, guests,bridal party and and other staff is included in those 50 guests) Thank you very much, any suggestions will be appreciated
I want an outside wedding. But an inside reception, that way once the wedding is done they can find their seats, get music started, and get the alcohol. That’s how the last wedding I’ve been to went down and it was awesome!
We went to an outdoor wedding once in August that the ceremony was outside but in the morning, and shaded, so not too bad. Still comfortable. For the reception however, which was indoors, there wasn’t enough seating for us inside which was air conditioned. The only available seating was literally outside on the porch area next to a window looking in on the reception room. By that time it was your typical august North Carolina weather, hot and muggy. We didn’t stick around for the food. 😣
Listening to all this gives a good case for simple court wedding or eloping. Me and my husband got married at court with his parents present and my parents present and we went out for very nice dinner and had cake and coffee at our appt after. It was very simple and straight forward and all hade fun
I would also say having to spend a ton of money on your wedding. Especially if they are going to multiple weddings - it's the thing i hear the most people complain about in casual conversation.
My ceremony was a Roman Catholic ceremony and started at 3 and ended a little bit after 4 P.M. religious ceremonies are totally worth it but can be long.
I hate speeches(UK) /toasts. Went to a wedding where the speeches went on for 45+mins long, 7 different people spoke (all planned) and although none of them were bad it was stupid. I knew it was happening and I told the bride it was ridiculous but whatever makes you happy 🤷🏻♀️
@@alicjaz2771 that’s interesting. I’m talking about the old Soviet countries which is where we are from. We are setting aside 1.5 hours for speeches at my wedding lol
I was at a wedding once, they had more guests than food. I don't really drink that much but, others at work were complaining that the beer was too warm. I will make sure the keg stays cold lol.
My son is disabled and was best man as his father's wedding it kind of hurt his feelings his dad didn't include any food he could actually eat for medical reasons except basic lettuce salad with out dressing. He was 12 he was a super good sport and gave a speech and sang a song for his daddy, then we booked to get him food because he had been there 5 hours and had had ginger ale and lettuce in that time.
The worst wedding I’ve ever been to was a Catholic wedding that had an hour and a half ceremony and then we went to the reception where we were sat in a back corner with no view of the couple, the last ones to eat in a crowd of 300+ guests, and the bridal party had over 20 people in it with at least an hour of toasts. It was the most god awful boring wedding I have ever been to. We finally got our food, scarfed it down, and left before they even started playing music or cut the cake. As a planner, I keep that wedding in mind for all of the “what not to do” things on the list.
Hi, i work at a dance studio where we have all kinds of parties and Balls etc. My Boss printed out these big, beautiful and creative conversationstarters for each table nd let me tell you what a waste of time and money it was. I am not saying your guests will not appreciate them but this is my experience.
Better to have an activity- even better if it is competitive. I went to a wedding with legos as the centerpiece, and man, between that and a few other cool stuff they did off the cuff, it was one of the best weddings I’ve gone to
@@ak2944 they treated it as a kid’s birthday party. There was a piñata instead of a wedding cake, pin the veil on the bride. The caterers were food trucks, they had buskers, close magicians, and it was laid out in a garden so as you walked around you discovered stuff. They had poi spinners after dark, just an incredibly cool reception.
6 Things Guests Hate According to Jamie
1. Too hot or too cold- temp control
2. Not enough restrooms
3. Food taking too long to be served
4. Not enough food
5. Large timeline gaps with no entertainment
6. No alcohol or a bad DJ
Very informative! Definitely will keep these in mind.
And long toasts!
My top wedding pet peeves is 3 and 5 glad to see they’re on the list
My fiancé and I don’t do alcohol and we don’t want to serve alcohol on our wedding... bse of our religion. What do u suggest?
Pre warn them. Serve interesting non alcoholic drinks. I went to a wedding recently where hardly any guests drink, but the only alternative was water. Make the drink interesting.
@@Iam_mnambi look up “pumpkin juice” recipe, it’s out of this world good, and non alcoholic.
Introvert here! I don’t like when I have to participate in weddings. I’m very happy and having the time of my life, on my seat. Please, don’t force people to dance, catch the bouquet, sing a song or do the conga line (true story all of them). Keep in mind there are different personalities and just because someone is on their seat, means they’re having a bad time.
Please don’t coerce people period! Consensual weddings only all around.
I'll keep this in mind. My weddings in 2 weeks lol
I agree completely! We're not having dancing because we're the couple that doesn't like being coerced and we're not having that on our own day!
That's why alcohol is served, people can climb out of their shell a bit and celebrate with the couple with having fun with others who love them. Just have fun and relax about social anxieties.
Same for me and my fiance! We're going to have a bunch of interactive stuff (a murder mystery game, social scavenger hunt, board game stations) but we're also planning a lot more chill stuff, because that's something we missed at other weddings (quieter music in general and a nice area far from the speakers for people to sit and chat with their friends and family, plus a secret easter egg hunt)
Not wedding related but your hair looks GLORIOUS!!!!
Yes I thought you looked extra beautiful today
I came here to say the same thing
I immediately thought the same thing! I was like "that's what I want my bridal hair to look like".
I agree too!
It's so sleek and pretty 😍
One wedding where a bunch of people left early was because we were squished into a space that was too small for the number of people, and the couple barely acknowledged the majority of their guests. I was an old friend of the bride, but even her family members left early because nobody felt like the couple actually cared if we were there or not. Greet your guests!
Worst wedding I ever went to was in mid-summer and the bride, who was always cold, decided on an outdoor, non-tented wedding because she didn't want to be in air conditioning. All the guests were melting before the ceremony was over, and she had a 2-hour gap between the ceremony and the reception and didn't allow for snacks OR BEVERAGES in between time. 80% of the guests left before the actual reception started, and the bride was shocked when she arrived to see it.
My worst weeding was also an outdoors one, but it was so fkn cold at night and there was no heating, no scarves handed out, nothing. She did it there because she doesn't like indoor venues which is absurd. I'm having mine in an indoor venue for sure. Outdoors venue fkn suck.
I would add to this levels of outdoor exposure that aren't disclosed or intuitive from the invitation. I've attended two winter weddings that did not specify that they were outdoors and another that did not specify that the ceremony was up long dirt road from the specified location. PLEASE give your guests the opportunity to dress appropriately for your vision in advance by specifying any conditions that need more than cocktail attire and basic cute outerwear. Guests will jump through hoops if they know in advance not to wear heels.
I attended an outdoor wedding in November. I had to call the groom's Mother to find out about those things. It should of been on the invitation so everyone knew what to be prepared for with clothing and coats. They said they would have blankets, but they only had enough for Grandparents and a few others. They had no outdoor heaters. This was a flop in planning imo.
Very good point. If I know I'll be sitting outside for an extended period in the winter then I'll wear a heavier coat than I might otherwise wear to an event.
She’s 100% spot on. My guests minimally care about my love story. They’re to eat drink and be entertained.
Can you do a video about how to handle divorced parents during a rehearsal/bridal shower/wedding. I think this would be such a helpful topic.😂
Here’s her video on this topic from about a year ago!! ruclips.net/video/yRyCDvqLJ-k/видео.html
I feel so bad for couples in your shoes- to think your parents would ruin your big day, because they can't act like adults. Maybe have your officiant speak to them or do a family counseling session. If things are that bad it's going to be an issue in your marriage, not just wedding and it could be the first step to normalizing relations.
@@26Bluegb these are all great points, I’m in the same boat and the biggest thing for me (not just around events like a wedding) is setting and sticking to boundaries.
Unrelated a bit but my mother dislikes her dad. I think she shouldn't have invited him in the first place, but she gave him the closest seat from the toilets as a "f you". Personally as long as my grandfather is not at my wedding I think it will be great
Yessssssssss!!! I really hope that she talks about this as well
As a wedding DJ for 30 years, I can tell you, you are spot on.
As a counterbalance to 5 I'd like to add that there is such a thing as too much entertainment with not enough time to socialize in between. Guests may have traveled a long way to meet people they haven't met in years. Or two guests who have never met each other but have very much in common (such as a college friend + a colleague) may be hitting it off, and too much of a schedule can disrupt the organic unique social situation that a wedding is.
Can definitely vouch for comfort level! Attended a summer wedding in the UK a couple of years ago. The reception was in a huge hall, with no windows and no AC. The sweat was literally dripping down my back. I left after their first dance, it was awful!
I did apologise and give my love, but I was starting to feel sick 🥴
I would like to add that large gaps between the ceremony and reception can really suck for out of town guests. I’ve definitely spent 2 hours at a random Panera in between a ceremony and reception in dress clothes, definitely not comfortable. While this wouldn’t necessarily make people leave early, I could definitely see people skipping the ceremony entirely in that situation.
I attended a wedding recently that just felt "off" and my family and boyfriend and I later pinned it all on the DJ. Between continuing to play an entire song even when everyone exited the dance floor to the abrupt end of the wedding ("okay now for the bride and groom's last dance" and then the lights came on). I never doubt Jamie but now I'm completely with her on the importance of a good DJ!!
I went to a party once when everything looked drop dead gorgeous BUT they didn’t serve food until 10pm UH!!! Everyone looked so upset
Are you serious! That's insane
That happened at a wedding I went to before because the caterer wasn’t able to cook the food.
Great advice!
As a future bride, every wedding I have gone to recently was a mental note taking session for me and I learned ALOT. And many things Jamie has preached were validated.
Dry weddings, 90% of the guests left early.
Freezing/hailing wedding with just a tent, 90% of guests left early.
Open seating, a disaster.
You said if it gets below 60 degrees you need a heat source and I laughed, and then remembered you’re from California. That’s perfect weather in Michigan. 😂
Also, I have to say another thing guests hate is a long wait between the ceremony and reception. My cousin got married and there was FOUR HOURS in between where we had nothing to do, and couldn’t even go home for a break because it was out of town. My fiancé wanted to just leave but I felt too bad since we obviously RSVP’d for our seats.
FOUR?!?!?!!?
Lol I had the same thought. I was like 60? That's perfect! (Michigander)
I have lived all over the world and 60 degrees is cold! It’s subjective really. However, I wouldn’t sit outside in 60 degrees with a dress on but I will walk around the city. Moving around makes a big difference.
@@sdarling6518 I think it depends on how you live. Sure, you've lived all over. But if you've only lived in a colder state and your body is used to the remperatures there, 60 degrees can feel amazing. Especially if you just had a long winter. Now if you've had a long and hot summer where it's 80-90 degrees, then the next day it's 60, then it'd feel cold. I think it's mostly dependent on the season and what your body is used to.
Your absolutely right.
Although I understand why people like to have speeches at their wedding, i have to say I am one of those guests that get so bored during toasts! I won't do any toasts at my wedding for that reason. I think the ceremony, first dance, family dances is pleanty for people to sit through in my opinion
My daughter wanted a small bridal party so there was the maid of honor and the best man. Both said a speech that lasted under 5 minutes. No one else spoke and the party got rolling before anyone could have a chance on getting bored. They did the first dance, father daughter dance and that was it. The grooms mother had passed away so there was no mother groom dance. They did the cake cutting and that was it. The rest was party time!!
I've been a wedding DJ for 27 years. You are absolutely right about a DJ making or breaking your wedding. There is another component to getting a great wedding dance floor going.
That is the guests need to have a desire to want to dance. If your guests are more interested in catching up with each other then it will be difficult getting them on the dance floor.
As someone who has attended many weddings with a 3-4 hour gap between the ceremony and reception (big Catholic family), my recommendation for anyone attending a wedding like that is to either use the time to go home/your hotel and take a quick nap & refresh hair/makeup so you are energized for the reception. For my fellow introverts, this time to recharge your social battery has been invaluable. Or plan a pre-game at someone's place with other guests. It's probably because I grew up primarily attending these types of weddings & it's what I am most used to, but I actually prefer the gap. I definitely understand maybe an awkward length of like an hour where it's not enough time to go home is frustrating, but having multiple hours in between has always been less stressful than the weddings I've been to where the reception immediately following the ceremony. And having a mini-party at someone's house in-between is always a good time to catch up with out of town friends and family, meet their new significant others, eat some snacks, and prepare for a late night of partying. I've even brought a change of clothes so that my wedding outfit stays fresh until the reception. (If you have kids attending the wedding, this is also great so they are not cranky throughout the whole reception!)
So, just went through all the comments and wanted to share something for those wondering about alternatives to dancing due to COVID restrictions... we had a family friend get married about a month ago and they had background music playing, but where the dance floor would normally be, they had a caricature artist for wedding guests to have their caricature portrait done! People really enjoyed seeing how each one turned out and it was a nice gift/favor for folks to take home with them. Thought it was a great idea.
Found your channel while researching for my 2023 wedding. I FULLY bought in! I bought the Master plan, I’ve watched all of your videos on this channel and am currently binging your lifestyle channel. All of this in the last 3 weeks! You are an amazing human and you’re killing it!!
I’m also planning for 2023! Feels SO far away but I know it’ll come fast 💕💕
I hope you had or will have a great wedding day🎉🎉
I’m three days in and loving it. Planning for 2024
We just made the decision to postpone our wedding another year (after postponing from last year). I've been feeling super down about having a COVID wedding and now I feel so much better. I'm glad I can finally watch your videos and get excited instead of anxious!
I feel so bad but I just want a whole story time about this wedding where people just started watching the game 😩💀! Omg that wedding sounded crazy 😩!
"They didn't have enough water" is a survival situation, not a wedding hahaha. How'd that even happen if you were working that event?
I'm glad you mentioned temperature as your first item. I attended my nieces outdoor wedding. It was August 28th this year (2021). It was 90 degrees with 50% plus humidity. And little to no breeze. Two small fans placed so no one could feel them. I stayed until I couldn't stand it anymore. There was plenty of cold water or, I wouldn't have stayed as long as I did. All that planning and expense right down the drain because the majority left early. And there was almost an hour drive to the wedding. So, I spent two hours on the road to be miserable. Ridiculous. Only 1 bathroom too for about 90 people.
I once sat through 2 hrs of toasts lol. We ended up having to leave b4 it finished because the last ferry of the day was going to go 😬.
Made me say no speeches for my day. But I've relented to 3 speeches and it has to be 3 mins each. Hate speeches with a passion.
Yes! If you’re going to have speeches, keep them brief. I remember the speeches at ours by our bridal party were short but memorable.
Dj definitely makes the wedding on my search for the perfect MC/DJ I’ve realized they make the whole wedding! My mom thinks I’m silly treating this as a performance but it’s true I need to put on a great show and celebrate! I can’t believe I’m doing this alone
I totally agree about the DJ! A good DJ is much more than just the music. He can MC the evening better than the brother or best friend, or he can coach/assist the MC. The DJ will read the crowd and see if they are bored, he will rotate types of music so the grand parents can dance to Sinatra and the younger crowd can dance to the top 40, and everything in between. A great wedding DJ will start working on your wedding a long time before the actual day comes!
Yes, I have left receptions more than once because of being hungry! I’m sure there was enough good food WHEN it was finally served. To combat that problem at our reception, we made a separate card in the invitation that said Dinner Reception would begin at 5:30. (Our wedding had been earlier in the day; there was no cocktail hour.)
Also, we did not get the DJ we wanted and understood we were getting. His name wasn’t specified in the contract, so we had no recourse. If you are expecting a specific person, make that name part of the written agreement. Just sayin’!
Totally agree about DJs, a bad DJ/MC can really bring everything down 😬 We are paying a ridiculous amount for our DJ lol but he was the DJ for my best friends wedding and we LOVED him 🙌🏼 Highly recommend asking for vendor information from your friends if you enjoyed their wedding
I’m always interested. What’s a “ridiculous” amount in your area?
Hope he is mentioned BY NAME in your contract, unless every DJ in the group you are using is good and you don’t care. Happy Wedding!!
@@md19 I paid 2,600 for my dj. Thought it was ridiculous but he was amazing and 100% worth it
@@daeshawhite9229 sitting over here at $4500 in the seattle area. Which is upper tier but not the highest in the area.
Your advice is super helpful. You should ignore people's negative comments. People get hurt by other people's opinions sometimes, but there is no reason to. If they're negative it says more about them than you. Thanks for being honest with us and taking the time to share your knowledge on this platform!
I went to a wedding last summer and it was plagued with almost every issue that Jamie has mentioned in this video! The bride refused to call off an outdoor wedding and all the guests were poured on until the call was made to move it indoors (roughly 30 minutes in the rain). Everyone was upset and had muddy shoes. Buffet dinner took too long to get to and guests needed to answer trivia in order to get food (it was the entertainment they had planned) but everyone was just hangry. The food was undercooked and not appetizing. The DJ was good until the dance floor opened; played music that nobody wanted to dance to. The real kicker was it was a completely unplugged event. Nobody had cell service and the only option was to drive 15 minutes from the venue to get access, or pay ridiculous amount of $$ to get a 15 minute wifi pass. It is truly so important for the bride/groom/planners to put themselves in the guests' shoes to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy because a build-up of negative events will lead to an overall negative memory of the wedding from the guests.
Trivia to get food! That’s brutal
My cousin had a comedy performance at her wedding, it was quite entertaining. But the performers were interactive with the guests which made it even more entertaining to the guests. (Having these performers at birthdays and weddings n such are a big thing in my country and people love them)
Do not let your photographer dictated the timeline or flow of your wedding. This happened to me because he wanted to go home so he rushed everything ahead of schedule and my guests were waiting for our send off when I had paid for our band for another set. The photographer did all of this behind my back. I was pissed! Have a wedding coordinator or a printing timeline for your guests to see so they know what to expect and when.
Seriously shopped for a better DJ because of the advice here! Hired a DJ that does it as his main job, and not his side job. He is booked up each week. I'm so excited that we went with him.
Omg I've been that guest who passed out because of heat :') too hot, no water or anything, not enough chairs so I couldnt sit down... I just fell flat on my face (in a short dress...) when the bride and groom exchanged vows. Everyone panicked because they thought the mother of the bride was having a seizure. Talk about being embarassed. Omg.
I left a wedding early because the reception space was so small. We were packed in there like sardines. There were too many people at tables that were already so close together. I got up to go to the bathroom and it felt like I was trying to leave my seat at a school assembly, having to scoot past everyone. Needless to say, I didn’t return after I left to find the bathroom.
I have genuinely never seen anyone leave a wedding early when there's an open bar and drink 😂😂. Perks of being Irish 🥂
I've been watching before getting engaged and now that my wedding is less than 4 months away, these videos make me nervous! 😅 thankfully I think I have everything covered that you mentioned! Great video as always!
As a guest, I have experienced:
1. SO many outdoor weddings with no outdoor lighting once the sun goes down. We couldn't even see our plates and wine glasses in front of us. Everyone was walking around with the flashlight on their phone on.
2. Food being super cold and we were the first table served (wedding party). They ended up running out of food and 6 tables didn't even get food (my family being one of those tables). Food truck weddings are the absolute worst, it takes forever to get food, one time we still didn't have food by 10pm. We ended up going to In N Out and then came back after.
Our wedding is happening in May and we are having a religious ceremony celebration and we opted for a violinist which will still be playing beautiful music and serenading the tables with our guest and we will have a cartoonist that would be drawing couples some entertainment for our guest as there won’t be any alcohol or dancing involved. But ultimately it will be beautiful.
Omg yes the waiting on food is terrible. I went to a Quinceañera where they called tables up by numbers. There were 32 tables and it took way over an hour for everyone to get their food. I was one of the last tables sitting right next to the food!!
😅😅😅😅 I know this is not a joking matter, but I can't help it, same thing happened to me, I deliberately went to sat close to the food.😅😅😅😅😅
@@jacintalong2478 😂😂 I guess it backfired on us 😂
Not engaged, but my boyfriend and I plan to have a winter wedding outdoors in New England. Sounds wild, but (our ceremony) will be an elopement (just us two, no guests) so no one gets to complain about the temperature and we get what we want.
Agreed! We went to a wedding and although it was lovely the buffet food ran out so fast, I managed to get only two sandwiches 🤦🏻♀️ - Another thing not listed was the no table seating sign or place cards. We didn't know where to sit and didnt want to sit in someone elses seat
Discovered you last week and I. Am. Obsessed. We are doing SO many things untraditionally, but I very much appreciate an expert's perspective no matter what!
Okay... I'm off to watch a dozen or two of your videos.
Thanks a bunch!
~Malyssa
You have made this whole planning a wedding during a pandemic thing so much more enjoyable! I’ve gotten so many great tips from you to carry into my wedding day. THANK YOU!
I went to a wedding last summer and it seemed the bride and groom did not care about the guests experience at all! They spent well over 2 hours getting pictures done and had all their guests mingle around in the heat for the cocktail hour(s) with not nearly enough food and barely anything to drink. The bar was not opened until after the meal, which came close to 3 1/2 hours after the ceremony and again, there wasn't enough food. My fiancé and I had to leave before the meal was even over because we had to get our baby home for bed (couldn't get a sitter).
Frankly, we just felt neglected by the bride and groom and like they really didn't care about our experience, which I realize might sound a little selfish. But for me personally, I can't have a good time if my guests aren't. Their experience is so so important!
Love your videos even though I am nowhere near ready to get married. I agree with this list 100%. The weddings where I was the most cranky had DJs that were too loud, super long gaps, and waiting FOREVER for food.
Personal experience : I went to an outdoor wedding and I absolutely didn't enjoy it. It was so cold at night and Nothing was done about it. During the day, it was very hot, but that was fine because they had enough water and ice for everyone plus alcohol, but at night it was a disaster. She's right when she says that the tempeture of the room is so important. You wanna have an outdoor wedding? Sure, but have AC and a heater. I still prefer the indoor setting because temperature is way more stable and controled. 😊
The toasts have always been my favourite part of the weddings I’ve been to. I actually get disappointed when there aren’t enough
I would say the flow of the wedding, which includes all of the above, is a part of what an experienced wedding planner should be proactive about. Dynamic timeline, speed of service, guests' comfort should all be part of the details that a wedding planner looks at.
I want to thank you Jamie! You helped me so much with my DIY wedding planning! It was a huge success and I owe a lot of it to your advice!!
Thankfully our wedding ceremony and reception are in the same place. The schedule we have seems to keep things moving at all times so I'm hoping our guests will be comfortable enough. The ceremony and cocktail hour will be outdoors so that is something we'll be sure to communicate to others.
People often forget that guests can also spend $1000+ to attend a wedding especially if it is out of town. I want food and alcohol at a wedding!! lol
Right like if I have to buy a gift, a plane ticket, rent a car, and then stay in a hotel for the night i expect to be at least given a decent dinner and alcohol!
Hey Jaime, I don't know if you will see this, but, I only just heard about the crazy winter weather in TX. I don't know how hard you guys are getting hit, but please stay safe & warm, you and you hubs, and your kiddos, and your animals. I'll be keeping you guys in prayer as you weather the storm! 💞💞
My fiancee and I are getting married in a couple months! Definitely on a budget, and doing some DYI! I've loved watching your videos! We have a close friend who is ordained AND is a fantastic and fabulous local musician in our area, she's handling the ceremony and live music for the reception! But must admit, the thought of live comedy is awesome!!!
I have 100% left a wedding to go through a Krystal’s drive through 🤣 I can’t party if I’m starving because you only had cupcakes at your reception!
Also, the 2 hour photography gap between wedding and the reception is just 🥴 we just had our guests involved in the photography portion so it wasn’t a huge dragging gap between activities, AND we got some awesome keepsake photos of everyone all together which is so hard to get normally!
All i can remember from the last wedding i went to was sitting in a hot car for two hours waiting to follow the brides party bus from church to reception. I was from another state and flew in and there were no restaurants around i was thirsty and hungry and then when we finally got to the reception the bride and groom had a 1 hour cocktail and no snacks i was soo hungry theee hours hungry and just waiting around cuz i had no plus 1 i didnt leave cuz i had nothing better to do from out of town. That is all i really remember from the wedding and it was an all day thing.
Your videos are hands down the most helpful and realistic videos I have come across on RUclips! You're advice is always legit and I'm never left wishing I had learned something new. Thank you Jamie!
Food trucks sound fun, but take forever. At my office, we've had a few food truck events. They are painfully slow. I don't understand why the trucks prepare 1 thing at a time when there is a limited menu and they could cook up a heap of meat at a time to quickly make tacos or whatever is being served. I'd be very weary of having a large group's exclusive access to food or drinks being 1 food truck.
If you really want a food truck, ask how many people they can comfortably serve in an hour. Also, if you can visit them at a location like a farmer's market or wherever they do their normal business, time how quickly people are getting their orders.
As a mobile DJ...your comment about the DJ being the unsung hero is correct. When I DJ weddings, I don't just show up and play music. I coordinate with the couple and make a Master Wedding Outline. No wedding goes perfect or on time (at least in my experience), but having one of those helps keep things going in a general direction. A good DJ becomes the unofficial director of the wedding by keeping the events relatively on time. That consultation also helps with the pronunciation of some people's names. There is nothing more embarrassing than mispronouncing a name (especially if it is someone in that couple). I also get a song request list beforehand for a couple of reasons. One...so that I can make sure that I have all of the songs on their list. Two...it gives me an idea of what type of music they would like me to play. Since I'm a phenom of music history knowledge, I can be a human Pandora and play other songs based off of their requests to fill out the evening. The point I'm trying to make is to get a DJ who actually cares about making the couple have a memorable evening. Sometimes I can help with Point 5 by alieving the long gaps of time with no entertainment as well by playing some great music!
One time my fiance and I left because of how cold and WINDY it was. Their venue, bless them, didn't have complete walls. Like rather it had pillars so it allowed wind in and aside from it messing up all of our hair and blowing dresses up, it was blowing food plates around. It was stressful and as much as we understand, we knew when we get married we NEED a good shelter away from those kind of weather elements.
I agree with all. Toasts, especially. I went to a wedding recently where the speeches were not only too long but by too many people which were by the best men (2 of them), groom's sister, bride's father, groom's parents, and maid of honor. I felt awful for the maid of honor because it was the bride's sister who was last and when that happened, she had to politely ask everyone to quiet down. It was so unnecessary to have that many speeches. I'm sorry, I know your wedding day is important and those important to you want to make the speech but you just cannot do that.
Yeah sooo unnecessary!!
Once went to a wedding that didn't have enough chairs by more than half. We all had to stand in a park pavilion in heels in Autumn it was 2 degrees Celsius out. We were cold and our feet hurt. When we went inside for "cocktail hour" it was just a folding table full of 2L pop bottles and dollar store plastic cups and then they "made a mistake with the seating plan." So a bunch of people didn't have anywhere to sit. We left before dinner even started.
We still left our card and gift despite leaving early and never recieved a thankyou card either. Sufficed to say we don't talk to them any more.
Your post reminded me of one of the weirdest experiences I have endured at a wedding reception: my sister and I were part of the extended family being photographed after the ceremony, so, we remained at the church while the guests headed for the reception. When we arrived at the reception, the bridal party had reserved seating but not us. Since we were family, we did not have the option of leaving, so, we literally had to wait for other wedding guests to exit before we could actually sit down (approximately two hours).
Girl😳...these CURLS! 😍 The curl and color combo it totally distracting lol. But these were excellent points! The football on the phone story👉🏾my jaw literally dropped🙀😂
I've been on the fence about getting propane heaters for our March barn wedding in TN. You're right! I should get them....
I’ve never been so early 😂 getting married 10/16!
That's my brother's bday holy shit
I get married on the 28th! ☺️
10/03 here!!! Just hoping we won't have to postpone due to Covid!!
Me too!!
Congratulations!! :)
I'm getting married on October 16,2021 as well! :)
Jamie! My fiance and I recently got engaged and I feel so comfortable planning everything, having watched you for over a year now. He and I are big swing dancers, so we're going to have a quick and basic jitterbug lesson after the dinner. Hopefully that's entertaining enough!
That is a fantastic idea!! My boyfriend and I are big swing dancers as well, and if we do decide to do a reception there will obviously be swing music playing. This is a great way to make the non-dancer guests feel more included!
@@stephpals Hey!! We got married in October! The lesson for beginner guests went well. :) People who didn't join in were still very entertained watching the lesson. If you want another fun idea, instead of numbers, I named the tables after different styles of swing and famous dancers (Lindy Hop, Balboa, Frankie Manning, etc). Our theme was 1930s art deco, so it worked great. Good luck with your wedding!
My cousins wedding went from 10am to 3am. In three different cities. There was no cocktail hour upon arrival at the final reception venue. We stood in a cramped space for 2 hrs while the bridal party took pictures. My feet were killing me.
Not even engaged but I watch every single one of your videos ❤️❤️
You need background music. Trust me! I went to a wedding that had a first dance and then NO other music.
Oh that’s awkward af 😬
We aren't going to have dancing at our wedding (no alcohol & at a church) but its gonna be vintage themed so I want some oldies and some smoothe jazz in the background at least
Umm... I love this comedy show idea! How would you make that work? like a short comedy set during dinner? so that then the DJ can take over afterwards and people can get up and start dancing? VERY interested in this idea. My fiance and I go to comedy shows a lot (pre-pandemic), and he could easily find some comedians that are up and coming. so not only would it be very us, but we'd love it!
I also love this idea! I love comedy shows!
Possibly consider a set during cocktail hour so your guests can be entertained while you're with your photographer or while the ceremony space is getting flipped.
@@deanamarie6316 Sorry, I should have been a bit more specific. I'm eloping months before, so I'll be with everyone throughout the night (pictures will be happening before the event even starts). And the cocktail hour will be when guests are actually arriving to our "post-elopement celebration" so that seems like an awkward time as I can only assume guests will be slowly trickling in.
It's the, watching you now on my laptop, sitting down to scarf my food down, wedding planning books all open, during a thunderstorm, and then turning on my tv and it's the Wedding Transportation video you made on my TV too for MEE!! HAHAHA, gotta love it! Thank you so much for all of these wonderful videos and tips! :)
Your earring is soooooooo pretty. Would you mind sharing where you got it?
They're from Jade Oi! So beautiful but sadly they don't have them anymore.. Maybe they'll restock.
My Cousin got married in summer 2019 and they had the DJ play the couples favorite music which is literally just background sounds. Nobody was dancing and i can tell you that my family is big on dancing. The only time everyone ( and i mean everyone) started dancing was when my dad hijacked the mic and sang Elvis ( he is really good). But then the bad music continued and we left at 1 am which is really early considering me, my sis and our bfs are on our early 20s and usually don't leave that early. In Germany ( where i am from) i don't think a Wedding without alcohol is possible.... I literally don't think any vendor or locations would offer that.
Well, Jamie i love your videos and you look stunning today!
I went to a two hour outdoor reception in a park, that served good food, but there were no bathrooms anywhere! My kids were little so I drove to a gas station nearby so they wouldn't have accidents! Bathrooms are so important and so overlooked when event planning!
I got married in November in Brazil. It was a dream come true 🥰 Jamie, thank you so much for being a part of this! I can’t stop watching your videos though 😂🙈 and I absolutely LOVE you hair! I looks so gorgeous ❤️
All i can remember from the last wedding i went to was sitting in a hot car for two hours waiting (bridal photos at the church) to follow the brides party bus from church to reception. I was from another state and flew in and there were no restaurants around i was thirsty and hungry and then when we finally got to the reception the bride and groom we had a 1 hour cocktail and no snacks i was soo hungry three hours hungry and just waiting around cuz i had no plus 1 i didnt leave cuz i had nothing better to do from out of town. That is all i really remember from the wedding and it was an all day thing.
I almost thought you were at one of my friend's weddings. The toasts were super long and most of the guests couldn't hear it, so my husband and his friends propped up a phone and watched a gam. So embarassing. However, they had LOTS of booze and it was the prettiest wedding, and we absolutely adore them, so we partied hours after the toasts! This is so helpful though, my bestie wants to do a food truck.
I’m a 24 year old male and was YouTubing honeymoon destination and she ended being next on my auto play.(second video I’m watching) Kind of surprised how interesting these videos are 🤔 It’s like playing a big a strategy game being a wedding planner but with actual ppl as far as keeping the wedding party and the guest equally as happy and having fun and making sure all is smooth
I am going to make sure to interview DJS before I hire one for my wedding after attending several wedding in 2020 with awful DJs, it killed the mood.
OMG! YOU JUST GAVE ME THE BEST IDEA EVER!! HAVE A COMEDIAN AT MY WEDDING!!! THANKS!!!!
I am currently planning my own wedding and I really want a "diy photobooth" where I have a designated area with a nice backdrop where guests can take their own photos and print them, stick them in our guest book but I will still have the digital copy to send to them later if they so desire and I was just wondering if you could lend some advice as I have 2 ideas about how to make this possible but I am not sure which would fit better. #1 I set up an iPad on a tripod that is connected to the Zoemini photo printer or #2 I set up the Canon Zoemini s camera on a tripod and people take selfies and the camera just prints them. With both I will have signs that instruct guest how to do it themselves. We are trying to do it this way because we are still on a lockdown and are only allowed 50 people at a wedding (servers, guests,bridal party and and other staff is included in those 50 guests)
Thank you very much, any suggestions will be appreciated
I want an outside wedding. But an inside reception, that way once the wedding is done they can find their seats, get music started, and get the alcohol. That’s how the last wedding I’ve been to went down and it was awesome!
WAITTT OMG YOU JUST SOLVED MY DJ PROBLEM. I'm SO having a stand up comedian.
YOUR PERSONALITY IS EVERYTHING!!
We went to an outdoor wedding once in August that the ceremony was outside but in the morning, and shaded, so not too bad. Still comfortable. For the reception however, which was indoors, there wasn’t enough seating for us inside which was air conditioned. The only available seating was literally outside on the porch area next to a window looking in on the reception room. By that time it was your typical august North Carolina weather, hot and muggy. We didn’t stick around for the food. 😣
Listening to all this gives a good case for simple court wedding or eloping. Me and my husband got married at court with his parents present and my parents present and we went out for very nice dinner and had cake and coffee at our appt after. It was very simple and straight forward and all hade fun
I would also say having to spend a ton of money on your wedding. Especially if they are going to multiple weddings - it's the thing i hear the most people complain about in casual conversation.
For some reason, based on the title, I thought this was going to be tips for hosting an AirBnb. But, I was pleasantly surprised! Great points!
Love the comedian idea! So unique. Getting it to fit in to a wedding with no cocktail hour (we aren't having one) may be a challenge though
I think a lot of people ignore these things, and then their turnout is poor and they don't know why! Glad to have you as a resource.
My ceremony was a Roman Catholic ceremony and started at 3 and ended a little bit after 4 P.M. religious ceremonies are totally worth it but can be long.
I hate speeches(UK) /toasts. Went to a wedding where the speeches went on for 45+mins long, 7 different people spoke (all planned) and although none of them were bad it was stupid. I knew it was happening and I told the bride it was ridiculous but whatever makes you happy 🤷🏻♀️
In Eastern European culture long toasts- way more then an hour- even at dinner is the norm. So when you said 45 minutes was long I laughed.
Now I know to avoid weddings thrown by my eastern European friends!
I actually live in eastern Europe and I have never heard a single speech at a wedding
@@alicjaz2771 that’s interesting. I’m talking about the old Soviet countries which is where we are from. We are setting aside 1.5 hours for speeches at my wedding lol
@@SashaBelcher Oh gosh, that is A LOT! How do you feel about it? I would personally like a speech, but not for too long, like 15 minutes total.
I was at a wedding once, they had more guests than food. I don't really drink that much but, others at work were complaining that the beer was too warm. I will make sure the keg stays cold lol.
My son is disabled and was best man as his father's wedding it kind of hurt his feelings his dad didn't include any food he could actually eat for medical reasons except basic lettuce salad with out dressing. He was 12 he was a super good sport and gave a speech and sang a song for his daddy, then we booked to get him food because he had been there 5 hours and had had ginger ale and lettuce in that time.
The worst wedding I’ve ever been to was a Catholic wedding that had an hour and a half ceremony and then we went to the reception where we were sat in a back corner with no view of the couple, the last ones to eat in a crowd of 300+ guests, and the bridal party had over 20 people in it with at least an hour of toasts. It was the most god awful boring wedding I have ever been to. We finally got our food, scarfed it down, and left before they even started playing music or cut the cake. As a planner, I keep that wedding in mind for all of the “what not to do” things on the list.
I’ve been to a wedding with a comedian. It was awesome!
Your makeup, hair, and earrings just really look good in this. Girl, u doing something different? Glowing!!
I need ideas for conversation starters! I think a little card at each table inspiring others to connect would be fun!
Hi, i work at a dance studio where we have all kinds of parties and Balls etc. My Boss printed out these big, beautiful and creative conversationstarters for each table nd let me tell you what a waste of time and money it was. I am not saying your guests will not appreciate them but this is my experience.
Better to have an activity- even better if it is competitive. I went to a wedding with legos as the centerpiece, and man, between that and a few other cool stuff they did off the cuff, it was one of the best weddings I’ve gone to
@@ThunderStruck15 Can you detail what other stuff did they have at the wedding? thanks!
@@ak2944 they treated it as a kid’s birthday party. There was a piñata instead of a wedding cake, pin the veil on the bride. The caterers were food trucks, they had buskers, close magicians, and it was laid out in a garden so as you walked around you discovered stuff. They had poi spinners after dark, just an incredibly cool reception.