Weddings are some of the most exciting times in the lives of our friends. They are blissfully in love. It’s their special day and they have more than likely spent hours and hours and hours ( and hours!) planning for this special event.
Weddings take months and often years to plan and are over in 30-45 minutes. All of the time in preparation to make every detail perfect is spent in a very short time frame. One of the most important things the bride and groom want for their visiting friends is to experience their joy and excitement. Often they do little things to make the occasion unique by adding certain flowers, detailing obvious runners or walkways, chairs or tables. And, oh the decorations…. At a wedding, all of this is so very important.
One thing I’ve learned over the years is that as a participant, I can offer some uniqueness of my own and you can too. Here are ways to make the bride and groom appreciate your visit to their special event:
1. Bring a gift to the wedding. If you participated in the shower, great but it’s nice to bring a gift and place it in the gifting area so the bride and groom can open it when they return from the honeymoon. It does not have to be expensive or big. It should be meaningful however.
2. Provide a card for the bride and groom. It’s very important that you write a note inside. It is simply not enough to sign your name. No! Write them a note of encouragement and care and wish them your best regards for their future.Special memories of something each have done over the years is always a nice touch.
3. Meet and greet both the bride, groom and their parents. This is a must at a wedding. They are excited about this important day and it is special for those who come to the wedding to at least speak or hug the prime participants of the wedding.
4. Keep the wedding program to either mail to the bride and groom on their first anniversary or frame for them as a keepsake or wall hanging. They will appreciate your kind gesture and it will mean something special to them.
5. Take “behind the scenes” photographs. The photographer of a wedding is about getting the traditional photographs so branch out for the couple by taking photos of wedding guests, tables, the candles and other images that perhaps would not be photographed by the paid photographer. Place them on a thumb drive and either give them to the mother or father of the bride or groom. Often this gives them opportunity to share them before the photographer has had time to get their professional photos.
Whatever you do, show your support for the bride and groom and if slipping a $50 bill to the bride or groom ( or both) for the honeymoon fits your agenda, do it! They will certainly love you for it because they are probably broke! Ha!
Josie
