Virtual Ceremony NOT Virtual Guests

5 Tips For The Best Guest Experience

Authored by: D.K Diosi
January 19, 2021

Having a virtual wedding ceremony may or may not be the format you’ve always dreamed of for your big day. But if you are like many other engaged couples, it’s the recent restrictions to gatherings that is causing you to pivot in this direction, leaving you with a lot of questions about how to make it a memorable and enjoyable experience for your friends and family. Although the ceremony is virtual, your guests are not avatars, they are your dearest family and friends and you want them to enjoy the day just as much as you will!

For the best guest experience here are 5 things you may want to consider….

1. Sending a Guest Bag

You will be off to a great guest experience with this one! I mean, who doesn’t like to accept a lovely package delivered right to their door!  You can stuff it full of goodies and send it to your guests ahead of time. A guest gift bag can serve as a way to provide your guests with much-needed communication and fun stuff too!  

Of all of the guest bag ‘stuffing’ be sure to include…

• Day of Details: Set your guests at ease by ensuring that they are well informed of the days’ happenings.  From log-in through the ceremony to cake cutting, toasts, and speeches. This is your opportunity to provide them with all the information and itinerary for the day. This can be as simple as a print out on nice paper to a fancier picture postcard with a customized QR code for the tech-savvy crowd leading them to all the details. It is good to be mindful that your guests may have questions ahead of the big day so help them to get the answers they are looking for by providing them with your preferred method of communication like an email address or phone number to your wedding planner, helper, or yourself.
• Gifting Details: As with an in-person wedding your guests will want to give you gifts, so be sure to include this information. In an easy to understand format or a one stop location link to your wedding website, gift registry or E-transfer details. 
• Wedding Day Momento:  Guests will feel included when they see that you have thought of them! A small gift as a thank you is a wonderful way to say thank you and celebrate them. If your budget will allow, this may be a good place for a bit of splurge. One example would be a small bottle of Prosecco with a personalized label and a couple of glasses both classy and fun! That being said, one of the hottest trends in 2020 was a personalized hand sanitizer!

2. DRESSING UP

Some of your guests are attending from home but that does not mean they should attend in their jammies, at least not from the waist up! 

Invite them to attend your wedding wearing the attire that they would have worn in person. Dressing up at home will help that day and time to feel special and set apart from regular at home activities. 

3. FLOWERS FOR VIP’S

Help any VIPS who are attending virtually to stand out from the crowd and feel extra-celebrated, by arranging to have boutonnieres or corsages for them to wear.  Delivered to them on the morning of or evening before the special day.

4. FUN FOR YOUR GUESTS

Fun is always part of any wedding day, to help the virtual crowd relax and enjoy a laugh plan to have the virtual host (emcee), play some virtual ‘get to know you’ type games either before the ceremony or whenever there is downtime. Another idea would be to ask your guests to pre-record videos of their well-wishes and messages and have your host play those throughout.

5. PHOTOS

Let’s face it, you cannot have enough pictures on this special day and will definitely want photos of your guests and I’m sure they will be happy to oblige! Invite them to photograph themselves and their guest experience for you. If you have a “couples” hashtag ask your them to use the hashtag when posting their pics so they can view other attendees photos as well. Compile the photos of your choice into a  digital or printed memory book that you can enjoy for years to come.

A virtual ceremony does not have to be anything less than a dream wedding for you, and a really good and memorable experience for your guests as well!  Your ideas can be unique as you are so be creative, have fun, and most importantly enjoy this unique opportunity to shine!

About the Author: D.K Diosi
Debbie is a freelance Copywriter/Blogger and a Certified Life Coach. Her goal is to live a life that out-lives the breath in her lungs. She believes that each of us possess an unique life purpose fueled by our passions and her desire is to help others through her love of writing and coaching to define and achieve their best self resulting in living their best life!