10 Things Your Wedding Guests Won’t Really Care About

We all know that however organised you are, wedding planning at some point throughout the process is stressful. With an endless list of things to do, from deciding the decor to the dress, the catering and everything in between, pressure can build up quickly. One minute you’re trying to decide between roses and ranunculus, then next, you’ve fallen down a Pinterest rabbit hole scrolling between 12 slightly different shades of pink while stress-eating wedding cake samples.

That said, there are more than a few items on your wedding checklist that guests pay far less attention to than you may think. Instead of driving yourself mad over the teeniest details, save yourself the headache (and probably a good chunk of your budget too) by focusing on what matters to your guests and, more importantly, understanding what doesn’t. Hopefully, reading this will help put your wedding planning details into perspective. Read on for our handy list of details wedding guests won’t really care about – plus a few that they do!

1. Wedding invitations

It’s true; all guests need to know is quite simply the where’s and when’s. As long as you’re communicating the essential details, such as the wedding date and location, the rest will fall into place. Yes, lovely handcrafted wedding invites are a pleasure to receive, but undoubtedly they end up in the recycling bin after the event. An average couple spends a good chunk of their budget on invitations, but why not create your invites online and save the planet and your pocket in the process?

A wedding website is a perfect place to hold all the wedding details, and it’s not going to get put in a ‘safe place’ and lost as quite often traditional paper invitations do! The majority of guests would actually prefer an online invitation as it usually means they can digitally RSVP quickly and easily, and you can sit back and enjoy watching the RSVPs roll in without a piece of paper in sight!

2. Ceremony programs

As mentioned above, you don’t need to break the bank by getting over-the-top ceremony programs printed. In fact, perhaps you could consider whether you actually need these at all. It could be that you could write the essentials down on a few chalkboards dotted around the ceremony and wedding reception. At the end of the day, all your guests need to know are the basics of the day. Eliminating ceremony programs could be something you could save money on, and just think, you could put all that extra cash towards a seriously cool spot for your honeymoon!

3. Wedding guest book

Sometimes wedding guest books can be a little off-putting, and guests might not know what to write, so why not change things up a little and have your guests sign a cute DIY board instead? You’re more likely to get everyone to sign their name than leave an essay in a guest book. You can then display this in your home instead of having it gather dust on the bookshelf.

4. Wedding favours

An edible sweet treat that guests can enjoy during the wedding as they share memories of your special day is perfect. But engraved champagne flutes, customized candles, even engagement photos framed, and other novelty items are forgettable for guests and are an added expense to the day. More often than not, favours get left behind and then sadly binned, so keep things simple when it comes to wedding favours, if you’re opting for them at all.

5. Table linens

Wedding guests aren’t really concerned about tablecloths and fancy napkins. Speciality linens can be costly, so save yourself the money and choose something simple and functional that blends seamlessly with your wedding theme. Your table layout and decor may vary if you’re opting for a more formal plated meal or if you’re going for a more relaxed buffet or street food style of catering, which can be equally delicious. Table linens are some of the least important things your wedding guests are thinking about when they are tucking into whatever tasty treats you’ve arranged.

6. An over-the-top wedding cake

No one is going to refuse a slice of cake, but there really isn’t a need to blow the budget on a painstakingly detailed wedding cake with handcrafted sugar paste designs and edible flowers! Of course, the cutting of the cake is a lovely tradition, and the advantage of having a cake is that it can be, in some cases, offered as an alternative to a dessert bar. A beautifully decorated wedding cake is undoubtedly gorgeous, but guests won’t miss those details if you opt for an elegantly simple confection instead. As long as it tastes delicious, you’ve got a guaranteed crowd-pleaser (and let’s be honest, it will be because it’s cake).

7. Bouquet toss or garter toss

This tradition has become somewhat dated in recent years, with many brides opting to skip it altogether. Do it or don’t do it; it’s down to personal preference, but rest assured that if you decide to opt out, it’s likely that no one will miss it. Besides, less time assembling the masses means more time on the dance floor!

8. Floral arrangements

Stay with us; we’re not suggesting getting rid of flowers altogether but just going easy. Go ahead and have a gorgeous seasonal bouquet, and add real flowers to your fancy centrepieces, but there’s no need to go down the extravagant route of golden dip-dyed roses or designer blooms, and definitely no faux flowers! Guests will appreciate the thoughtful, fragrant flourishes no matter what, regardless of whether you’ve chosen exotic blooms from far-flung corners of the world or locally grown greenery. However, where possible, support your florist or head to a local farmer’s market and choose some seasonal flowers.

.9 Designer labels

Don’t get too carried away when it comes to your wedding dress or suit; you may only wear it for one day in your whole lifetime. That’s not to say that guests won’t remember an outlandish or ill-fitting dress, but if you’re rocking a beautifully tailored gown that makes you look and feel like the goddess you are, guests won’t bat an eyelid at the lack of a designer label. Wedding dresses and suits should be comfortable, and at the end of the day, it’s how you wear it, not what you’re wearing, that matters.

10. The first dance

We’re sorry to say, but it’s pretty unlikely that people will remember your first dance. What will stay with guests may be a frightened, unsteady, overly choreographed routine. Instead of spending weeks rehearsing your dancing skills and trying to change your two left feet, it’s more important just to be yourself and enjoy the occasion. Tackle a few moves that you feel comfortable performing, no matter how simple, and watch the pressure melt away. Great for you, great for your guests and great for your wedding photos - everyone wins!

You’ll be surprised at what you don’t need to do to keep your guests happy. Simplifying some things will please everyone involved, including your budget! Ultimately, your guests are there to celebrate your wedding day. Simply put, your wedding guests’ priorities are seeing you get married and having something tasty to eat with the drinks flowing - it goes without saying, but wedding guests hate it if the drinks are slow! They will want somewhere to sit down (and, of course, somewhere to dance) - the rest is a bonus! Whilst they will appreciate the effort you’ve gone to with extra wedding details, honestly, they won’t be scrutinizing what linens you’ve chosen and why, keep things simple, and literally, everyone will be happy.