5 Ways to Create a Highly Personalized Wedding Experience for Your Guests

Weddings are no longer the same, rinse and repeat events as of old. Over time, and through resources like BRIDES magazine, Pinterest, and Instagram, we’ve seen them become more unique and less templated. 

Although tradition still plays a part in some couples’ weddings, many of the couples we work with today are opting for highly personalized experiences. Not only for themselves but for their guests.

By creating a more personalized experience, a wedding becomes more than a special event. It transforms into a series of memorable moments, each inspired and infused with personal touches.

Perhaps you’re of these couples. You have an internal desire for guests to walk away from your wedding having experienced the most well-thought-out, deeply personal, and FUN wedding they’ve taken part in. 

If this sounds like you, then we invite you to keep reading. And discover some ways you can create a highly personalized experience for you and your guests on your wedding day.

1. Welcome Gifts 

Welcome gifts are a must-have for both out-of-town and local wedding guests. Putting together a kit of goodies and information shows your guests how much you appreciate them attending. Plus, they’ll love receiving the surprise you’ve created for them (and won’t have to raid the mini-bar.)

You can build a beautiful and practical welcome gift by filling a canvas bag, wooden basket, decorative box, or acrylic tray full of items you think your guests will enjoy. 

Some ideas to include in your welcome gift might be:

• A welcome letter, itinerary, and a list of essential details like locations/addresses of the weekend’s events, emergency contact numbers (I.e. your wedding planner), transportation times, and any other info your guests might need to know 
• A local guide | Places to check out during their free time, your favorite restaurant (like the coffee shop where you and your fiance met), your favorite boutiques to shop, the closest convenient store, etc.
• Sweet and salty snacks
• Bottles of water (Plural!)
• A split of wine or champagne with a customized label of your wedding monogram
• Keepsakes like luggage tags, sleep masks, or handy outdoor items like a keyring of bug spray, sunblock, etc.
• A mini hangover kit for the day-after that includes Advil, Emergen-C, mints or gum, etc.

As your wedding planners, we will make sure each welcome gift gets delivered to your guests’ rooms. 

And if you have something else in mind, we can work with that, too. For example, a welcome lounge or hospitality suite where your family and friends can pick up their gifts and mingle over wine and Hors d’Oeuvres.

Custom monogrammed canvas welcome bag in gray for a destination mountain wedding planned by Kelly Karli Weddings and Events in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

2. Plan a Wedding Weekend 

One benefit of having an intimate wedding is the flexibility in creating a wedding weekend. Instead of planning a one-day soiree, you can treat your guests to a mini vacation. And who couldn’t use some time off to celebrate love and joy?

Over the course of a few days, you can host a welcome party, rehearsal dinner, day-of or wedding party luncheon, weekend excursions, and a farewell brunch. Plan for all of them or mix and match activities to suit your needs. 

From scheduling to picking out excursions, we can help you plan all the details. Decor, food, transportation, we’ll plan it all. So all you’re left to do is have the time of your life with family and friends.

 

Guests playing corn hole at a rehearsal Dinner at 4 Eagle Ranch near Beaver Creek. Destination wedding and welcome party in Cabo, Mexico planned by Kelly Karli Weddings and Events.

3. Guest Comfort 

Anticipating your guests’ needs is a sure way to provide them with an exceptional experience they won’t forget. Keep their comfort level in mind by considering the time of year you’re getting married, what the weather will be like, and whether you’re having an indoor or outdoor wedding. 

For example, brides Hailee and Avrey hosted their winter wedding ceremony outdoors. To help their guests feel cozy and cared for, we provided portable heaters and placed plush blankets on chairs. We also set up an outside bar where guests were invited to grab a glass of hot chocolate and keep warm.

If you’re having a Summer wedding, you might consider providing guests with hand or mobile-compatible fans, chilled and scented towels, or bottles of Evian facial spray. And how about an adult lemonade cart, too?

There are a million and one ways to keep your family and friends comfortable throughout the wedding ceremony and reception. Don’t worry if you can’t think of things off the top of your head — We have suggestions and can brainstorm ideas with you. 

Wedding send off gift ideas | Navy, monogrammed blankets for wedding guests. Personalize your wedding with custom, monogrammed mugs for a wedding reception signature cocktail.

4. Personalized Menu Cards 

Menu cards are an often overlooked detail. But we’re here to say that a beautifully set tablescape isn’t complete without a personalized sneak peek at what’s to come. 

The cards can reflect your wedding style and can come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. Depending on what your theme and aesthetic is, you may want traditional paper menu cards with classic gold embossing. Or for a more modern look, consider a non-traditional material like acrylic or marble detailed with metallic calligraphy. 

Menu cards may seem like a small detail, but they speak volumes when you add a personal touch. Don’t be surprised if you even see people taken them home. 

Personalized menu card with hand-painted, watercolor detail and sprig of lavender. Calligraphed menu card with gold aspen leaf wedding thank you gift.

5. Personal Notes 

If you’re looking for inspiration for creating a personalized guest experience, Mary Claire and Wesley’s Vail Valley wedding is chock full of it. The couple added so many sweet details to show how much they appreciated their 15 family and friends who joined them in their celebration. 

The couple wrote personalized letters to each guest, which were then printed and attached to each person’s menu card. They also framed photos of every couple in attendance and lovingly displayed them on an entry table leading into their reception. 

Pink, mauve, ivory, and gold table setting for wedding reception at The Arrabelle in Vail, Colorado. Ideas to personalize your wedding | Entry table at wedding reception with each guests wedding portrait.

Guests can’t help but feel loved and cared for when you include personal details like these into your wedding. And that’s really what it’s all about. Love and care. 

A wedding day or weekend is a chance to gather your dearest friends and family to celebrate. And let’s be honest – it’s hard to get everyone together most of the time! So why not show them your appreciation with these small yet meaningful gestures. 

Have ideas on how to personalize your wedding? We’d love to hear them!