We know that everyone enjoys hearing all the wonderful things about weddings and events. For DC Weddings and Events I can give you a long list of what our clients love about their wedding or event, but we won’t do that. Instead we are going to tell you the bad things that you should avoid when planning your wedding or event.
Trust me it’s easy to tell you the things to do, but often times event hosts and couples overlook the things we will discuss below.
Top 5 Bad Things About DC Weddings and Events
#1 They look like other events you’ve attended
Twins
This shouldn’t be a surprise especially when it comes to weddings. Couples are always wanting to replicate another wedding theme or style. You are not twins. With social media platforms out there like Pinterest, we can easily see why that is. Now let’s be honest for a second, some couples don’t care that their wedding looks like someone else. THAT’S OK!!! You can spend your money how you please. Will people remember your wedding? Probably so. Will they measure up your wedding to the original you copied? Absolutely!
But we know you want a customized wedding. I encourage you to keep finding inspiration on Pinterest and other platforms, but mold that into what describes who you are to your guests. Look for one or two really great ideas from that wedding and recreate it with your Wedding Planner or Wedding Designer. Trust us they would love to put a spin on it.
#2 They tend to be boring
This is probably more geared towards corporate events. Unfortunately, I’ve been to a lot of corporate events that simply do not make any effort in creating the right atmosphere for their guests. Oh I wish they hired me. All corporate events have an agenda or call to action they have for guests. Sadly many organizers feel that a speech is all that is needed to stir up emotion from guests. That’s not always the case. Guests want to interact while at your event and they want to be entertained especially if they are donating to your cause.
Corporate events should truly be more than just a reception dinner. It should be a live band, an interactive photo wall, some sort of activity that makes them say WOW. Let’s take Serena Williams wedding for an example (yes it’s wedding, but use the example). She had a carousel at her wedding. Now what would stand out more to you as the guest? A carousel or a regular reception with nothing else going on?
This is how you have to think about DC weddings and events. Give guests something that is unexpected and watch them love you and your company. They will instantly want to attend the next event you host. I’m not saying you need a carousel, but you do need something that the next company hasn’t thought about or used at their event.
#3 They tend to be either too short or too long.
Big Ben
This is tricky for wedding and events because it’s all about what your agenda is. For a wedding, I don’t want to be there for hours on end and I promise you your guests don’t either. Unless you have a huge reason for them to stay longer, consider not having a long wedding. Things like having Bruno Mars do your after party is a reason for your guests to stay for a longer time.
On the flip side events that are too short causes guests to be upset that they didn’t get a chance to see and experience everything. Let’s use a expo for example. If you host a expo for only a few hours and you have hundreds of people flowing through the venue, they are going to feel taken advantage of. Your guests need time to see everything and if you are only giving them a limited time to navigate through the space it not only hurts your vendors, but you as the organizer.
#4 They tend to not have a lot of space
We realize that you have a few event venues that you absolutely love and want to host your wedding or event at. However, events and weddings must have adequate space for your guests to move around. Each time I see an awards show on TV, I cringe because it takes the Awardee, what feels like, 20 minutes to squeeze between guests to make their way to the stage. Same can be said for your event.
Another observation is the use of the same kind of layout due to such small spaces. Round tables are a staple for most people and we get that. However, when you have proper space for your wedding or event, you can get creative with seating. From square tables to rectangle and yes circular are all options that you can even use at the same time. You want your space to look like an art piece when looking at it. If all you have space for is round tables because you want to squeeze everyone in, I recommend a larger venue.
Here are some things to consider when planning your venue space:
Consider space for your head table or sweetheart table
- Have enough space for dance floor
Space for DJ or band
- Don’t forget to leave space for cake table
Space for Escort card and gift table
Lastly, I will mention that having too much space can be just as bad. Looking at photos of a corporate event or wedding where there is tons of space tells me that you didn’t get enough guests to support your cause or that you might have overpaid for your wedding due to the food and beverage minimum for that ballroom.
#5 They tend to fail at recapping the event
Think to yourself how many times you’ve actually got a thank you note or email from attending a wedding or event? Yes it’s very kind of the host(s) to send one, but do they actually get around to doing it? Maybe you saw a photographer there who took the best picture of you and your bestie, but never heard from the host or the photographer. What a missed moment right?
Following up with your guests to recap any event is important. It lets them know what all went down even for the things they might have missed. Pictures and video should never be overlooked. A 2 minute event/wedding recap would be the icing on the cake to receive a week or so following such an epic moment.
In Conclusion
We adore DC weddings and events and the above items are things we ensure our clients know about. The most important thing to remember about weddings and events is that it is not solely about the host/couple. Yes it’s your event, but if you really want it to be memorable, you have to pay attention to the experience of your guests as well. Make your event/wedding buzz worthy because then and only then will people remember how wonderful of a time they had all thanks to you.
Want more tips on how to make your event stand out? Check out our consulting page so we can get started.