Here's How to Be Great Wedding Hosts

On your wedding day, you’ll find yourselves taking on many roles at once: you’re (brand-new!) spouses, signatories to the marriage contract, and hosts. Each of these responsibilities is important, but one is particularly crucial for the success of your wedding day: being good hosts! How do you become a host couple who makes everyone feel at home? These 10 tips will help you …

• You don’t become a good host only when the wedding reception begins—it starts months before. It all begins with sending out invitations to all guests well in advance. That way, everyone can plan their travel arrangements at their leisure and even add a few extra days of vacation if the opportunity arises. After all, vacation time is the key to a relaxed get-together!

• Of course, you know all your guests, but do they all know each other? If not, make name cards and add keywords that describe each guest as you see fit. This will spark conversation and help break the ice when everyone first meets.

• Don’t be afraid to be straightforward! Don’t leave your guests to figure things out on their own—just clearly state whether you’d like a dress code or if you’d especially appreciate cash gifts. Sometimes there are other rules at weddings, such as a ban on cell phones or a request that the party start without children at 8 p.m. You can address these wedding rules openly right from the start or note them on your invitations.

• Think—together with your witnesses—about possible scenarios that might arise. That way, you won’t have to deal with minor issues like scraped knees on your wedding day and can focus entirely on celebrating. What does that mean, exactly? Keep a nice chest stocked with sunglasses, paper fans, blankets, and ear warmers, a small first-aid kit, children’s toys, cell phone chargers, and slippers for guests. That way, just like when you were in the Scouts, you’ll be “always prepared”!
  
  
• Don’t just slip away with the photographer for a couple’s photo shoot in the middle of the reception. Let everyone know that you’ll be gone for about an hour and clearly explain what your guests can look forward to in the meantime: a cake buffet, a photo scavenger hunt, food truck hopping, an intergenerational ball game, or a small poetry slam you’ve organized for your guests.
  
  
• Want your wedding to be a real party? That sounds great! But don’t forget about the guests who might need a little more peace and quiet right now: Set up a relaxation area for pregnant women, parents with toddlers, seniors, and those who are unwell.
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• It’s not always easy to keep track of the wedding day. Often, surprises and wedding activities you didn’t know about pop up. And that’s all well and good! But there are items on your wedding schedule—such as the aperitif or the reception—where you can decide how long they’ll last. Make sure these “downtime” periods aren’t too long. Guests don’t like to wait—not even at a wedding.

• You didn’t really want any wedding activities, and now here you are on stage with your shoes in your hands? Yeah, okay, this might not be your thing right now, but as good hosts, you should go along with it anyway. Don’t let on that you’re uncomfortable—take a sip of champagne and just go with the flow. It might actually be more fun than you thought. Be open and grateful that your friends have prepared something special for you.
  

• Vegetarians, vegans, pescetarians, and people with food intolerances are often overlooked when it comes to the agape reception, desserts, and the wedding cake. Make sure that doesn’t happen at your wedding celebration, and you’ll be rewarded with happy faces!
  
  
• It’s a long day, so take your time! Take the time to talk to your brother-in-law and ask your mom to dance. Listen to your little cousin as he tells the story of his homemade wedding gift, and don’t keep thinking about how you’re supposed to be cutting the wedding cake right now. Enjoy the moment, look at all the smiling faces, and consciously appreciate the fact that everyone is celebrating with you today. If you feel like you can’t relax, make sure—as early as the wedding planning stage—that your maids of honor and groomsmen take a large part of the organization off your hands, or hire a professional wedding planner.