Your wedding is possibly the most memorable day of your life, and I often hear couples say they hope it’s a night to remember for their guests too. This wedding season was full of unconventional trends that kept guests laughing, cheering, and dancing all night!

No matter the size or setting of your wedding, you can sprinkle in delightful moments to make sure guests are having a blast. As with any event, you’ll want to minimize down-time, give guests easy opportunities to socialize, and generally keep the energy high. I’ll share some basic tips for planning fun-filled weddings, before diving into my favorite crowd-pleasers from this year.

The Basics

Your MC and DJ will lead the charge. Choose vendors that can bring the energy and give them specific instructions, including when to hype up your guests.
Turn 👏 The 👏 Lights 👏 Down 👏 Nothing makes for an awkward dance party like a well-lit space. Keep it dim and let out those dance moves!
Plan an after party, especially if you want to have more time with just friends or a smaller group of people.

Vibe-Boosting Trends

Pre-Ceremony Cocktail Hour

Schedule a short cocktail hour before the ceremony to get the party started! If your venue allows, encourage guests to enjoy their drink during the ceremony. You can even do a toast to/with your guests!

This also doubles as a buffer to prevent late-comers disrupting your ceremony.

Photos by Olga Andreyanova (left), Jeeny Chung (center), Kelly Robbins (right)

Introduce Some Friendly Competition

We recently saw a wedding where each member of the bridal party represented a table - That table was only dismissed for the buffet once their bridesmaid or groomsman won a minute-to-win-it game. Everyone was cheering; strangers were hugging; and best of all, (hungry) guests were distracted and entertained while they waited for dinner!

There are countless ways to include games/competition throughout your wedding: lawn games, darts, basketball shootout - We even did a wedding that had axe throwing!

The key is to avoid forcing people to play - unwilling participants can kill the vibe. Give competitive folks an opportunity to engage and invite bystanders to participate through cheering!

Wedding guest participates in axe throwing during reception in Port Gamble, WA — *Photo by* *Laila Al-Agha*

Dance Party Surprises

A good dance party is pretty fun. A great dance party is unforgettable. Again, your DJ will be leading the charge here, but keep the momentum going by surprising your guests with glow sticks, retro sunglasses, party wigs, or a fan favorite - jello shots!

Wedding guests wear wigs on the dance floor at Almquist Winery — *Photo by* *Kelly Robbins*

Late Night Snacks

What’s your favorite late night snack or fast food? Get an order delivered to refuel your guests (and yourself)! Pizza is always a hit (and a great way to support local pizza joints!). For Seattle locals, Dicks burgers are guaranteed to get the crowd going. And of course, there’s McDonalds or Taco Bell - Need I say more?

Bride and Groom eat McDonalds at end of their wedding — *Photo by* *Brynna Kathleen*

Shoes Are Made For Walking (and Dancing!)

Let’s be honest: Fancy shoes aren’t comfortable. Love that feeling of kicking off your fancy shoes? So do your guests. Have flip flops available for your guests to replace their shoes and give them more time on the dance floor, at the photo booth, or visiting the dessert table.

Photos by Nest & Love (left), Jeeny Chung (center), Jaime Denise (right)

At the end of the day, your guests are there to celebrate you. They’ll love any chance to connect, play, and dance with the happy couple! So if you’re having a hard time deciding what to do, pick something that YOU want to do with your guests.