Small Touches, Big Impact: Crafting A Memorable Wedding

Planning a wedding can be a stressful endeavour, but it's important to remember that your wedding day is about you and your partner. It's easy to get lost in the chaos of wedding planning, but don't forget to add those small touches that make your wedding uniquely yours. From creative escort card displays to unique guest books, here are some ideas to make your wedding stand out and showcase your personalities and interests.

Creative escort card displays

Escort cards are a great opportunity to get creative and add a unique touch to your wedding. Here are some ideas for creative escort card displays:

Interactive Displays

Add an element of interaction to your escort card display by incorporating flowers or greenery. Create a flower wall where each guest receives a small posy attached to their escort card, or present attendees with a floral arrangement in a cute bud vase, doubling as a memorable gift. For a rustic wedding, hang a long piece of greenery between two trees or in a door frame and use mini clothespins to pin the escort cards in place. Alternatively, attach vines to hang down from a branch or a frame, and pin the escort cards to them.

Dramatic Focal Points

Make a statement with a dramatic escort card display. Consider a large, oversized flower arrangement or an asymmetrical greenery garland attached to a circular shelving unit. For a beach wedding, fill an elegant tray or trough with sea glass and line up the escort cards within the smooth pebbles.

Sentimental Touches

Add a sentimental touch to your escort cards with handwritten notes. Include a heartfelt message from the couple in mini envelopes, or display escort cards in a bed of flowers for a glamorous, elegant look.

Unique Escort Card Ideas

Think outside the box with these unique escort card ideas:

• Custom-made luggage tags for destination weddings or couples who love to travel
• Cocktail or champagne flags for a nautical-themed wedding
• Escort cards attached to a Christmas tree for a winter wedding
• Escort cards tucked into baskets of seasonal fruit for a barn or country wedding
• Escort cards attached to animal figurines for a whimsical, fairy-tale-inspired wedding
• Escort cards displayed in a vintage card catalog for a versatile, sweet, and stylish look

Unique guest books

Guest books are a great way to collect messages and well wishes from your loved ones on your big day. If you're looking for something a little different, here are some unique guest book ideas:

Vintage Typewriter

Set out a vintage typewriter at your reception and ask guests to type out their messages of love and encouragement. You could even hire a typist to pen the notes for guests.

Illustrated Pet Portrait

Celebrate your furry friend by incorporating them into your wedding guest book signage. Guests can write their well wishes around a custom illustration of your pet.

Vintage Phone Audio Guest Book

Guests can speak their well wishes into a vintage phone, which is recorded for the newlyweds to listen back to for years to come.

Snail Mail Display

Instead of writing their messages in a book, guests can write notes to the newlyweds and place them in envelopes affixed to a wooden board.

Illustrated Guest Book

Let your guests leave notes and drawings in an illustrated guest book. This is especially fitting for mid-century modern-themed nuptials.

Coffee Table Book

Choose a coffee table book covering a subject you love, and that you'll want to display at home. Guests can write their messages in the margins or alongside photos in the book.

Personalised letters to guests

Writing personalised letters to guests is a wonderful way to make your wedding stand out and show your guests how much you appreciate them. Here are some ideas on how to craft these letters:

Heartfelt Letters

Write letters to your guests expressing your gratitude and highlighting your favourite memories with them. You could include a few heartfelt sentences about how they have impacted your life and share a story or two that showcases your unique bond. This will create a lasting impression and make your guests feel valued and appreciated.

Poems and Creative Writing

For an extra special touch, consider writing a personalised poem for each guest. Crafting these poems with your soon-to-be spouse or a poetically inclined friend can make the process even more memorable. The poems can honour your relationship with each guest and celebrate the shared stories and experiences over the years.

Notes on Escort Cards

If time permits, adding a short handwritten note to each escort card or place setting is a lovely idea. It adds a personal touch and makes your guests feel welcomed and celebrated. You could include a simple sentence or two expressing your gratitude for their presence and support.

Creative Displays

Get creative with how you display and present these letters. You could place them at each guest's reception seat, or get innovative by using decorative elements such as ornate boxes, personalised envelopes, or even hanging installations where guests can find their names and corresponding letters.

Sharing Memories

Use this opportunity to reminisce about special moments and shared experiences. Include anecdotes, inside jokes, or references to specific events that hold a special place in your heart. This will not only make your guests feel valued but also transform your wedding into a celebration of the unique connections you share with each of them.

Interactive reception activities

The latest craze is a "Glam Station" where guests can get their hair and makeup refreshed throughout the evening. You could also hire a fortune teller or have the officiant stay on and offer a vow renewal booth for other guests to celebrate their unions. One of the most unique interactive reception activities is to have a "tattoo artist" who sets up a station and creates faux tattoos for the guests.

If you're looking for something more lighthearted, you could set up a game of Twister for your first dance or have a round of mini-golf. You could also set up stations of different lawn games, like croquet, badminton, and jumbo Jenga, around the cocktail and lounge area to entertain your guests.

Signature cocktails

Aperol Spritz

A classic choice for a summer wedding, an Aperol Spritz is easy to make and will add a gorgeous pop of colour to your wedding decor. Simply combine prosecco, Aperol, and soda, and garnish with an orange slice.

Lavender Vodka Lemonade

This refreshing cocktail is perfect for a summer wedding, especially if you're hosting it in the south of France or going for a lemonade stand theme. To make it, you'll need food-grade dried lavender, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and vodka. Mix the ingredients with ice, strain, and garnish with fresh lavender.

Moscow Mule

A Moscow Mule is a popular choice for a signature cocktail and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It's a refreshing mix of vodka and ginger beer, typically served in a copper mug. You can even gift your guests copper mugs as wedding favours!

Spicy Margarita Pouch

If you're looking for something unique and Instagram-worthy, try serving your guests cocktails in pouches. A spicy margarita pouch is a fun and portable way for your guests to enjoy their drinks, especially at an outdoor wedding.

Pet-Inspired Cocktails

Pay tribute to your furry friends by incorporating them into your signature cocktails! Whether you name the drinks after your pets or use their favourite flavours, it's a unique way to personalise your nuptials.

Frozen Piña Colada

If you're dreaming of a tropical destination wedding, a frozen piña colada is the perfect choice. Blend rum, pineapple juice, and coconut cream with crushed ice for a creamy and delicious signature cocktail.

Maple Old Fashioned

Add a sweet twist to the classic old-fashioned by using maple syrup. This cocktail is perfect for a fall wedding, especially if you're getting married at a farm or a venue with maple syrup ties.

St. Germain Prosecco

Keep it simple and elegant with this cocktail featuring St. Germain elderflower liqueur and prosecco. Garnish with a lemon slice, and you've got a refreshing drink that your guests will love.

Bourbon Peach Sweet Tea

If you're throwing a southern wedding, why not serve a classic sweet tea with a boozy twist? Spike your tea with bourbon and add peach preserves and lemon juice for a refreshing signature cocktail.

Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco

Keep your guests cool and refreshed with this fizzy and fruity cocktail. All you need is Prosecco, limoncello, frozen raspberries, and mint sprigs. It's the perfect choice for a summer wedding!

Frequently asked questions