Top 5 Things Forgotten at Wedding Ceremonies

Drink station by Brisbane Wedding Decorators image by Still Wild Love

Contrary to what some movies may like to have you believe, it’s actually very rare for the best man to forget or lose the wedding rings (not saying this doesn’t happen though). So what really does get forgotten or overlooked at wedding ceremonies?

With over 10 years of experience as Marriage Celebrants under their belts, our friends Jamie and Cara from Brisbane City Celebrants are filling us in on the top 5 things that tend to get forgotten at wedding ceremonies.

Chilled drinks

Being based in sunny Australia, having cool drinks available at your wedding ceremony, year-round is an absolute MUST! it’s also really important to have an ample amount of chilled drinks available in the warmer months when guests will power through them at lightning speed!

Most venues that cater for wedding ceremonies, will either have a water station available that guests can help themselves to, or wait staff floating around with a variety of refreshing beverages to choose from.

If your ceremony is taking place at a beach or in a park, talk to your wedding stylist or decorator about providing a drinks bar. Make sure this includes cups or glasses, a waste bin and ice, as we all know lukewarm drinks won’t hit the spot.

Drink stations by Brisbane Wedding Decorators images by Twig and Fawn

If you’re heading off for photos between your ceremony and reception, don’t forget to organise an esky with chilled drinks like water, champagne and beer and some nibbles to keep you hydrated and energised. If your bridal party are joining you, ensure you have enough packed for everyone, you could easily delegate this task to your bridal party.

Rose Petal Confetti or Bubbles

One of the most exciting moments of a wedding is being pronounced as married and taking those steps back down the aisle together to the cheers and elation of your guests. It is also one of the most paramount ceremony moments for your Photographer to capture, and so many couples simply forget to arrange rose petal confetti or bubbles.

Rose petal cones image by Still Wild Love

Guests don’t typically bring them along as they are unfamiliar with the rules of the venue, and it’s not on their radar either. So if you love the idea of taking your first steps in to married life, being showered by rose petals, and having your Photographer capture the magic in the most timeless way, then this is something you need to arrange. Talk to your venue to see if they are permitted and then either put them together yourself, or talk to your Stylist or Ceremony Decorator about adding these to your setting.

Just ensure their service includes a clear up afterwards, as is usually a condition of your site booking.

Guest arrival time

As experienced Celebrants, we can almost guarantee that if your wedding invitation states a 3pm ceremony, there will always be one group or one guest that takes that to be their arrival time, or is simply running late. Subsequently, when everyone is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the bride, this guest dashes past the ‘just about to enter’ bride or couple and dashes on in.

Late guests can also cause the whole wedding schedule to run behind. If the ceremony runs late due to waiting for delayed guests to arrive, your Photographer may take exception to this as it reduces the amount of time they have with daylight to shoot you afterwards.

TIP A simple solution to avoid this, is when you send out your invitations to include a guest arrival time, e.g. Guests are invited to arrive at 1.30pm for a 2pm ceremony.

Signage stating your photography preferences

Whether you opt for an unplugged wedding ceremony, where guests are kindly asked not to take their own photos to encourage them to relax and engage in the ceremony, or if you love the idea of having a wedding hashtag and encouraging guests to snap away and share on social media, you can’t beat a sign for getting the message across.

Unplugged wedding sign by Brisbane Wedding Decorators image by Naomi V Photography

Of course, your Celebrant can announce this too, however you can’t beat having this clearly and politely stated on a sign that compliments your wedding style, for getting the message across.

Cocktail hour celebrations

While most couples are still choosing to head off for photos between the ceremony and reception, this usually leaves the guests with a couple of hours up their sleeves. Why not make this bit one of the highlights of the day for your guests, by having a cocktail setting with drinks and nibbles available, if the ceremony venue suits, you could add lawn games and don’t forget to organise music to keep them entertained.

Cocktail hour setting by Brisbane Wedding Decorators image by still Wild Love

Often your wedding singer/ band or DJ will happily arrive earlier on the day for a comparatively small fee, and then you can have a professional taking care of the ceremony and cocktail hour music, setting the vibe for the celebrations later.

We hope that’s given you some ideas to consider for your wedding ceremony.