Little touches for the wow factor

lalapalooza2222

Just wondering what special twist and little touches are you adding? Just to give your guest alittle something extra.
Things I gave added so far are;
Valet will put a bottle of water in cars of guest at end of night.
Hotel shuttle.
Late night munchies station.
Bathroom baskets.
Live music for cocktail hour.
Welcome bags.

These are just a few of mine. Would love to hear what others have done or have seen at weddings.

Thanks

JennyColada

Our wedding was super tiny, but we paid for accommodations. We also had a champagne and canapé service pre-ceremony.

Liatris2010

I'm going to move this to reception ideas since it seems like a better fit there than here in etiquette.

lalapalooza2222

Ok thanks.

southernbelle0915

We had a trolley that served as our shuttle from ceremony site to reception to hotels.
We did bathroom baskets.
We booked a venue that had a tram drive from the parking lot up a hill to the venue - 4 min, scenic drive.
We did a truffle bar for dessert instead of a giant wedding cake. (We still had a small cake.)
We served drinks and had wooden fans for guests at our ceremony (outdoors in July).

That's all I can think of right now!

lalapalooza2222

A truffle bar that is such a creative idea. I like the fans idea I'm considering those as well sine I'm Labor Day weekend and out door ceremony as well.

Dreamergirl8812

We paid to book the whole B&B at the venue site for our guests. The BMs, moms and I had champagne and lunch while in the on-site salon and the groom and groomsmen had beer in the groom's suite prior to the ceremony. We upgraded to a premium open bar because I knew my step-mom wouldn't want Jack in her whiskey sours.

I can't think of anything else. DH and his brothers arrived on a little roadster playing "La Grange" by ZZ Top (yep, a song about a whore house) which was fun but wasn't really for the guests.

SpringBride216

Some of our special little extras:

live string quartet during ceremony and cocktail hour

luxury shuttles for transportation for guests to and from the wedding venue

"small bites" dessert buffet (mini cheesecakes, fruit tarts, chocolate truffles, etc.) in addition to the wedding cake

welcoming guests to the venue with a glass of champagne (or a flute of iced tea/cucumber water) upon arrival

slothiegal

southernbelle0915 said:

We had a trolley that served as our shuttle from ceremony site to reception to hotels.
We did bathroom baskets.
We booked a venue that had a tram drive from the parking lot up a hill to the venue - 4 min, scenic drive.
We did a truffle bar for dessert instead of a giant wedding cake. (We still had a small cake.)
We served drinks and had wooden fans for guests at our ceremony (outdoors in July).

That's all I can think of right now!

blarg, I read this as "bathroom breaks" and I was like "WAT you had scheduled bathroom breaks!?  I KNOW you know better, southernbelle!"

Little extras that our guests made a point to mention to us that they appreciated:

--bathroom baskets

--flip flops for dancing

--sundae bar in addition to cake (the kids LOVED this)

--instead of a RD, we had a welcome dinner the night before the wedding which everybody was invited to

--water, lemonade and cucumber juice and paper fans for our outdoor ceremony

BlueBirdMB

-We didn't have a rehearsal dinner, but we rented out the breakfast room at the hotel and had a welcome dinner for all the guests.  

-Welcome baskets in every guest's room with directions, things to do in the area, drinks, and snacks.

-The musicians did a half hour set before the ceremony began and there were drinks out so the early arrivers had something nice while they waited.

-Guests were met with trays of drinks as they entered the cocktail hour

-Bathroom baskets

-The vast majority of our budget was spent on food and alcohol.  There was food everywhere the entire evening. Some fun extras was a coffee cordial bar and cherries jubilee station in addition to the cake.

- We created a seating area with a separate bar on the deck outside overlooking the ocean

torontobride14

I had custom Kleenex boxes made with our engagement picture and date on it and put them in the bathrooms. 

http://www.mykleenextissue.com/designcanvas/DesignTissueBox.aspx

AnnoymouseBride124

-Hired a harpist to play the ceremony

-Shuttle to and from hotel

-Late night snacks-funnel cake bar, dippin dots ice cream bar, smores bar and chicken wing bar

-Elvis impersonator to surprise guests

-welcome bags

-we are doing vintage plates/china/teacups at all the tables

JCbride2015

I am going to steal that water bottle in the cars idea.  Love it.

-- Champagne greeting at hotel check in

-- Shuttle between hotel and venue

-- Jazz duet at cocktail hour

-- Viennese hour with insane dessert options (I'm thinking about asking to add a savory late night snack aspect to this as well)

-- Brunch the next morning for all hotel guests

Iamnowmrsjms

Getting married in September and we will have:

-welcome bags

-bathroom baskets

-event painter to paint our first dance.  Guests can observe him painting throughout the evening.

-photobooth

 

*edited because I forgot "late night snack"-flatbread pizzas

-hosting valet parking at our venue (ceremony and reception are in the same place and our hotel block is a 5 min walk from the event).

 

I love the water bottles in cars at the end of the night.  We may do that now too.

haleyk620

Just a quick question for those of you that had bathroom baskets. What items did you include in these? I have some ideas for the women's but am struggling for things to put in the men's. Any help is appreciated!

ashley8918

katemachugh317 said:

-Hired a harpist to play the ceremony

-Shuttle to and from hotel

-Late night snacks-funnel cake bar, dippin dots ice cream bar, smores bar and chicken wing bar

-Elvis impersonator to surprise guests

-welcome bags

-we are doing vintage plates/china/teacups at all the tables

Do you know what would be more valuable than ALL of these things? Feeding your guests dinner. Like, all of them. Not just the super special ones.

southernbelle0915

haleyk620 said:

Just a quick question for those of you that had bathroom baskets. What items did you include in these? I have some ideas for the women's but am struggling for things to put in the men's. Any help is appreciated!

I'll probably forget some things but in both men's and women's we had gum, mints, Listerine and Dixie cups, floss sticks, Band-Aids, Advil, tums, hand lotion, a lint roller and a few tide pens/shout wipes.

In the women's we also had hair spray, hair ties. bobby pins, clear nail polish, and nail files.

Iamnowmrsjms

@ashley8918 what makes you think she's not serving her guests dinner? The OP asked what "extra's" are being provided, so clearly the extra touches are in addition to dinner and hopefully open bar.  @katemachugh317's details sound great and if they're in her budget, then what's the problem?

*edited for spelling

ashley8918

futuremrsjms said:

@ashley8918 what makes you think she's not serving her guests dinner? The OP asked what "extra's" are being provided, so clearly the extra touches are in addition to dinner and hopefully open bar.  @katemachugh317's details sound great and if they're in her budget, then what's the problem?

*edited for spelling

She posted about it in another thread. Only "close friends" and family get dinner. The rest of her 300+ guests get to chill out for a while after the ceremony, and don't get to come to the reception venue until after dinner.

So, clearly that is not the case.

AuroraRose41

We don't have a lot of details yet, but I am getting some great ideas here! The details that I do have are all food and drink related, as that was the most important thing to us. We didn't want anyone to leave hungry! This is all in addition to a plated dinner, open bar, cake, and regular cocktail hour options (passed apps, cheese display, crudites, chef manned pasta station, etc.)

We will have:

-a Scotch Tasting Station and Wine Tasting Station during cocktail hour

-a water/lemonade/iced tea station set up pre-ceremony

-chocolate fountain during cocktail hour

-a Viennese hour with tons of dessert options after dinner

-a coffee and cordial station after dinner

-warm baked cookies as favors (the venue provides them)

-late night snacks (pizza, sliders, and wings I believe)

-breakfast the next morning for all hotel guests (ETA: The hotel is on site)

If our budget allows, I would also like to do valet parking (with the water bottles-great idea from this thread!), bathroom baskets, welcome bags, and a photobooth. 

Iamnowmrsjms

@ashley8918-thanks for that info.

 @katemachugh317 that's gross.  Please at least skip the Elvis impersonator and treat ALL of your guests appropriately! 

sophhabobopha

katemachugh317 said:

-Hired a harpist to play the ceremony

-Shuttle to and from hotel

-Late night snacks-funnel cake bar, dippin dots ice cream bar, smores bar and chicken wing bar

-Elvis impersonator to surprise guests

-welcome bags

-we are doing vintage plates/china/teacups at all the tables

Girl change your username. Jesus

lalapalooza2222

I also will have welcome cocktails and am considering a brunch for hotel guest.

lalapalooza2222

All great ideas. Thanks for input.
I think a full dinner is a requirement for all guest.

MairePoppy

haleyk620 said:

Just a quick question for those of you that had bathroom baskets. What items did you include in these? I have some ideas for the women's but am struggling for things to put in the men's. Any help is appreciated!

Men - advil, tums, spray deodorant, individually wrapped flossers, mouthwash and small paper cups, breath mints, band aids and those little heel pads that you put in the back of dress shoes, plastic combs, hand lotion, nail clippers

Women, Tylenol, tums, spray deodorant, flossers, mouthwash, breath mints dress shoe inserts, tampons, mini-pads, baby wipes, hairspray, hand lotion, clear nail polish, emery boards

I though it was a little silly when my daughter asked me to make bathroom baskets, but she was right. Many items in the baskets were used. The left overs were taken home, so no waste. I bought most of the stuff at dollar tree store so the baskets cost less than $50.

haleyk620

Thanks so much @MairePoppy ! I was debating making up baskets for the bathrooms, but I heard so many positive comments about them on TK that I will definitely be doing them now. Thank you for all of your suggestions on what items should be included!

vmj23

The only extra I did was the courtesy baskets in the bathroom, which appeared to be put to use.  I would have liked to do a food bar of some sort at the end of the night but my venue didn't allow any outside food and I didn't like any of the extra's that the offered.   

@haleyk620

As for suggestions of what I put in them

Mens:

lotion, contact solution, stain remover, lint brush, advil, bandaids, mints, gum, tums, hairspray, static cling spray

Girls: all of above, sewing kit, tampons, hair smoothing balm, nail file, safety pins, hair elastics, bobby pins, clear nail polish