While you spend all that time planning the perfect wedding, from the color scheme to the venue, sometimes you forget that you are sharing your special day with the ones you love.  So, you want to spread the joy and think about their feelings.  Weddings can be long, and if you don’t plan ahead, your joyous event can turn into a snooze fest for your guests.  While you may be experiencing the best night of your life, you want your guests to have a good time too.  Therefore, try some of these tips to make sure your guests have a ball at your wedding.

1. Make introductions at the rehearsal.

A good way to ensure that your guests have a good time is to make everyone feel welcome.  It may be awkward for your work friends to interact with your personal friends.  So, ease the tension by having everyone introduce themselves.  You can have them say something about themselves as well so that they can have something to talk about at the reception.

2. Plan transportation.

You want your guests to let loose without them worrying about how they will get home.  They can knock back a few and not worry about staying sober to drive home.  This tactic can also reduce the chances of drunk driving.  Arrange transportation to and from your party, and watch how much more relaxed your guests will be.

3. Create a seating chart that can help facilitate interaction.

These are your people.  You know things about them.  Use your knowledge to put compatible people together.  Susan from marketing loves dogs, and your cousin Pete is a breeder; they are a match made in heaven.  Your seating chart is the first line of defense against an awkward and dull event.  Hey, maybe you can even do a little matchmaking for your single friends.

4. Bring your Cinderellas some slippers.

Heels are medieval torture devices, yet, women continue to wear them.  But, every woman hits that point in the night when they can no longer deal with these nuances.  However, not every woman thinks to bring a change of shoes.  Nobody wants to dance when their feet feel like they’ve been through hell.  To fix this issue, plan to provide cute slippers as party favors and keep the dancing going all night long.

5. Have your guests fill out advice cards.

Have your guests fill out cards about things dealing with your married life.  Have them answer questions such as “What should we name our kids?” or “Should we get a dog or a cat?”  People love to butt into other people’s lives, so why not make a game of it.  You can read some of the answers aloud, making your guests feel important and like they are a part of your life.  Hey, I’m sure your grandparents will appreciate feeling involved.

6. Come up with conversation starters for each table.

As corny as this sounds, they actually are a great way to break the tension.  You can make this as fun and as goofy as you want.  Be creative.  If you are having trouble coming up with something, turn it into a game of “Would You Rather” and have them explain why they chose the way they did.  Sometimes all people need is a little push in order to open up.  If you’ve thought ahead and formulated your seating chart to put people of similar interests together, you can use that information to come up with a starter.  Elect a more loquacious and outgoing guest from each table to facilitate said starters.

7. Create a scavenger hunt.

A great way to make your wedding more entertaining is to set up a little scavenger hunt or “I spy” wedding game.  Give your guests a list of things they have to find (or photograph) throughout the night.  For example, one item could be, “Find someone who is fluent in Russian and have them write their name in the Cyrillic alphabet” or “Take a picture of the groom gazing lovingly at his bride.”  You can also up the ante and get more people interested in the game by offering a small prize.  Let’s say that for every five items your guests find (or check off), they get a free drink coupon.  At least it will give your guests something to do, and if you incorporate photography into it, you may have some wonderful mementos.  Another fun item that can bring people together could be something like, “Take a picture of you kissing a stranger.”

8. Arm your tables with playful party favors or centerpieces.

Adult (or children’s) coloring books, Rubik’s cubes, Battleship, Tic-tac-toe, Hangman, or other fun little games or activities can be a great addition to your Wedding.  Your invitees can have something to do in between their favorite songs and meals, and the games can give your guests a chance to interact.  Plus, we all know the dangers of idle hands.  Another alternative could be something they can create and bring home with them such as a DIY mug that they can decorate or something similar.