[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":3269},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$ftIEU77gxmG7oFo0LZT45yMWloEbquGkJkVV4tJ5PCNE":3,"$fRPgg2xVnttuQpDEg_4PZ9no1solULoS5AaZrI4wSSSM":57,"blog-welcome-bags-and-little-touches-guests-remember":83,"blog-related-welcome-bags-and-little-touches-guests-remember":395},{"nav":4,"footer":23},{"showLogo":5,"logo":6,"links":7,"ctaLabel":20,"ctaUrl":21,"loginLabel":22,"loginUrl":21},true,"Build The Day",[8,11,14,17],{"label":9,"url":10},"Features","/features",{"label":12,"url":13},"Pricing","/pricing",{"label":15,"url":16},"Blog","/blog",{"label":18,"url":19},"Learn","https://learn.buildtheday.com","Get Started Free","https://app.buildtheday.com/admin","Log in",{"brand":6,"tagline":24,"columns":25,"copyright":6},"Beautiful wedding websites that make planning effortless.",[26,33,48],{"title":27,"links":28},"Product",[29,30,31,32],{"label":9,"url":10},{"label":12,"url":13},{"label":15,"url":16},{"label":18,"url":19},{"title":34,"links":35},"Popular Features",[36,39,42,45],{"label":37,"url":38},"RSVP Management","/features/rsvp-management",{"label":40,"url":41},"Seating Chart","/features/seating-chart",{"label":43,"url":44},"Photo Gallery","/features/photo-gallery",{"label":46,"url":47},"Budget Planner","/features/budget-planner",{"title":49,"links":50},"Get Started",[51,53,54],{"label":52,"url":21},"Create your website",{"label":22,"url":21},{"label":55,"url":56},"Privacy Policy","/privacy-policy",{"nav":58,"footer":64},{"showLogo":5,"logo":6,"links":59,"ctaLabel":20,"ctaUrl":21,"loginLabel":22,"loginUrl":21},[60,61,62,63],{"label":9,"url":10},{"label":12,"url":13},{"label":15,"url":16},{"label":18,"url":19},{"brand":6,"tagline":24,"columns":65,"copyright":6},[66,72,78],{"title":27,"links":67},[68,69,70,71],{"label":9,"url":10},{"label":12,"url":13},{"label":15,"url":16},{"label":18,"url":19},{"title":34,"links":73},[74,75,76,77],{"label":37,"url":38},{"label":40,"url":41},{"label":43,"url":44},{"label":46,"url":47},{"title":49,"links":79},[80,81,82],{"label":52,"url":21},{"label":22,"url":21},{"label":55,"url":56},{"id":84,"title":85,"author":86,"body":87,"category":376,"date":377,"description":378,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":381,"imageAlt":382,"imageCredit":383,"imageCreditUrl":384,"meta":385,"navigation":5,"path":386,"readTime":387,"seo":388,"stem":389,"tags":390,"__hash__":394},"blog/blog/welcome-bags-and-little-touches-guests-remember.md","Welcome Bags and Little Touches Guests Remember","The Build The Day Team",{"type":88,"value":89,"toc":364},"minimark",[90,94,97,102,105,108,116,120,123,158,161,166,169,296,299,303,306,309,312,316,319,351,354,358,361],[91,92,93],"p",{},"Some of the things guests remember most about a wedding cost almost nothing. A bottle of water and a paracetamol left in their hotel room the night before. A hand-drawn map to the pub. A note that says, plainly, \"thank you for coming all this way.\" These are the small touches, and they punch well above their weight.",[91,95,96],{},"Welcome bags are the most popular version of this, and they're worth doing properly or not at all. A bag of random tat does nobody any favours. A well-judged one tells your guests you thought about them before they even arrived.",[98,99,101],"h2",{"id":100},"who-actually-needs-a-welcome-bag","Who actually needs a welcome bag",[91,103,104],{},"Not everyone. The classic case is guests who've travelled and are staying overnight, often near the venue or in a block-booked hotel. They're the ones away from home, juggling logistics, possibly in an unfamiliar town. A welcome bag waiting at reception or in their room turns an admin headache into a warm hello.",[91,106,107],{},"Local guests popping home that night don't need one. They'll appreciate it, sure, but you'll spend a fortune and most of it gets left behind. Be honest about numbers. If 30 of your 90 guests are staying over, you make 30 bags, not 90.",[91,109,110,111,115],{},"A small anecdote worth borrowing: one couple I know left a single bag at the hotel front desk per ",[112,113,114],"em",{},"room"," rather than per person, with a note for couples to share. Halved the cost, nobody minded, and the desk staff weren't drowning in carrier bags.",[98,117,119],{"id":118},"what-goes-in-and-what-to-skip","What goes in (and what to skip)",[91,121,122],{},"The best bags are about 70% useful and 30% lovely. Lead with the things people genuinely reach for the morning after.",[124,125,126,134,140,146,152],"ul",{},[127,128,129,133],"li",{},[130,131,132],"strong",{},"Water."," Two small bottles per person. This is the single most appreciated item, every time.",[127,135,136,139],{},[130,137,138],{},"Painkillers."," A couple of sachets. Nobody packs them and everybody wants them.",[127,141,142,145],{},[130,143,144],{},"A snack with staying power."," Local biscuits, a flapjack, crisps. Avoid anything that melts or crushes.",[127,147,148,151],{},[130,149,150],{},"A printed schedule and map."," Where to be, when, and how to get there. More on this below.",[127,153,154,157],{},[130,155,156],{},"One local treat."," A bottle of regional ale, fudge from the seaside town, a sachet of decent coffee. One good thing beats five cheap ones.",[91,159,160],{},"Skip the personalised water-bottle labels nobody reads, the plastic sunglasses, the bag of sweets that goes straight in the bin. And go easy on branding your own faces onto everything. A small \"thank you\" note in your handwriting does more than a printed monogram ever will.",[162,163,165],"h3",{"id":164},"a-rough-budget-per-bag","A rough budget per bag",[91,167,168],{},"Here's a realistic spread so you can decide where you sit. Prices are per guest (or per room if you're sharing).",[170,171,172,191],"table",{},[173,174,175],"thead",{},[176,177,178,182,185,188],"tr",{},[179,180,181],"th",{},"Item",[179,183,184],{},"Budget",[179,186,187],{},"Mid-range",[179,189,190],{},"Generous",[192,193,194,209,223,237,249,262,274],"tbody",{},[176,195,196,200,203,206],{},[197,198,199],"td",{},"The bag itself",[197,201,202],{},"£0.50 (paper)",[197,204,205],{},"£1.50 (cotton tote)",[197,207,208],{},"£3 (printed tote)",[176,210,211,214,217,220],{},[197,212,213],{},"Water (x2)",[197,215,216],{},"£0.60",[197,218,219],{},"£0.80",[197,221,222],{},"£1",[176,224,225,228,231,234],{},[197,226,227],{},"Painkillers",[197,229,230],{},"£0.30",[197,232,233],{},"£0.40",[197,235,236],{},"£0.50",[176,238,239,242,244,246],{},[197,240,241],{},"Snack",[197,243,236],{},[197,245,222],{},[197,247,248],{},"£2",[176,250,251,254,256,259],{},[197,252,253],{},"Local treat",[197,255,222],{},[197,257,258],{},"£2.50",[197,260,261],{},"£4",[176,263,264,267,270,272],{},[197,265,266],{},"Note + map (printed)",[197,268,269],{},"£0.20",[197,271,236],{},[197,273,222],{},[176,275,276,281,286,291],{},[197,277,278],{},[130,279,280],{},"Per bag total",[197,282,283],{},[130,284,285],{},"£3.10",[197,287,288],{},[130,289,290],{},"£6.70",[197,292,293],{},[130,294,295],{},"£11.50",[91,297,298],{},"For 30 bags, that's roughly £95 to £345. Set your number, then build the bag to fit it rather than the other way round.",[98,300,302],{"id":301},"the-note-and-the-map-do-the-heavy-lifting","The note and the map do the heavy lifting",[91,304,305],{},"If you only include two things, make them the note and a clear schedule. The note costs nothing and lands hardest. Keep it short and specific: thank them by, well, not by name (that's a lot of writing), but with a line that sounds like you. \"We're so glad you made the trip. There's water and paracetamol in here for obvious reasons. See you at 1pm tomorrow.\"",[91,307,308],{},"The schedule saves everyone, including you. Guests stop texting to ask what time the ceremony starts and whether there's parking. Print the running order, the venue address, a taxi number for the local firm, and a couple of breakfast spots near the hotel.",[91,310,311],{},"This is also where your wedding website earns its keep. Pop a QR code on the note that links to your travel and accommodation page, so guests can pull up directions on their phone without digging through a paper bag. Build The Day lets you add a styled QR code and a dedicated travel section, so the printed card and the online details say exactly the same thing.",[98,313,315],{"id":314},"little-touches-beyond-the-bag","Little touches beyond the bag",[91,317,318],{},"Welcome bags are one option, not the only one. Some of the most-remembered details have nothing to do with a tote.",[124,320,321,327,333,339,345],{},[127,322,323,326],{},[130,324,325],{},"A pre-wedding drinks invite."," Even a casual \"we'll be in the hotel bar from 8pm\" gives travelling guests somewhere to land.",[127,328,329,332],{},[130,330,331],{},"A basket of flat shoes"," by the dance floor. Heels come off by nine; this is a small hero.",[127,334,335,338],{},[130,336,337],{},"Blankets or pashminas"," for an outdoor ceremony, or paper fans if it's a scorcher.",[127,340,341,344],{},[130,342,343],{},"A quiet corner"," with water and a sofa, especially for older guests or anyone with little ones.",[127,346,347,350],{},[130,348,349],{},"Clear signage"," so nobody wanders the car park looking lost.",[91,352,353],{},"None of these is grand. That's the point. Guests don't remember the centrepieces nearly as well as they remember being handed a cold drink at exactly the right moment.",[98,355,357],{"id":356},"keep-it-simple-keep-it-kind","Keep it simple, keep it kind",[91,359,360],{},"The trap with welcome touches is doing too much. You don't need a themed bag with eleven coordinated items and calligraphy on every label. You need a few useful things, one nice one, and a note that sounds like you wrote it at the kitchen table, because you did.",[91,362,363],{},"Pick the guests who'll genuinely benefit, set a sensible per-bag budget, and spend the rest of your energy on the morning-after water and the handwritten thank-you. Those are the bits people mention for years.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":367},"",2,[368,369,373,374,375],{"id":100,"depth":366,"text":101},{"id":118,"depth":366,"text":119,"children":370},[371],{"id":164,"depth":372,"text":165},3,{"id":301,"depth":366,"text":302},{"id":314,"depth":366,"text":315},{"id":356,"depth":366,"text":357},"Guest Experience","2022-08-22","Thoughtful welcome bags and small wedding touches that make guests feel looked after, with practical ideas, quantities and a simple budget to follow.",false,"md","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1560254541-44a01f4ed006?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwd2VsY29tZSUyMGJhZyUyMGdpZnR8ZW58MXwwfHx8MTc4MTYxMzc5M3ww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A white shopping bag with a tissue paper bag on top of it","Happy Films","https://unsplash.com/@happyfilms?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/welcome-bags-and-little-touches-guests-remember",6,{"title":85,"description":378},"blog/welcome-bags-and-little-touches-guests-remember",[391,392,393],"welcome bags","guest experience","details","JHGJV0BxtupH0yKRRjCiOD31x013hCKmWguowpsH0Os",[396,569,721,903,1087,1327,1453,1633,1789,1981,2170,2332,2555,2745,2903,3070],{"id":397,"title":398,"author":86,"body":399,"category":376,"date":554,"description":555,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":556,"imageAlt":557,"imageCredit":558,"imageCreditUrl":559,"meta":560,"navigation":5,"path":561,"readTime":387,"seo":562,"stem":563,"tags":564,"__hash__":568},"blog/blog/how-to-choose-a-wedding-band-or-dj.md","How to Choose a Wedding Band or DJ",{"type":88,"value":400,"toc":546},[401,404,408,411,414,417,421,424,427,441,444,448,451,454,458,461,523,526,530,533,536,539,543],[91,402,403],{},"The music is the bit guests remember. Not the chair sashes, not the favours, but whether the dance floor was packed at 11pm or whether everyone drifted off to the bar by half nine. Getting the band or DJ right does more for the night than almost anything else you'll spend money on, so it's worth more than a quick scroll through the first few search results.",[98,405,407],{"id":406},"band-or-dj-the-honest-trade-offs","Band or DJ: the honest trade-offs",[91,409,410],{},"There's no objectively right answer here, only what suits your crowd and your room. A live band brings energy you can feel in your chest. There's something about real musicians reading the room, stretching out a song everyone's loving, that a playlist can't quite match. The flip side: bands are pricier, they take longer breaks, and they can only play what's in their set.",[91,412,413],{},"A DJ gives you the whole back catalogue of recorded music, switches genres in a heartbeat, and keeps the floor moving with no gaps. They also tend to cost less and squeeze into smaller spaces. The risk is a DJ who treats your wedding like any other booking, talks too much on the mic, or leans on the same tired floor-fillers all night.",[91,415,416],{},"Plenty of couples do both. The band plays the first couple of hours, then a DJ takes over for the late session. If your budget stretches, it's the best of both. If it doesn't, pick the one that matches your guests. A room full of people who grew up gigging will love a band; a younger, eclectic crowd often prefers a DJ who can pivot from nineties garage to current pop without blinking.",[98,418,420],{"id":419},"set-a-realistic-budget-first","Set a realistic budget first",[91,422,423],{},"Before you fall in love with anyone, know roughly what you can spend. Music and entertainment usually eats a meaningful slice of the day. Bridebook's UK Wedding Report has put the average spend on wedding entertainment in the low thousands, with live bands typically landing higher than DJs. Treat any figure as a starting point and get real quotes, because price swings hugely with how many band members, how many hours, and where you are in the country.",[91,425,426],{},"Ask what the quote actually covers. The headline price often excludes:",[124,428,429,432,435,438],{},[127,430,431],{},"Travel and accommodation if your venue is remote",[127,433,434],{},"PA hire and lighting (some bands bring their own, some don't)",[127,436,437],{},"Extra time if the party runs late",[127,439,440],{},"A separate ceremony or drinks-reception set",[91,442,443],{},"A \"cheap\" band that charges for all of the above can end up dearer than a polished all-in DJ.",[98,445,447],{"id":446},"hear-them-properly-before-you-book","Hear them properly before you book",[91,449,450],{},"A two-minute promo video, cut to the best four bars of every song, tells you almost nothing. Anyone can sound good for thirty seconds. Ask for a full live recording, ideally from a real wedding, not a showcase. Better still, ask whether you can watch them at a public gig or an open showcase night. Some agencies run these.",[91,452,453],{},"Listen for the stuff that matters at 10pm: can the singer actually hold a note when they're tired, does the DJ mix tracks smoothly or just slam-cut between them, do they sound like they're enjoying it. Recorded perfection is easy to fake. Live competence isn't.",[98,455,457],{"id":456},"questions-worth-asking","Questions worth asking",[91,459,460],{},"A good supplier will have answers ready. Hesitation is a red flag.",[170,462,463,473],{},[173,464,465],{},[176,466,467,470],{},[179,468,469],{},"Ask them",[179,471,472],{},"Why it matters",[192,474,475,483,491,499,507,515],{},[176,476,477,480],{},[197,478,479],{},"Will the people in the videos be the ones at our wedding?",[197,481,482],{},"Some bands and agencies swap in deps; you want to know who turns up.",[176,484,485,488],{},[197,486,487],{},"How do breaks work, and what plays during them?",[197,489,490],{},"A silent room kills momentum; a band should provide playlist cover.",[176,492,493,496],{},[197,494,495],{},"Can we send a must-play and a do-not-play list?",[197,497,498],{},"The do-not-play list is the underrated one.",[176,500,501,504],{},[197,502,503],{},"What do you need from the venue (power, space, access)?",[197,505,506],{},"Saves a panicked phone call on the day.",[176,508,509,512],{},[197,510,511],{},"What happens if you're ill?",[197,513,514],{},"A proper deposit-and-contract setup will have cover arranged.",[176,516,517,520],{},[197,518,519],{},"How much do you talk on the mic?",[197,521,522],{},"For DJs especially. Less is usually more.",[91,524,525],{},"Get the answers in writing, and make sure the date, hours, price and arrival time all sit in a signed contract with a clear deposit. If anyone wants cash and a handshake, walk away.",[98,527,529],{"id":528},"help-them-get-the-room-right","Help them get the room right",[91,531,532],{},"The best band or DJ in the world still needs steering. They don't know your nan loves Motown or that the song from your first holiday will fill the floor instantly. Give them a short brief: a handful of must-plays, a couple of genres your crowd loves, and the absolute bans. Resist the urge to hand over a 200-song playlist. That ties their hands and stops them reading the room, which is the whole point of hiring a person rather than a Bluetooth speaker.",[91,534,535],{},"The first dance and the song that follows it deserve real thought, because they set the tone for the next three hours. Pick something with a lift after the slow opener, and the floor stays full.",[91,537,538],{},"It helps to collect requests early rather than scribbling them on the night. You can ask guests for a song or two when they RSVP. Build The Day lets you add a custom question to your online RSVP form, so a \"song that'll get you dancing\" field fills up your request list without any chasing, and you hand the DJ a ready-made shortlist of what your actual guests want to hear.",[98,540,542],{"id":541},"trust-your-gut-on-the-person","Trust your gut on the person",[91,544,545],{},"You'll be dealing with this supplier over months of emails and one very long day. If they're slow to reply now, vague about details, or make you feel like a nuisance for asking questions, that won't improve once they've got your deposit. Warmth and reliability count for as much as talent. The musician who answers your emails the same day, remembers your names, and turns up early to soundcheck is worth more than a slightly flashier act who treats you like a number on a calendar.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":547},[548,549,550,551,552,553],{"id":406,"depth":366,"text":407},{"id":419,"depth":366,"text":420},{"id":446,"depth":366,"text":447},{"id":456,"depth":366,"text":457},{"id":528,"depth":366,"text":529},{"id":541,"depth":366,"text":542},"2026-06-09","How to pick a wedding band or DJ that keeps your dance floor full, from setting a budget to the questions worth asking before you book.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1632429098857-f419c08f87ac?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw1fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A group of people standing next to each other","Asdrubal luna","https://unsplash.com/@infectedluna?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/how-to-choose-a-wedding-band-or-dj",{"title":398,"description":555},"blog/how-to-choose-a-wedding-band-or-dj",[565,566,567],"music","entertainment","reception","jeHyvqJBL1EB9g0X49g77g-x5sVph3eHKd2S9cOuSu0",{"id":570,"title":571,"author":572,"body":573,"category":376,"date":708,"description":709,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":710,"imageAlt":711,"imageCredit":712,"imageCreditUrl":713,"meta":714,"navigation":5,"path":715,"readTime":387,"seo":716,"stem":717,"tags":718,"__hash__":720},"blog/blog/wedding-entertainment-beyond-a-band.md","Wedding Entertainment Beyond a Band","Editorial Team",{"type":88,"value":574,"toc":702},[575,578,582,585,588,591,595,598,601,604,630,634,637,640,644,647,650,696,699],[91,576,577],{},"A band is brilliant for the evening. But there's a long stretch of the day, roughly from the end of the ceremony to the first dance, when guests are between things and you are off having photos taken. That gap is where weddings either hum along or stall. The entertainment that fills it well is the stuff people talk about months later.",[98,579,581],{"id":580},"mind-the-gap-between-ceremony-and-dinner","Mind the gap between ceremony and dinner",[91,583,584],{},"This is the part of the day couples plan least and remember most. You've said your vows, you disappear for an hour of group shots, and 80 people are left holding a drink with nothing to do. Fill that window and the whole atmosphere lifts.",[91,586,587],{},"Roaming entertainment works best here because it comes to people rather than asking them to gather. A close-up magician moving between groups breaks the ice between two families who have never met. A caricaturist sets up in a corner and quietly produces keepsakes all afternoon. A few couples I know have hired a roaming saxophonist over a backing track, which sounds odd written down and is genuinely lovely in a garden.",[91,589,590],{},"Lawn games are the cheapest fix and one of the best. Giant Jenga, a croquet set, a coconut shy, a few deckchairs. They cost almost nothing, they get suits and heels onto the grass, and they photograph beautifully. If your venue has any outdoor space and the forecast is decent, do this.",[98,592,594],{"id":593},"things-guests-can-take-home","Things guests can take home",[91,596,597],{},"The strongest entertainment doubles as a memory. A photo booth earns its keep at almost every wedding because the queue itself becomes a social spot, and the strip of pictures ends up on someone's fridge for years. If you want a modern version, a digital photo wall or a shared upload point means everyone's phone snaps land in one place, which beats chasing 60 people for pictures the week after.",[91,599,600],{},"A live wedding painter is a lovely choice if your budget stretches. They set up at the side of the room and paint the scene as it happens, ceremony or first dance, and you go home with an original. It's quiet, it's mesmerising to watch, and it's a wedding present to yourselves.",[91,602,603],{},"Other take-home ideas worth knowing about:",[124,605,606,612,618,624],{},[127,607,608,611],{},[130,609,610],{},"A flower or button-hole bar"," where guests build their own to wear.",[127,613,614,617],{},[130,615,616],{},"A polaroid guestbook",": snap, stick it in, write a line. Far more fun than a blank page.",[127,619,620,623],{},[130,621,622],{},"A wax-seal or calligraphy station"," for little notes and place cards.",[127,625,626,629],{},[130,627,628],{},"A sweet or fudge cart"," with paper bags to fill for the journey home.",[98,631,633],{"id":632},"entertainment-for-the-quieter-guests","Entertainment for the quieter guests",[91,635,636],{},"Not everyone wants to dance, and a wedding that only caters to the dance floor leaves people drifting off early. According to Hitched's National Wedding Survey, guest experience is consistently one of the things couples say they'd spend more on with hindsight, and the calmer corners are a big part of that.",[91,638,639],{},"Think about a few low-key spaces. A relaxed lounge area with sofas and soft lighting gives older guests and tired parents somewhere to land. A small games table, a bar with a good non-alcoholic list, or even an outdoor fire pit as the evening cools all give people a reason to stay without being on the floor. For weddings with children, this matters double: a kids' corner with colouring, a craft table or a hired children's entertainer for an hour keeps little ones happy and lets their parents actually relax.",[98,641,643],{"id":642},"timing-it-so-nothing-competes","Timing it so nothing competes",[91,645,646],{},"The most common mistake is booking three great things and running them all at once, so each one gets a quarter of the attention. Stagger them. Let lawn games and a magician carry the drinks reception. Hold the photo booth back until after dinner when people are looser. Bring the band or DJ in for the back half of the night and let them own it.",[91,648,649],{},"A rough shape that tends to work:",[170,651,652,662],{},[173,653,654],{},[176,655,656,659],{},[179,657,658],{},"Part of the day",[179,660,661],{},"What suits it",[192,663,664,672,680,688],{},[176,665,666,669],{},[197,667,668],{},"Drinks reception",[197,670,671],{},"Roaming magician, lawn games, live musician",[176,673,674,677],{},[197,675,676],{},"Dinner",[197,678,679],{},"Background acoustic set or playlist, nothing loud",[176,681,682,685],{},[197,683,684],{},"Speeches to evening",[197,686,687],{},"Photo booth opens, coffee and cake",[176,689,690,693],{},[197,691,692],{},"Late evening",[197,694,695],{},"Band or DJ, dance floor, late-night surprise act",[91,697,698],{},"One more thing: tell your suppliers when each act is on so they don't clash, and share the running order with anyone performing a duty. If you're collecting song requests or a first-dance shortlist from guests, doing it through your wedding website keeps it tidy and gives your DJ a real sense of the room before they arrive.",[91,700,701],{},"You don't need all of this. One well-chosen surprise often beats four average ones. Pick the couple of things that suit your crowd, place them where the day naturally sags, and the rest of the evening looks after itself.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":703},[704,705,706,707],{"id":580,"depth":366,"text":581},{"id":593,"depth":366,"text":594},{"id":632,"depth":366,"text":633},{"id":642,"depth":366,"text":643},"2025-09-17","Ideas for wedding entertainment beyond the usual band or DJ, from magicians and lawn games to photo booths and live painters, plus how to time them well.","https://images.unsplash.com/flagged/photo-1620830102229-9db5c00d4afc?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwZW50ZXJ0YWlubWVudCUyMGZ1bnxlbnwxfDB8fHwxNzgxNjAwNDE1fDA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Man in black suit jacket holding woman in white wedding dress","Luwadlin Bosman","https://unsplash.com/@luwadlinbosman?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/wedding-entertainment-beyond-a-band",{"title":571,"description":709},"blog/wedding-entertainment-beyond-a-band",[566,719,567],"guests","Kbp69yVF1GrbeyKNs5NLux2vsSdxIGkVbckdhZNfN_U",{"id":722,"title":723,"author":86,"body":724,"category":376,"date":890,"description":891,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":892,"imageAlt":893,"imageCredit":894,"imageCreditUrl":895,"meta":896,"navigation":5,"path":897,"readTime":387,"seo":898,"stem":899,"tags":900,"__hash__":902},"blog/blog/how-to-keep-the-dance-floor-full-all-night.md","How to Keep the Dance Floor Full All Night",{"type":88,"value":725,"toc":882},[726,729,733,736,739,742,746,749,752,756,759,773,777,784,787,790,862,866,869,872,876,879],[91,727,728],{},"Every couple worries about it at some point: what if nobody dances? You picture the band striking up, a few brave aunties shuffling near the bar, and a sea of empty floorboards. The good news is that a packed dance floor isn't luck. It's mostly down to a handful of decisions you make weeks before the day, and a couple you make on the night itself.",[98,730,732],{"id":731},"start-strong-then-never-let-the-energy-drop","Start strong, then never let the energy drop",[91,734,735],{},"The first hour after the first dance sets the tone for everything. If you let the floor go cold once, it's hard work getting it back. So front-load the songs everyone knows. This is not the moment for the obscure B-side you both adore, however much it means to you. Save that for earlier in the evening or for the playlist during dinner.",[91,737,738],{},"A good DJ or band reads the room, but you can help them. Give them three or four tracks that will guarantee a full floor, and ask them to drop one whenever numbers start thinning. A reliable crowd-filler at the right moment buys you another twenty minutes.",[91,740,741],{},"And don't underestimate the power of a singalong. A song where people scream the chorus and grab each other's shoulders does more for the atmosphere than any number of technically perfect dance tracks. Think the kind of song that empties the bar.",[98,743,745],{"id":744},"feed-people-then-dance","Feed people, then dance",[91,747,748],{},"Hungry guests don't dance. Tired, slightly tipsy guests with something in their stomachs absolutely do. This is why late-night food is one of the best dance-floor decisions you can make. A round of bacon baps, cheesy chips or a pizza van at around 9.30pm pulls people back from the bar and the garden, gives them a second wind, and quietly resets the whole party.",[91,750,751],{},"Timing matters here. If you bring food out too early, people drift off to sit down and the floor empties. Aim for the natural lull that tends to hit a couple of hours after the evening guests arrive. Feed them, let them mill about for ten minutes, then have the band launch straight into something big.",[98,753,755],{"id":754},"get-the-lighting-and-the-layout-right","Get the lighting and the layout right",[91,757,758],{},"A brightly lit room with the dance floor stuck in a far corner is a party killer. People dance when they feel slightly anonymous and when the action is right in front of them.",[124,760,761,764,767,770],{},[127,762,763],{},"Dim the main lights once the dancing starts. Lower light makes people braver.",[127,765,766],{},"Put the dance floor near the bar, not across the room from it. You want the two crowds to merge, not separate.",[127,768,769],{},"Clear away spare chairs around the edge. Empty seats are an invitation to sit down.",[127,771,772],{},"Keep the floor a sensible size. A vast empty expanse looks daunting; a slightly snug one looks busy from the first three couples.",[98,774,776],{"id":775},"read-your-crowd-not-the-charts","Read your crowd, not the charts",[91,778,779,780,783],{},"The single biggest mistake is playing the music ",[112,781,782],{},"you"," think is cool rather than the music your guests will dance to. Your wedding has a particular mix of people: a table of teenagers, your parents' friends, the work crowd, a clutch of toddlers who'll be asleep by nine. The songs that unite that crowd are rarely the trendiest ones.",[91,785,786],{},"This is where a bit of crowdsourcing pays off. Ask guests for a song they can't sit down to when they RSVP. You'll spot patterns fast, and you'll end up with a list of tracks you'd never have thought of that mean something to the people in the room. The Build The Day RSVP form lets you add a question like this so requests land alongside the replies, no spreadsheet juggling required.",[91,788,789],{},"Here's a rough guide to when different things tend to work across the night.",[170,791,792,805],{},[173,793,794],{},[176,795,796,799,802],{},[179,797,798],{},"Time",[179,800,801],{},"What's happening",[179,803,804],{},"What to play",[192,806,807,818,829,840,851],{},[176,808,809,812,815],{},[197,810,811],{},"First dance to +30 mins",[197,813,814],{},"Getting people up",[197,816,817],{},"Big, familiar floor-fillers everyone knows",[176,819,820,823,826],{},[197,821,822],{},"Mid-evening",[197,824,825],{},"Floor is warm",[197,827,828],{},"Mix decades, keep the singalongs coming",[176,830,831,834,837],{},[197,832,833],{},"Late-night food",[197,835,836],{},"Brief lull, by design",[197,838,839],{},"Slower or fun novelty tracks while people eat",[176,841,842,845,848],{},[197,843,844],{},"After food",[197,846,847],{},"Second wind",[197,849,850],{},"Your guaranteed bangers, back to back",[176,852,853,856,859],{},[197,854,855],{},"Final 30 mins",[197,857,858],{},"Last push",[197,860,861],{},"Anthems, then the one song to end on",[98,863,865],{"id":864},"lead-from-the-front-at-least-at-the-start","Lead from the front (at least at the start)",[91,867,868],{},"Guests take their cue from the couple. If the two of you are on the floor, laughing and clearly not caring how you look, people follow. If you vanish to do the rounds the second the first dance ends, the floor often goes with you.",[91,870,871],{},"You don't have to dance every song. But be visible and be obviously enjoying yourself during that crucial first stretch. Grab your wedding party, grab the friends who always dance, and make a little nucleus of energy. Others join a crowd far more readily than they start one.",[98,873,875],{"id":874},"plan-the-final-song","Plan the final song",[91,877,878],{},"End on a high, not a fade-out. The last song should be something the whole room can bellow with their arms around each other, a proper full-stop to the night. Tell your band or DJ in advance so it doesn't get lost, and consider gathering everyone for it. A planned ending leaves people buzzing as they head off, rather than wondering when exactly the party stopped.",[91,880,881],{},"Keep these in mind and the floor mostly looks after itself. Familiar songs, food at the right moment, low lighting, a couple who dance, and an ending people will talk about. None of it is complicated. It just needs deciding before the day, so on the night you can simply enjoy it.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":883},[884,885,886,887,888,889],{"id":731,"depth":366,"text":732},{"id":744,"depth":366,"text":745},{"id":754,"depth":366,"text":755},{"id":775,"depth":366,"text":776},{"id":864,"depth":366,"text":865},{"id":874,"depth":366,"text":875},"2025-09-05","Practical ways to keep your wedding dance floor busy from the first dance to the last song, from timing the music right to feeding guests at the right moment.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1708569176813-746f00614012?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwZGFuY2UlMjBmbG9vciUyMHBhcnR5fGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE2MDAzOTV8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A bride and groom laughing at each other","Kari Bjorn Photography","https://unsplash.com/@karibjorn?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/how-to-keep-the-dance-floor-full-all-night",{"title":723,"description":891},"blog/how-to-keep-the-dance-floor-full-all-night",[901,565,567,392],"dance floor","A5AeMnT9A17y90e6IMb58ztSqJGXyDFVv23YHYIDCoE",{"id":904,"title":905,"author":572,"body":906,"category":376,"date":1072,"description":1073,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1074,"imageAlt":1075,"imageCredit":1076,"imageCreditUrl":1077,"meta":1078,"navigation":5,"path":1079,"readTime":387,"seo":1080,"stem":1081,"tags":1082,"__hash__":1086},"blog/blog/including-children-in-your-wedding-ceremony.md","Including Children in Your Wedding Ceremony",{"type":88,"value":907,"toc":1065},[908,911,914,918,921,924,944,947,951,954,960,966,972,978,982,985,988,991,995,998,1052,1055,1059,1062],[91,909,910],{},"Having children in your ceremony adds a particular kind of warmth. A small person walking the aisle with total seriousness, or a toddler who waves at the wrong moment, gives everyone a reason to smile. The trick is involving them in a way that feels special without setting them up to fail in front of a hundred people.",[91,912,913],{},"Whether it is your own children, nieces and nephews, or the kids of close friends, here is how to do it well.",[98,915,917],{"id":916},"match-the-role-to-the-child","Match the role to the child",[91,919,920],{},"The biggest mistake is handing a job to a child who isn't ready for it. A confident seven-year-old will relish a reading. A shy three-year-old will not, and pushing it helps nobody. Think about each child's age and temperament first, then find a role that fits.",[91,922,923],{},"A rough guide:",[124,925,926,932,938],{},[127,927,928,931],{},[130,929,930],{},"Toddlers and under-fives"," do best with something with no script and no pressure. Scattering petals, carrying a small sign, or simply walking in holding a grown-up's hand.",[127,933,934,937],{},[130,935,936],{},"Five to eight"," can manage a clear, simple task. Ring bearer, handing out orders of service, or ringing a bell as you're announced.",[127,939,940,943],{},[130,941,942],{},"Nine and up"," can take on a short reading, a poem, or a more visible role like junior usher or bridesmaid with real responsibilities.",[91,945,946],{},"And remember that \"no role\" is a perfectly kind option. Plenty of children are happiest sitting with their parents watching, and that is fine.",[98,948,950],{"id":949},"classic-jobs-that-still-charm","Classic jobs that still charm",[91,952,953],{},"You don't need to reinvent things. The traditional roles endure because they work.",[91,955,956,959],{},[130,957,958],{},"Flower duties."," Scattering petals is the gentle entry point. If loose petals worry your venue, a small posy to carry or a hoop of flowers does the same job with less mess. Some churches and licensed venues have rules about confetti and petals indoors, so check before the day.",[91,961,962,965],{},[130,963,964],{},"Ring bearer."," A lovely role, but a word of caution. Real rings on a cushion carried by a four-year-old is a gamble. Many couples give the child a decorative box or fake rings and keep the actual bands safely with the best man or maid of honour. The photo looks identical and your wedding bands don't end up under a pew.",[91,967,968,971],{},[130,969,970],{},"Page boys and junior bridesmaids."," Walking in the procession, standing for photos, feeling part of the inner circle. For slightly older children this gives a real sense of importance without a single line to remember.",[91,973,974,977],{},[130,975,976],{},"Readings."," A short, age-appropriate reading from a nine or ten-year-old can be a highlight. Keep it brief, print it large, and let them practise out loud beforehand so the words aren't a surprise on the day.",[98,979,981],{"id":980},"building-children-into-the-words","Building children into the words",[91,983,984],{},"Beyond jobs, you can weave children into the meaning of the ceremony, which matters enormously if you're marrying as a blended family.",[91,986,987],{},"A growing number of couples make a small promise to the children as part of the vows, or include a moment that acknowledges the new family being formed. A simple line like \"we promise to be a home for you\" lands hard, in the best way. Some celebrants will run a short family ritual: a sand blending, a unity candle the children help light, or each child receiving a small gift or a special pendant to mark the day. Humanist and independent celebrants are usually very happy to build these in, so raise it early when you're planning the service.",[91,989,990],{},"If you're having a religious ceremony, ask what's possible. Many will accommodate a blessing of the children or a moment to acknowledge them, even within a more traditional structure.",[98,992,994],{"id":993},"keeping-them-happy-on-the-day","Keeping them happy on the day",[91,996,997],{},"Even a willing child has a limited tank of patience, and a long ceremony tests it. A few practical things help enormously.",[170,999,1000,1010],{},[173,1001,1002],{},[176,1003,1004,1007],{},[179,1005,1006],{},"What",[179,1008,1009],{},"Why it helps",[192,1011,1012,1020,1028,1036,1044],{},[176,1013,1014,1017],{},[197,1015,1016],{},"A trusted grown-up assigned to each child",[197,1018,1019],{},"Someone whose only job is that child, ready to scoop them out if needed",[176,1021,1022,1025],{},[197,1023,1024],{},"A quiet exit route",[197,1026,1027],{},"So a tired toddler can leave without a fuss or a held-up service",[176,1029,1030,1033],{},[197,1031,1032],{},"A small snack and a drink before they walk in",[197,1034,1035],{},"Hunger is the enemy of good behaviour",[176,1037,1038,1041],{},[197,1039,1040],{},"A quiet bag of activities for afterwards",[197,1042,1043],{},"Colouring, stickers, a small toy to see them through speeches",[176,1045,1046,1049],{},[197,1047,1048],{},"Timing the role for early in the ceremony",[197,1050,1051],{},"Do the job, then they're free, before patience runs out",[91,1053,1054],{},"Lowering expectations is half the battle. If the ring bearer stops dead halfway down the aisle, or the flower girl decides to sit on the floor, let it be a moment everyone enjoys rather than a problem. These are the bits people remember fondly years later.",[98,1056,1058],{"id":1057},"a-note-on-the-wider-guest-list","A note on the wider guest list",[91,1060,1061],{},"If you're inviting children as guests as well as involving a few in the ceremony, make your plans clear to parents early. Whether there's a kids' table, entertainment, or an early finish for the little ones, parents want to know so they can sort childcare and bedtimes. A wedding website is the easy place to set this out. With Build The Day you can note who's invited and add a line about what's planned for children, so families arrive knowing what to expect and can relax into the day.",[91,1063,1064],{},"Keep the roles simple, the expectations gentle, and let the children be exactly as children are. That's the charm of it.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1066},[1067,1068,1069,1070,1071],{"id":916,"depth":366,"text":917},{"id":949,"depth":366,"text":950},{"id":980,"depth":366,"text":981},{"id":993,"depth":366,"text":994},{"id":1057,"depth":366,"text":1058},"2025-08-16","Sweet, low-pressure ways to involve children in your wedding ceremony, from flower duties to readings, with honest tips on keeping little ones happy.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1768150487799-29791a5de35f?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHxjaGlsZHJlbiUyMGF0JTIwd2VkZGluZyUyMGNlcmVtb255fGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE2MDAzOTh8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Woman in traditional indian attire sits in a golden bowl.","AJOY DAS","https://unsplash.com/@champsara?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/including-children-in-your-wedding-ceremony",{"title":905,"description":1073},"blog/including-children-in-your-wedding-ceremony",[1083,1084,719,1085],"children","ceremony","family","Xv89M0mWMN2ZnT4IPAWLc2Tt7bkqChpbJNA5C14zz28",{"id":1088,"title":1089,"author":572,"body":1090,"category":376,"date":1312,"description":1313,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1314,"imageAlt":1315,"imageCredit":1316,"imageCreditUrl":1317,"meta":1318,"navigation":5,"path":1319,"readTime":1320,"seo":1321,"stem":1322,"tags":1323,"__hash__":1326},"blog/blog/how-to-choose-wedding-favours-guests-keep.md","How to Choose Wedding Favours Guests Keep",{"type":88,"value":1091,"toc":1304},[1092,1095,1099,1102,1105,1109,1112,1115,1132,1135,1139,1142,1145,1159,1162,1166,1177,1180,1184,1187,1268,1271,1275,1301],[91,1093,1094],{},"Walk past the tables after the speeches and you'll see them: the little boxes of sugared almonds, the personalised tea lights, the miniature anything-on-a-stick, all sitting abandoned next to half-drunk glasses of fizz. Favours are a lovely idea that often ends up in the bin. The fix isn't spending more. It's choosing something people genuinely want to take home.",[98,1096,1098],{"id":1097},"why-so-many-favours-get-left-behind","Why so many favours get left behind",[91,1100,1101],{},"The classic culprits share a few traits. They're fiddly to carry, they only work in the moment, or they're a thing nobody actually uses. A personalised matchbook is charming and completely pointless if half your guests don't smoke. A delicate glass ornament won't survive a handbag and a taxi. And five sugared almonds in a net pouch is a tradition most people have quietly stopped enjoying.",[91,1103,1104],{},"The favours that travel home tend to be one of three things: something you can eat, something you'll use, or something that did a bit of good. Get into one of those camps and your hit rate goes up enormously.",[98,1106,1108],{"id":1107},"edible-favours-nearly-always-win","Edible favours nearly always win",[91,1110,1111],{},"Food is the safest bet because it solves the carrying problem (people eat it before they leave or finish it on the train home) and almost everyone likes a small treat. The key is keeping it self-contained and not too messy.",[91,1113,1114],{},"A few that work well:",[124,1116,1117,1120,1123,1126,1129],{},[127,1118,1119],{},"A couple of really good chocolates or a small bar from a local maker",[127,1121,1122],{},"Mini jars of honey, jam or local chutney",[127,1124,1125],{},"A bag of fudge, a slab of homemade flapjack, or shortbread tied with string",[127,1127,1128],{},"A small bottle of something: olive oil, limoncello, or a single-serve gin",[127,1130,1131],{},"Seeds wrapped in a paper packet for the keen gardeners",[91,1133,1134],{},"If you go homemade, be honest about the maths. Two hundred jars of jam is a lovely thought in February and a kitchen meltdown the week before the wedding. Either keep numbers sensible or rope in willing relatives well ahead of time.",[98,1136,1138],{"id":1137},"useful-beats-novelty-every-time","Useful beats novelty every time",[91,1140,1141],{},"If you'd rather give something lasting, aim for genuinely useful and let go of the urge to print your names and date on it. Most guests won't display a coaster that says \"Sam & Jo, 24th May 2025\" but they'll happily use a plain nice one for years.",[91,1143,1144],{},"Things people keep:",[124,1146,1147,1150,1153,1156],{},[127,1148,1149],{},"A decent coaster, a tote bag, or a small candle from a brand they'd recognise",[127,1151,1152],{},"A pair of flip-flops or comfy slipper socks for tired feet (especially at an evening do with dancing)",[127,1154,1155],{},"A mini bottle of bubbles or a sparkler for the send-off, which doubles as a photo prop",[127,1157,1158],{},"A potted herb or a tiny succulent if your venue and season suit it",[91,1160,1161],{},"The flip-flops point is worth dwelling on. A basket of them by the dance floor is one of the few favours guests actively thank you for on the night, because aching feet are universal.",[98,1163,1165],{"id":1164},"the-charity-option","The charity option",[91,1167,1168,1169,1176],{},"Plenty of couples now skip physical favours entirely and donate the money instead, often to a cause that means something to them or honours someone who couldn't be there. According to ",[1170,1171,1175],"a",{"href":1172,"rel":1173},"https://www.hitched.co.uk/wedding-planning/organising-and-planning/the-average-wedding-cost-in-the-uk-revealed_4091.htm",[1174],"nofollow","Hitched's 2024 National Wedding Survey",", the average UK wedding now costs around £20,700, so a small charitable line item is easy to fold in without anyone noticing the saving.",[91,1178,1179],{},"A neat card on each place setting explaining the donation does the job. It's simple, it's meaningful, and there's nothing to leave behind. Some couples split the difference: a single small edible treat plus a note that a donation has been made in lieu of larger favours.",[98,1181,1183],{"id":1182},"a-rough-cost-per-head","A rough cost per head",[91,1185,1186],{},"Favours scale with your guest count fast, so it pays to know your per-head number before you commit. Here's a rough guide for an 80-guest wedding.",[170,1188,1189,1202],{},[173,1190,1191],{},[176,1192,1193,1196,1199],{},[179,1194,1195],{},"Favour",[179,1197,1198],{},"Per head",[179,1200,1201],{},"80 guests",[192,1203,1204,1214,1225,1235,1246,1257],{},[176,1205,1206,1209,1211],{},[197,1207,1208],{},"Sugared almonds in a pouch",[197,1210,222],{},[197,1212,1213],{},"£80",[176,1215,1216,1219,1222],{},[197,1217,1218],{},"Homemade fudge or jam (mostly ingredients)",[197,1220,1221],{},"£1.50",[197,1223,1224],{},"£120",[176,1226,1227,1230,1232],{},[197,1228,1229],{},"Local chocolate bar",[197,1231,258],{},[197,1233,1234],{},"£200",[176,1236,1237,1240,1243],{},[197,1238,1239],{},"Small candle or coaster",[197,1241,1242],{},"£3 to £4",[197,1244,1245],{},"£240 to £320",[176,1247,1248,1251,1254],{},[197,1249,1250],{},"Mini spirit bottle",[197,1252,1253],{},"£4 to £6",[197,1255,1256],{},"£320 to £480",[176,1258,1259,1262,1265],{},[197,1260,1261],{},"Charity donation",[197,1263,1264],{},"Your choice",[197,1266,1267],{},"Set your own total",[91,1269,1270],{},"Prices vary, but the lesson holds: the difference between a £1 favour and a £5 one is a few hundred pounds across the room. Decide whether that money is better spent on something guests will keep, or quietly redirected to the bar, the band or a good cause.",[98,1272,1274],{"id":1273},"a-few-practical-pointers","A few practical pointers",[124,1276,1277,1283,1289,1295],{},[127,1278,1279,1282],{},[130,1280,1281],{},"Match the favour to the timing."," An ice cream cart in July is a favour; a melting chocolate in a hot marquee is a mess.",[127,1284,1285,1288],{},[130,1286,1287],{},"Think about dietary needs."," If you've gathered allergies and preferences on your RSVPs, an edible favour can quietly account for them. Build The Day lets guests log meal choices and dietary requirements when they reply, so you'll already have a sense of who needs the nut-free option.",[127,1290,1291,1294],{},[130,1292,1293],{},"Don't over-personalise."," A name and date on a thing makes it harder, not easier, to keep.",[127,1296,1297,1300],{},[130,1298,1299],{},"Have a plan for leftovers."," There will be some. Edible ones go to the evening guests or the suppliers; reusable ones can go to the next family party.",[91,1302,1303],{},"The best favour is one your guests would have happily bought for themselves. Picture someone unwrapping it on the Monday after, mid-commute or making a cup of tea, and ask whether they'd smile or sigh. Choose the one that gets a smile.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1305},[1306,1307,1308,1309,1310,1311],{"id":1097,"depth":366,"text":1098},{"id":1107,"depth":366,"text":1108},{"id":1137,"depth":366,"text":1138},{"id":1164,"depth":366,"text":1165},{"id":1182,"depth":366,"text":1183},{"id":1273,"depth":366,"text":1274},"2025-05-24","A practical guide to wedding favours that guests actually want, with edible, useful and charitable ideas plus a rough cost breakdown per head.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1764380747789-f9a09e3c01f3?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwZmF2b3VycyUyMHRhYmxlfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE2MTM3MzR8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Wedding cake and decorations on a table","Fotógrafo Samuel Cruz","https://unsplash.com/@fotografosamuelcruz?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/how-to-choose-wedding-favours-guests-keep",5,{"title":1089,"description":1313},"blog/how-to-choose-wedding-favours-guests-keep",[1324,392,1325],"favours","budgeting","xtr3-Ya1keVniYHLp8HvdrRvKD2THzR3es4hMGogqTA",{"id":1328,"title":1329,"author":572,"body":1330,"category":376,"date":1441,"description":1442,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1443,"imageAlt":1444,"imageCredit":1316,"imageCreditUrl":1317,"meta":1445,"navigation":5,"path":1446,"readTime":387,"seo":1447,"stem":1448,"tags":1449,"__hash__":1452},"blog/blog/the-unplugged-wedding-should-you-ask-guests-to-put-phones-away.md","The Unplugged Wedding: Should You Ask Guests to Put Phones Away?",{"type":88,"value":1331,"toc":1434},[1332,1335,1339,1342,1345,1365,1368,1372,1375,1378,1381,1385,1388,1391,1394,1398,1401,1421,1424,1428,1431],[91,1333,1334],{},"You have seen the photo. The bride is coming down the aisle, and instead of a row of beaming faces there is a forest of phones and one uncle leaning into the gangway with an iPad. The unplugged wedding is the answer to that picture: a polite request for guests to put their phones away, at least for the ceremony, so everyone is actually present. The question is whether it is right for your day, and how to ask without sounding stern.",[98,1336,1338],{"id":1337},"what-unplugged-actually-means","What \"unplugged\" actually means",[91,1340,1341],{},"It rarely means a total phone ban for the whole day. Most couples who go unplugged do it for one specific window: the ceremony. After that, phones come back out, guests snap away at the drinks reception, and the dance floor is fair game.",[91,1343,1344],{},"So you are really choosing between a few levels:",[124,1346,1347,1353,1359],{},[127,1348,1349,1352],{},[130,1350,1351],{},"Ceremony only."," The most common and the easiest sell. Phones down from the processional to the first kiss.",[127,1354,1355,1358],{},[130,1356,1357],{},"Ceremony plus first dance."," A second protected moment, since those candid phone shots from the back of the room rarely flatter anyone.",[127,1360,1361,1364],{},[130,1362,1363],{},"Fully unplugged."," No photos at all from guests, all day. Rare, harder to enforce, and usually reserved for couples who feel strongly about it.",[91,1366,1367],{},"There is no medal for going stricter. Pick the version that solves your actual worry.",[98,1369,1371],{"id":1370},"the-case-for-putting-phones-away","The case for putting phones away",[91,1373,1374],{},"The strongest argument is your professional photos. A photographer working a ceremony has a fraction of a second to catch the first look, and a guest stepping into the aisle with a phone can ruin a shot that cannot be retaken. Plenty of photographers will mention this in your first meeting because it genuinely costs couples the images they wanted most.",[91,1376,1377],{},"The second argument is presence. There is something a bit deflating about saying your vows to a wall of glowing screens. When phones go down, people lean in, catch your eye, and you feel the room rather than perform to it. Older relatives in particular tend to love being asked, because it gives them permission to simply watch.",[91,1379,1380],{},"And there is the modern worry about your moment appearing online before you have even left the venue. An unplugged ceremony quietly solves the problem of a blurry phone snap of your first kiss landing on social media while you are still signing the register.",[98,1382,1384],{"id":1383},"the-case-against-or-at-least-for-caution","The case against (or at least for caution)",[91,1386,1387],{},"Be honest about the trade-off. Your guests take photos because they love you, and some of those candid, slightly wonky shots are the ones you treasure later, the ones the photographer was never positioned to get. A strict, all-day ban can read as cold, and it can leave you with fewer informal pictures of the bits the pro missed.",[91,1389,1390],{},"There is also enforcement. You cannot police a room mid-ceremony, and you would not want to. An unplugged request only works if it is gentle and well-communicated, not if it relies on someone tutting at Auntie Sue.",[91,1392,1393],{},"A middle path works for a lot of couples: phones away for the ceremony, then actively encourage guests to share everything afterwards. You get the clean aisle and the candid reception shots both.",[98,1395,1397],{"id":1396},"how-to-ask-without-sounding-like-a-headteacher","How to ask without sounding like a headteacher",[91,1399,1400],{},"Tone is everything. Frame it as an invitation to be present, not a list of rules. A handful of touchpoints does the job:",[124,1402,1403,1409,1415],{},[127,1404,1405,1408],{},[130,1406,1407],{},"A line on your wedding website."," Something warm, like: \"We would love for you to be fully with us as we say our vows, so we are having an unplugged ceremony. Pop your phones away until after the kiss, then please snap away.\" Your Build The Day site is the natural home for this, since guests check it for the timings anyway.",[127,1410,1411,1414],{},[130,1412,1413],{},"A small sign at the entrance."," One tasteful sign as people walk in is a friendly last reminder.",[127,1416,1417,1420],{},[130,1418,1419],{},"A word from the officiant or celebrant."," A single sentence before things begin, asking everyone to switch phones to silent and put them down, lands better than any sign. People listen to the person at the front.",[91,1422,1423],{},"Avoid the passive-aggressive poem. Keep it short, keep it kind, and tell guests when the phones can come back out so it feels like an invitation rather than a confiscation.",[98,1425,1427],{"id":1426},"gather-the-guest-photos-you-do-want","Gather the guest photos you do want",[91,1429,1430],{},"If part of you wants the clean ceremony and part of you wants every candid moment, you can have both by giving guests one clear place to share. A shared photo gallery or QR code on the tables means people upload their best shots in one spot, instead of scattering them across a dozen phones you will never see. Build The Day includes a guest photo gallery for exactly this, so you can ask for an unplugged ceremony and still collect hundreds of warm, unposed photos from the rest of the day.",[91,1432,1433],{},"In the end, \"unplugged\" is not about taking something away from your guests. It is about deciding which moments you want lived rather than filmed, then being clear and warm about it. Protect the ceremony, free up the party, and you will likely get the best of both.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1435},[1436,1437,1438,1439,1440],{"id":1337,"depth":366,"text":1338},{"id":1370,"depth":366,"text":1371},{"id":1383,"depth":366,"text":1384},{"id":1396,"depth":366,"text":1397},{"id":1426,"depth":366,"text":1427},"2023-08-17","An honest look at unplugged weddings: what to ask guests to switch off, when it helps, when it backfires, and how to word the request so nobody feels told off.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1768777272556-908f49c0999e?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw4fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","People gathered on a pier under a canopy",{},"/blog/the-unplugged-wedding-should-you-ask-guests-to-put-phones-away",{"title":1329,"description":1442},"blog/the-unplugged-wedding-should-you-ask-guests-to-put-phones-away",[1450,719,1451],"unplugged","photography","lRerbw6FA_isUtuT-fJnR3a3_Az-FDGasViwr6nRCeo",{"id":1454,"title":1455,"author":572,"body":1456,"category":376,"date":1619,"description":1620,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1621,"imageAlt":1622,"imageCredit":1623,"imageCreditUrl":1624,"meta":1625,"navigation":5,"path":1626,"readTime":387,"seo":1627,"stem":1628,"tags":1629,"__hash__":1632},"blog/blog/accessibility-at-weddings-making-every-guest-welcome.md","Accessibility at Weddings: Making Every Guest Welcome",{"type":88,"value":1457,"toc":1611},[1458,1461,1465,1468,1471,1488,1491,1495,1498,1501,1504,1508,1511,1525,1528,1532,1535,1538,1541,1545,1548,1551,1604,1608],[91,1459,1460],{},"You have invited the people you love. The next bit is making sure all of them can actually relax and enjoy being there. Accessibility is not a niche add-on for one or two guests. Think about an elderly grandparent, a friend with a hidden condition, a toddler in a buggy, someone recovering from surgery. Plan for ease and almost everyone benefits.",[98,1462,1464],{"id":1463},"walk-the-venue-with-fresh-eyes","Walk the venue with fresh eyes",[91,1466,1467],{},"Most venue problems are obvious the moment you stop seeing it as \"pretty\" and start seeing it as a route a person has to travel. That gorgeous barn with the cobbled courtyard and three steps up to the loos is a real obstacle for a wheelchair user or anyone unsteady on their feet.",[91,1469,1470],{},"When you visit, ask the practical questions:",[124,1472,1473,1476,1479,1482,1485],{},[127,1474,1475],{},"Is there step-free access to the ceremony, the dining area and the toilets?",[127,1477,1478],{},"Where is the accessible toilet, and is it kept unlocked or do guests have to ask?",[127,1480,1481],{},"Is there parking close to the entrance, or a drop-off point?",[127,1483,1484],{},"How far is the walk between each part of the day, and is the ground even?",[127,1486,1487],{},"Is there a lift, and does it work, or is it \"out of order until further notice\"?",[91,1489,1490],{},"Gravel, grass and cobbles are lovely in photos and miserable in heels, on crutches or for buggy wheels. If your dream venue has tricky terrain, you can still make it work with a clear plan: golf buggies for longer distances, a few discreet ramps, an usher who knows the step-free route and offers an arm.",[98,1492,1494],{"id":1493},"ask-do-not-assume","Ask, do not assume",[91,1496,1497],{},"The single most useful thing you can do is simply ask. A small line on your RSVP, something like \"Let us know if there's anything that would make the day more comfortable for you,\" opens the door without putting anyone on the spot.",[91,1499,1500],{},"Some guests will mention a mobility need. Others will tell you about a dietary requirement, a hearing aid, or that they need to sit near an exit. You would not have known otherwise, and now you can quietly sort it before they arrive. If you collect RSVPs through a wedding website, you can add that question right alongside the meal choice, so it all comes back in one place rather than buried in a dozen separate texts.",[91,1502,1503],{},"When someone does flag a need, follow up properly. \"Thanks for letting me know, we've reserved a seat for you at the end of the row near the door\" lands far better than a vague promise to \"sort something on the day.\"",[98,1505,1507],{"id":1506},"seating-sound-and-sightlines","Seating, sound and sightlines",[91,1509,1510],{},"Where people sit shapes their whole experience. A few thoughtful choices go a long way:",[124,1512,1513,1516,1519,1522],{},[127,1514,1515],{},"Reserve aisle or end seats for wheelchair users, walking frames and anyone who needs to move easily",[127,1517,1518],{},"Seat guests who lip-read or use hearing aids near the front, away from speakers and the band",[127,1520,1521],{},"Keep a clear, wide route to the exits and the toilets, not blocked by a sweetheart table",[127,1523,1524],{},"Put older guests away from the loudest speaker stack so they can hear conversation",[91,1526,1527],{},"For the ceremony and speeches, sound matters more than people expect. A decent microphone is not a luxury. If even one guest struggles to hear, the most important words of the day pass them by. Ask your celebrant or band about a clip mic, and consider a printed order of service so anyone who misses a line can follow along.",[98,1529,1531],{"id":1530},"quiet-space-and-sensory-comfort","Quiet space and sensory comfort",[91,1533,1534],{},"Weddings are loud, bright and long. For autistic guests, people with sensory sensitivities, anyone with anxiety, or a tired child, a few hours of noise and crowds can become overwhelming.",[91,1536,1537],{},"A simple fix: nominate a quiet room or a calm corner away from the music. Somewhere with softer lighting and a comfortable chair, where a guest can take ten minutes and rejoin when they are ready. Tell the relevant guests it exists. You do not need to make a fuss of it.",[91,1539,1540],{},"Strobe lighting and very loud surprise moments (fireworks, confetti cannons) are worth a quick warning too, so nobody is caught off guard.",[98,1542,1544],{"id":1543},"clear-information-removes-the-worry","Clear information removes the worry",[91,1546,1547],{},"A lot of accessibility is just good information delivered early. When guests know exactly what to expect, they can plan around their own needs without having to ask awkward questions.",[91,1549,1550],{},"Share the practical details well ahead of time: the timings, whether the ceremony is outdoors, the walking involved, the nearest step-free entrance, parking, and accessible accommodation nearby. A guest who knows the reception is up a flight of stairs can decide how to manage it. A guest who finds out on the night is stuck.",[170,1552,1553,1562],{},[173,1554,1555],{},[176,1556,1557,1560],{},[179,1558,1559],{},"Detail to share",[179,1561,1009],{},[192,1563,1564,1572,1580,1588,1596],{},[176,1565,1566,1569],{},[197,1567,1568],{},"Step-free routes and parking",[197,1570,1571],{},"Lets guests with mobility needs plan their arrival",[176,1573,1574,1577],{},[197,1575,1576],{},"Outdoor elements and timings",[197,1578,1579],{},"Helps people dress, pace themselves and bring what they need",[176,1581,1582,1585],{},[197,1583,1584],{},"Accessible toilet location",[197,1586,1587],{},"Saves an anxious search on the day",[176,1589,1590,1593],{},[197,1591,1592],{},"Nearby accessible hotels",[197,1594,1595],{},"Makes overnight stays workable for everyone",[176,1597,1598,1601],{},[197,1599,1600],{},"A contact for questions",[197,1602,1603],{},"Gives guests a kind, low-pressure way to ask",[98,1605,1607],{"id":1606},"the-warm-welcome-does-the-rest","The warm welcome does the rest",[91,1609,1610],{},"All the ramps and reserved seats in the world matter less than the feeling of being genuinely wanted there. Brief your ushers and close family to keep an eye out, offer an arm, carry a plate, point the way. The goal is not a clinical checklist of compliance. It is that every single person you invited feels looked after and free to enjoy your day as fully as anyone else.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1612},[1613,1614,1615,1616,1617,1618],{"id":1463,"depth":366,"text":1464},{"id":1493,"depth":366,"text":1494},{"id":1506,"depth":366,"text":1507},{"id":1530,"depth":366,"text":1531},{"id":1543,"depth":366,"text":1544},{"id":1606,"depth":366,"text":1607},"2023-08-10","Practical ways to make your wedding accessible, from venue checks and seating to sensory needs and clear information, so every guest can enjoy the day.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1510076857177-7470076d4098?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwdmVudWUlMjBhY2Nlc3NpYmxlfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE2MDAzODd8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","White table with white table clothes lot","Abby Savage","https://unsplash.com/@abbysavagecreative?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/accessibility-at-weddings-making-every-guest-welcome",{"title":1455,"description":1620},"blog/accessibility-at-weddings-making-every-guest-welcome",[1630,392,1631],"accessibility","inclusive","LweqmHzrEHomeQC7-JJ2ulXymYXFhEiKnFPmI-MAjMQ",{"id":1634,"title":1635,"author":86,"body":1636,"category":376,"date":1776,"description":1777,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1778,"imageAlt":1779,"imageCredit":1780,"imageCreditUrl":1781,"meta":1782,"navigation":5,"path":1783,"readTime":1320,"seo":1784,"stem":1785,"tags":1786,"__hash__":1788},"blog/blog/wedding-games-and-ice-breakers-that-arent-cringe.md","Wedding Games and Ice-Breakers That Aren't Cringe",{"type":88,"value":1637,"toc":1769},[1638,1641,1645,1648,1651,1655,1658,1684,1687,1691,1694,1697,1700,1704,1707,1753,1756,1760,1763,1766],[91,1639,1640],{},"The trouble with most wedding games is that they ask too much. Nobody wants to be hauled out of their seat to mime a honeymoon destination in front of 90 people they've half met. The games that actually work are quieter than that. They give people a reason to talk to the stranger next to them, then get out of the way. Here's how to land that without making anyone wince.",[98,1642,1644],{"id":1643},"why-a-little-nudge-helps","Why a little nudge helps",[91,1646,1647],{},"Your guest list is rarely one happy crowd who all know each other. It's your school friends, their work mates, two sides of a family, a few plus-ones who know precisely one person in the room. Left alone, those groups sit in their own clusters all night. A light ice-breaker does one job: it gives people permission to start a conversation they'd never have started cold.",[91,1649,1650],{},"The key word is light. The moment a game feels compulsory or puts someone on the spot, it stops being fun and starts being a thing to dread. Aim for \"optional and easy to ignore,\" not \"everyone must participate.\"",[98,1652,1654],{"id":1653},"table-level-prompts-that-do-the-heavy-lifting","Table-level prompts that do the heavy lifting",[91,1656,1657],{},"The best ice-breakers happen at the table, before the speeches, while people are settling in. They're self-serve, so the shy can skip them and the chatty can run with them.",[124,1659,1660,1666,1672,1678],{},[127,1661,1662,1665],{},[130,1663,1664],{},"A how-do-you-know-the-couple card."," A single prompt per place setting: \"Tell the table your best story about the bride or groom.\" Instant conversation, and you'll overhear some gems.",[127,1667,1668,1671],{},[130,1669,1670],{},"Table-name questions."," Name each table after a place you love, then add a card asking \"What's your favourite holiday and why?\" People answer without realising they're playing anything.",[127,1673,1674,1677],{},[130,1675,1676],{},"A shared puzzle or jar of sweets."," A little quiz about the couple, or guess-the-number-of-jellybeans, gives fidgety hands something to do and tables a reason to confer.",[127,1679,1680,1683],{},[130,1681,1682],{},"Two truths and a lie, table version."," Old but it works, precisely because it's low-stakes and everyone already knows the rules.",[91,1685,1686],{},"These cost almost nothing, scale to any size of wedding, and never force a microphone on anyone.",[98,1688,1690],{"id":1689},"games-for-the-gap-between-courses","Games for the gap between courses",[91,1692,1693],{},"There's usually a lull while plates are cleared. That's the window for something slightly more active, as long as it stays opt-in.",[91,1695,1696],{},"The shoe game is a reliable crowd-pleaser: the couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own and one of their partner's shoes, and raise the relevant shoe to questions like \"Who's the better cook?\" or \"Who said I love you first?\" It's funny, it's about the couple rather than the guests, and nobody in the room has to do anything but watch and laugh.",[91,1698,1699],{},"A wedding emoji quiz works well on tables too: a printed sheet of film or song titles spelled out in emoji, fastest table wins a bottle. Quiet, competitive, and it doesn't drag.",[98,1701,1703],{"id":1702},"the-ones-to-think-twice-about","The ones to think twice about",[91,1705,1706],{},"Some traditions land fine with the right crowd and badly with the wrong one. Read your room before committing.",[170,1708,1709,1719],{},[173,1710,1711],{},[176,1712,1713,1716],{},[179,1714,1715],{},"Game",[179,1717,1718],{},"Watch out for",[192,1720,1721,1729,1737,1745],{},[176,1722,1723,1726],{},[197,1724,1725],{},"Singing for a kiss",[197,1727,1728],{},"Mortifying for shy guests; some couples love it",[176,1730,1731,1734],{},[197,1732,1733],{},"Anything that singles out single guests",[197,1735,1736],{},"Can feel pointed and unkind",[176,1738,1739,1742],{},[197,1740,1741],{},"Long quizzes during dinner",[197,1743,1744],{},"People came to eat and chat, not sit an exam",[176,1746,1747,1750],{},[197,1748,1749],{},"Forced dance-floor games",[197,1751,1752],{},"The dance floor should feel free, not directed",[91,1754,1755],{},"There's no universal rule here. A rowdy group of mates might adore the singing game; a quiet, mixed-generation family might find it excruciating. You know your people. If you're hesitating, that hesitation is usually the answer.",[98,1757,1759],{"id":1758},"let-the-day-itself-be-the-ice-breaker","Let the day itself be the ice-breaker",[91,1761,1762],{},"Honestly, some of the best mingling comes from things that aren't games at all. A photo booth gives people a reason to gather and be silly together. A guestbook that asks for marriage advice or a doodle pulls in even the reserved guests, because it's private and unhurried. Lawn games during the drinks reception, croquet, giant Jenga, a bit of boules, get strangers chatting over a low-stakes contest without any host having to organise a thing.",[91,1764,1765],{},"If your wedding website has a guestbook, point guests to it early so they're leaving messages and photos throughout the day rather than scrambling at the end. Build The Day's guestbook lets guests sign and upload snaps straight from their phones, which quietly does the same job as a table game: it gives everyone a small, easy thing to take part in.",[91,1767,1768],{},"The aim isn't a packed agenda of activities. It's a few gentle openings, scattered through the day, that let your guests find each other. Set those up, then trust the room to do the rest.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1770},[1771,1772,1773,1774,1775],{"id":1643,"depth":366,"text":1644},{"id":1653,"depth":366,"text":1654},{"id":1689,"depth":366,"text":1690},{"id":1702,"depth":366,"text":1703},{"id":1758,"depth":366,"text":1759},"2023-08-03","Light-touch wedding games and ice-breakers that get guests talking without forcing it: table prompts, low-key challenges and ideas that respect everyone's comfort.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1758810411514-1cffb1420a4b?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw5fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Wedding guests watch arm wrestling match at reception.","Pedro Pulido","https://unsplash.com/@pedropulidophotography?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/wedding-games-and-ice-breakers-that-arent-cringe",{"title":1635,"description":1777},"blog/wedding-games-and-ice-breakers-that-arent-cringe",[392,1787,567],"games","Phxk3BZIcqigkyc0iSNuwpmUM5ejJ2bktNIKaMa-CJA",{"id":1790,"title":1791,"author":86,"body":1792,"category":376,"date":1967,"description":1968,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":1969,"imageAlt":1970,"imageCredit":1971,"imageCreditUrl":1972,"meta":1973,"navigation":5,"path":1974,"readTime":1320,"seo":1975,"stem":1976,"tags":1977,"__hash__":1980},"blog/blog/crowd-sourcing-wedding-photos-from-your-guests.md","Crowd-Sourcing Wedding Photos from Your Guests",{"type":88,"value":1793,"toc":1959},[1794,1797,1801,1804,1807,1810,1814,1817,1906,1909,1912,1916,1919,1923,1926,1940,1943,1947,1950,1953,1956],[91,1795,1796],{},"Your photographer is brilliant, but they can only stand in one place at a time. While they're catching your first dance, your nan is laughing at something your best mate said at the back of the room, and nobody is pointing a proper lens at it. That moment lives on someone's phone, and unless you ask for it, you'll never see it. Crowd-sourcing guest photos is how you get all the bits the official shots miss.",[98,1798,1800],{"id":1799},"why-guest-photos-are-worth-gathering","Why guest photos are worth gathering",[91,1802,1803],{},"The official gallery is curated and polished. It's the version of the day you'll frame. But the guest version is something else: the blurry one of your uncle attempting the worm, the kids under the table, the table of cousins crying laughing during the speeches. These are the photos people actually send each other afterwards.",[91,1805,1806],{},"There's a practical angle too. Your photographer might hand over 400 to 600 edited images. Your 80 guests, between them, will have shot thousands. Even if only one in fifty is a keeper, that's a serious haul of moments you'd otherwise lose. And they cost you nothing.",[91,1808,1809],{},"The trick is making it genuinely easy. Guests will happily take photos. They will not happily faff about with logins, app downloads, or emailing files the morning after when they're nursing a sore head.",[98,1811,1813],{"id":1812},"how-to-actually-collect-them","How to actually collect them",[91,1815,1816],{},"You've got a few routes, and they're not equal. Here's the honest version.",[170,1818,1819,1835],{},[173,1820,1821],{},[176,1822,1823,1826,1829,1832],{},[179,1824,1825],{},"Method",[179,1827,1828],{},"Effort for guests",[179,1830,1831],{},"Quality you get back",[179,1833,1834],{},"Worth it?",[192,1836,1837,1851,1865,1879,1892],{},[176,1838,1839,1842,1845,1848],{},[197,1840,1841],{},"Shared cloud album link",[197,1843,1844],{},"Low",[197,1846,1847],{},"High (full resolution)",[197,1849,1850],{},"Yes, the default choice",[176,1852,1853,1856,1859,1862],{},[197,1854,1855],{},"QR code to an upload page",[197,1857,1858],{},"Very low",[197,1860,1861],{},"High",[197,1863,1864],{},"Yes, pairs well with the above",[176,1866,1867,1870,1873,1876],{},[197,1868,1869],{},"A hashtag on social media",[197,1871,1872],{},"Medium",[197,1874,1875],{},"Low (compressed)",[197,1877,1878],{},"Only as a backup",[176,1880,1881,1884,1886,1889],{},[197,1882,1883],{},"Disposable cameras on tables",[197,1885,1844],{},[197,1887,1888],{},"Charming but hit-and-miss",[197,1890,1891],{},"Fun, not reliable",[176,1893,1894,1897,1900,1903],{},[197,1895,1896],{},"Asking people to text you",[197,1898,1899],{},"High for you",[197,1901,1902],{},"Variable",[197,1904,1905],{},"No, you'll lose track",[91,1907,1908],{},"The combination that works best is a single upload page with a QR code pointing at it. Put the code on the order of service, prop a little sign on each table, and mention it once over the mic. Guests scan, the page opens, they tap to upload straight from their camera roll. No app, no account.",[91,1910,1911],{},"Build The Day includes a guest gallery for exactly this: guests upload from their phones into your wedding's album, and you can moderate what shows up before anyone else sees it.",[162,1913,1915],{"id":1914},"a-word-on-timing","A word on timing",[91,1917,1918],{},"Don't only collect on the day. Half your best guest photos get taken in the days that follow, when people are scrolling through and realising what they captured. Keep the upload page open for a fortnight after the wedding and give it a gentle nudge in your thank-you message. You'll be surprised how much trickles in late.",[98,1920,1922],{"id":1921},"make-it-easy-and-people-will-use-it","Make it easy and people will use it",[91,1924,1925],{},"The difference between a flood of photos and a trickle is almost always friction. A few things that genuinely help:",[124,1927,1928,1931,1934,1937],{},[127,1929,1930],{},"One link, one QR code, everywhere. Don't have three different methods running at once or guests get confused and use none of them.",[127,1932,1933],{},"Write the instruction like a human. \"Scan to share your photos from today\" beats a wall of small print.",[127,1935,1936],{},"Tell older guests in person. A quick word to the table that doesn't do QR codes (\"just send them to my mum, she'll add them\") catches the people who'd otherwise miss out.",[127,1938,1939],{},"Don't make it a competition or a chore. The second it feels like homework, the response rate drops.",[91,1941,1942],{},"If you want unplugged moments during the ceremony itself, that's fine, just be clear about it. Ask guests to put phones away for the vows, then open the floodgates for the rest of the day. People respect a specific request far more than a blanket ban.",[98,1944,1946],{"id":1945},"what-to-do-with-them-afterwards","What to do with them afterwards",[91,1948,1949],{},"Once they're in, the photos need a tiny bit of love or they'll sit in a folder forever.",[91,1951,1952],{},"Pick a wet Sunday a month or so after the wedding and go through them together. Bin the duplicates and the accidental shots of someone's thumb. Star the ones that made you laugh or well up. Then do something with the best of them: a shared album you send round, a small printed book, a few framed for the hall. The whole point of gathering them was to relive the day, so don't let them gather dust.",[91,1954,1955],{},"One last thing. When you write your thank-you notes, mention a specific photo someone took. \"We love the one Sarah got of us during the speeches\" makes people feel their phone snap actually mattered. It did.",[91,1957,1958],{},"The day goes by in a blur for you, more than anyone. Guest photos are how you get to see all the corners of it you never even knew were happening.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":1960},[1961,1962,1965,1966],{"id":1799,"depth":366,"text":1800},{"id":1812,"depth":366,"text":1813,"children":1963},[1964],{"id":1914,"depth":372,"text":1915},{"id":1921,"depth":366,"text":1922},{"id":1945,"depth":366,"text":1946},"2023-07-27","How to gather candid wedding photos from your guests, from QR codes to shared albums, so you capture every moment your photographer never saw.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1723373457175-31b09fa7d405?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwyfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A group of people sitting around a white table","Ben Atkins","https://unsplash.com/@benatkinsphotography?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/crowd-sourcing-wedding-photos-from-your-guests",{"title":1791,"description":1968},"blog/crowd-sourcing-wedding-photos-from-your-guests",[1978,719,1979],"photos","gallery","PW2uo6XxmT8nKfvII3X_h0PedOICev9TL3w0VFLrpWs",{"id":1982,"title":1983,"author":86,"body":1984,"category":376,"date":2159,"description":2160,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":2161,"imageAlt":2162,"imageCredit":1316,"imageCreditUrl":1317,"meta":2163,"navigation":5,"path":2164,"readTime":1320,"seo":2165,"stem":2166,"tags":2167,"__hash__":2169},"blog/blog/keeping-children-happy-at-your-wedding.md","Keeping Children Happy at Your Wedding",{"type":88,"value":1985,"toc":2151},[1986,1989,1992,1996,1999,2002,2005,2025,2029,2032,2035,2038,2052,2055,2059,2062,2065,2068,2072,2075,2078,2128,2131,2135,2138,2141,2145,2148],[91,1987,1988],{},"A bored child at a wedding is a small force of nature. They will find the one open door, the cake table, or the microphone, usually during the speeches. The good news is that keeping little ones happy is mostly about anticipating the long stretches and filling them with something to do.",[91,1990,1991],{},"You don't need a soft-play area or a magician (though both are lovely if the budget stretches). What you need is a plan for the gaps: the bit between the ceremony and the meal, the long sit-down, and the late evening when their bedtime has come and gone.",[98,1993,1995],{"id":1994},"decide-whos-actually-coming-first","Decide who's actually coming first",[91,1997,1998],{},"Before you plan anything, get a real headcount of children and their ages. A toddler, a seven-year-old and a teenager need completely different things, and lumping them together as \"the kids\" leads to entertainment that suits nobody.",[91,2000,2001],{},"Ask parents to confirm ages on the RSVP. It feeds into your catering numbers, your seating, and how many activity packs you make up. With Build The Day you can add a custom question to your RSVP form so parents tell you the number and ages of children when they reply, which saves a flurry of texts later.",[91,2003,2004],{},"A few age bands worth thinking about separately:",[124,2006,2007,2013,2019],{},[127,2008,2009,2012],{},[130,2010,2011],{},"Babies and toddlers (0 to 3):"," mostly need their parents, a clear floor and somewhere to nap.",[127,2014,2015,2018],{},[130,2016,2017],{},"Little ones (4 to 8):"," the group most likely to get restless. They're your main audience for activities.",[127,2020,2021,2024],{},[130,2022,2023],{},"Tweens and teens:"," usually fine left to their own devices, but a quiet corner with a plug socket and decent wifi goes a long way.",[98,2026,2028],{"id":2027},"fill-the-long-gaps","Fill the long gaps",[91,2030,2031],{},"The two danger zones are the drinks reception and the wedding breakfast. Both involve a lot of standing or sitting while adults talk.",[91,2033,2034],{},"For the reception, a few lawn games sort it instantly. Giant Jenga, a space hopper or two, hoopla, or a bucket of bubbles will absorb an hour without anyone noticing. They double as entertainment for the grown-ups too.",[91,2036,2037],{},"For the meal, a small activity pack at each child's place setting is the classic for a reason. Keep it simple:",[124,2039,2040,2043,2046,2049],{},[127,2041,2042],{},"A few crayons (not felt tips, which end up on the linen)",[127,2044,2045],{},"A printed colouring or activity sheet, ideally wedding-themed",[127,2047,2048],{},"A small wooden puzzle or some stickers",[127,2050,2051],{},"A little bag of sweets to deploy at the right moment",[91,2053,2054],{},"Pop it all in a paper bag with their name on it. The novelty buys you a good chunk of the meal.",[98,2056,2058],{"id":2057},"the-kids-table-question","The kids' table question",[91,2060,2061],{},"A dedicated children's table works brilliantly if you've got enough children of a similar age, say four or more. They keep each other entertained, parents get to actually eat their dinner, and you can theme it gently with paper tablecloths they're allowed to draw on.",[91,2063,2064],{},"If you've only got one or two children, keep them with their families. A single child marooned at a \"kids' table\" is just a lonely child.",[91,2066,2067],{},"Whatever you choose, seat families near an exit or aisle. A parent doing the silent toddler-carry to the back of the room will thank you for not making them climb over twelve people first.",[98,2069,2071],{"id":2070},"feed-them-early-and-feed-them-simply","Feed them early and feed them simply",[91,2073,2074],{},"Children rarely want a three-course plated meal, and they certainly won't wait for it. Most caterers offer a children's menu, and it's worth serving it a little ahead of the adult courses so nobody's melting down by the time mains arrive.",[91,2076,2077],{},"Stick to the reliable favourites and you can't go far wrong.",[170,2079,2080,2093],{},[173,2081,2082],{},[176,2083,2084,2087,2090],{},[179,2085,2086],{},"Course",[179,2088,2089],{},"Goes down well",[179,2091,2092],{},"Maybe skip",[192,2094,2095,2106,2117],{},[176,2096,2097,2100,2103],{},[197,2098,2099],{},"Main",[197,2101,2102],{},"Chicken goujons, pasta with tomato sauce, sausages and mash",[197,2104,2105],{},"Anything in a rich sauce",[176,2107,2108,2111,2114],{},[197,2109,2110],{},"Sides",[197,2112,2113],{},"Chips, garden peas, cucumber sticks",[197,2115,2116],{},"Dressed salads",[176,2118,2119,2122,2125],{},[197,2120,2121],{},"Pudding",[197,2123,2124],{},"Ice cream, fruit, a simple sponge",[197,2126,2127],{},"Anything boozy",[91,2129,2130],{},"Ask your caterer about portion sizes and allergies when you confirm numbers. And keep water and squash topped up, because a thirsty child is a grumpy one.",[98,2132,2134],{"id":2133},"a-quiet-space-saves-the-evening","A quiet space saves the evening",[91,2136,2137],{},"The single best thing you can do is set aside a quiet room, or even just a quiet corner, where overtired little ones can wind down. A few cushions, some blankets, a basket of books, and maybe a tablet loaded with downloaded films before you lose the wifi.",[91,2139,2140],{},"If your venue allows it, this is also where babies can be settled for the night while parents stay for the first dance. Some couples hire a professional nanny for the evening to staff exactly this kind of space, which for a wedding with a dozen children can be money very well spent.",[98,2142,2144],{"id":2143},"set-expectations-with-parents","Set expectations with parents",[91,2146,2147],{},"A quick line on your wedding website does a lot of quiet work. Let parents know whether children are invited to the whole day or the evening only, whether there'll be a quiet space, and roughly when the formalities happen so they can plan naps and feeds.",[91,2149,2150],{},"Parents are your allies here. Tell them what you've laid on and they'll work with you to keep their little ones happy, fed and, by the time the band strikes up, hopefully fast asleep in a quiet room with someone keeping an eye out.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":2152},[2153,2154,2155,2156,2157,2158],{"id":1994,"depth":366,"text":1995},{"id":2027,"depth":366,"text":2028},{"id":2057,"depth":366,"text":2058},{"id":2070,"depth":366,"text":2071},{"id":2133,"depth":366,"text":2134},{"id":2143,"depth":366,"text":2144},"2023-07-07","Practical ways to keep younger guests happy at your wedding, from activity packs and a kids' table to timing, food and a quiet space for naps.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1768777273847-e5d8531b7fc5?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw3fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Wedding couple dancing surrounded by guests holding sparklers",{},"/blog/keeping-children-happy-at-your-wedding",{"title":1983,"description":2160},"blog/keeping-children-happy-at-your-wedding",[719,1083,2168],"planning","sBBpr9zsndvzCVWIUoRO-OJyO3dKtP95R1hVFX3Rodg",{"id":2171,"title":2172,"author":86,"body":2173,"category":376,"date":2319,"description":2320,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":2321,"imageAlt":2322,"imageCredit":2323,"imageCreditUrl":2324,"meta":2325,"navigation":5,"path":2326,"readTime":1320,"seo":2327,"stem":2328,"tags":2329,"__hash__":2331},"blog/blog/digital-guest-books-letting-guests-sign-from-their-phones.md","Digital Guest Books: Letting Guests Sign from Their Phones",{"type":88,"value":2174,"toc":2312},[2175,2178,2182,2185,2188,2191,2195,2198,2201,2212,2215,2219,2222,2283,2286,2289,2293,2296,2299,2302,2306,2309],[91,2176,2177],{},"A paper guest book is a sweet idea that often ends up half-empty. It sits on a table by the door, three people sign it in the first hour, and then everyone forgets it exists. By the time you flick through it on your honeymoon, you've got a dozen names and a lot of blank pages. A digital guest book fixes the awkward bit: guests sign from their own phones, whenever the mood takes them, and you keep every word.",[98,2179,2181],{"id":2180},"what-a-digital-guest-book-actually-is","What a digital guest book actually is",[91,2183,2184],{},"It's a page guests can reach from their phone, usually through a QR code or a link, where they leave a message and often a photo. No queue, no shared pen, no struggling to read someone's handwriting six months later.",[91,2186,2187],{},"The difference is in the timing. A paper book asks people to sign on the way in, when they're saying hellos and finding their seats. A digital one lets them write when they actually have something to say: after the speeches, halfway through the dancing, in the quiet bit while the band sets up. That's when the good messages come out. The slightly tipsy, heartfelt ones are usually the keepers.",[91,2189,2190],{},"And because it's on their own phone, guests tend to write more. A blank line on a page invites a name. A text box invites a paragraph.",[98,2192,2194],{"id":2193},"why-guests-take-to-it","Why guests take to it",[91,2196,2197],{},"Most people already have their phone in hand at a wedding. Asking them to scan a code and tap out a message is a much smaller ask than handing them a fountain pen and a fancy book they're scared to smudge.",[91,2199,2200],{},"A few reasons it works:",[124,2202,2203,2206,2209],{},[127,2204,2205],{},"Older relatives can dictate a message or have a grandchild type it for them, so nobody's left out.",[127,2207,2208],{},"Guests can add a photo from the day, which a paper book can't do.",[127,2210,2211],{},"People who hate their handwriting or freeze up on the spot can take their time.",[91,2213,2214],{},"The honest trade-off is that a digital book doesn't have the physical object to put on a shelf. But you can print the messages afterwards into a proper book, so you get both: the easy collection on the day and the keepsake later.",[98,2216,2218],{"id":2217},"setting-it-up-so-people-actually-use-it","Setting it up so people actually use it",[91,2220,2221],{},"A digital guest book only works if guests know it exists. The single biggest mistake is hiding the link somewhere nobody looks. Here's where to put the prompt so it lands.",[170,2223,2224,2237],{},[173,2225,2226],{},[176,2227,2228,2231,2234],{},[179,2229,2230],{},"Where",[179,2232,2233],{},"What to do",[179,2235,2236],{},"Why it works",[192,2238,2239,2250,2261,2272],{},[176,2240,2241,2244,2247],{},[197,2242,2243],{},"On the tables",[197,2245,2246],{},"A small card with a QR code per table",[197,2248,2249],{},"Guests see it during the meal, when they're sitting still",[176,2251,2252,2255,2258],{},[197,2253,2254],{},"Order of service",[197,2256,2257],{},"A line near the back with the link",[197,2259,2260],{},"They've already got it in hand",[176,2262,2263,2266,2269],{},[197,2264,2265],{},"The toast",[197,2267,2268],{},"The best man or MC mentions it once",[197,2270,2271],{},"One nudge from the front reaches the whole room",[176,2273,2274,2277,2280],{},[197,2275,2276],{},"Your wedding website",[197,2278,2279],{},"A clear button or section",[197,2281,2282],{},"Some guests will write theirs the next morning",[91,2284,2285],{},"One clear prompt beats five scattered ones. Pick a couple of these, not all of them.",[91,2287,2288],{},"Keep the instruction short. \"Leave us a message and a photo\" is plenty. If you make people read three sentences before they can start, half of them won't bother.",[98,2290,2292],{"id":2291},"tips-for-messages-worth-keeping","Tips for messages worth keeping",[91,2294,2295],{},"A blank box can be as intimidating as a blank page, so give people a gentle starting point. A small prompt on the card does the work: \"What's your wish for us?\" or \"Tell us a memory of one of us.\" You'll get far better answers than a bare \"sign here.\"",[91,2297,2298],{},"Leave it running well after the day. A lot of the loveliest entries arrive in the 48 hours afterwards, once people are home, looking back through their own photos and feeling sentimental. If your guest book closes at midnight on the wedding day, you miss those.",[91,2300,2301],{},"And don't moderate the joy out of it. The odd cheeky message from your university mates is part of the record. You can always tidy before you print.",[98,2303,2305],{"id":2304},"turning-it-into-something-youll-keep","Turning it into something you'll keep",[91,2307,2308],{},"The point of any guest book is the looking-back, so plan that bit from the start. With Build The Day, guestbook messages and photos collect in one place in your dashboard, ready to read through together and export when you want a printed copy. That means you can sit down a fortnight after the wedding, scroll the whole lot, and turn your favourites into a physical book without retyping a thing.",[91,2310,2311],{},"A wedding goes by fast. Half of it you'll only really see in other people's words. A guest book that's easy enough that people actually fill it in is how you hold on to those.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":2313},[2314,2315,2316,2317,2318],{"id":2180,"depth":366,"text":2181},{"id":2193,"depth":366,"text":2194},{"id":2217,"depth":366,"text":2218},{"id":2291,"depth":366,"text":2292},{"id":2304,"depth":366,"text":2305},"2023-06-30","How digital guest books work, why guests use them, and a few tips to collect lovely messages and photos at your wedding without passing a pen around.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1503525443530-339273ca8a86?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwzfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Wedding couple inside room","Quilia","https://unsplash.com/@heyquilia?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/digital-guest-books-letting-guests-sign-from-their-phones",{"title":2172,"description":2320},"blog/digital-guest-books-letting-guests-sign-from-their-phones",[2330,392,1978],"guest book","JeDWaSs2UMtdg8Q7zg6hl0RmYYm_W5iRdcXEWm2l2bk",{"id":2333,"title":2334,"author":572,"body":2335,"category":376,"date":2543,"description":2544,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":2545,"imageAlt":2546,"imageCredit":1316,"imageCreditUrl":1317,"meta":2547,"navigation":5,"path":2548,"readTime":387,"seo":2549,"stem":2550,"tags":2551,"__hash__":2554},"blog/blog/how-to-run-a-diy-wedding-photo-booth.md","How to Run a DIY Wedding Photo Booth",{"type":88,"value":2336,"toc":2534},[2337,2340,2344,2347,2350,2361,2364,2368,2371,2374,2377,2381,2384,2456,2459,2463,2466,2469,2472,2476,2479,2485,2491,2497,2500,2504,2507,2511,2531],[91,2338,2339],{},"A hired photo booth can run to several hundred pounds for a few hours, and half the time it's a clunky box in the corner that swallows your guests one awkward pair at a time. A DIY version costs a fraction of that and, done well, gets used far more. The secret isn't fancy kit. It's good light, a backdrop people actually want to stand in front of, and props that make them laugh.",[98,2341,2343],{"id":2342},"pick-the-right-corner","Pick the right corner",[91,2345,2346],{},"Before anything else, choose where it goes. A photo booth that's tucked away by the loos will sit empty all night. One near the bar or the edge of the dance floor will have a queue.",[91,2348,2349],{},"You want a spot that's:",[124,2351,2352,2355,2358],{},[127,2353,2354],{},"Easy to spot from the dance floor, so people drift over without being told.",[127,2356,2357],{},"Out of the main thoroughfare, so a queue doesn't block the bar.",[127,2359,2360],{},"Near a plug socket if you're using lights or a tablet (gaffer tape over trailing cables, please).",[91,2362,2363],{},"Give yourself a good two to three metres of clear space in front of the backdrop. Groups of six want room to pile in, and cramped photos never look good.",[98,2365,2367],{"id":2366},"light-it-properly-because-this-is-the-part-that-matters","Light it properly, because this is the part that matters",[91,2369,2370],{},"If you take one thing from this, make it this: lighting is the difference between photos guests share and photos they delete. Most DIY booths fail here. A backdrop in a dim corner gives you grainy, orange-tinted faces, and no prop in the world fixes that.",[91,2372,2373],{},"The cheap, reliable answer is a ring light on a stand, the kind influencers use, available for £20 to £40. It gives soft, even, flattering light and sits neatly out of shot. Position it just above eye level, pointing down slightly. If your venue has warm, low lighting in the evening, the ring light becomes essential rather than nice to have.",[91,2375,2376],{},"Avoid relying on a phone flash alone. It flattens faces and casts hard shadows on the backdrop. And steer well clear of standing people directly under a single overhead spotlight, which gives everyone raccoon eyes.",[98,2378,2380],{"id":2379},"choose-a-backdrop-with-a-bit-of-character","Choose a backdrop with a bit of character",[91,2382,2383],{},"The backdrop sets the whole tone. You don't need anything elaborate, but it should feel deliberate rather than like a bare wall.",[170,2385,2386,2399],{},[173,2387,2388],{},[176,2389,2390,2393,2396],{},[179,2391,2392],{},"Backdrop style",[179,2394,2395],{},"Rough cost",[179,2397,2398],{},"Best for",[192,2400,2401,2412,2423,2434,2445],{},[176,2402,2403,2406,2409],{},[197,2404,2405],{},"Fresh or faux flower wall",[197,2407,2408],{},"£40 to £120",[197,2410,2411],{},"A polished, romantic look",[176,2413,2414,2417,2420],{},[197,2415,2416],{},"Sequin or shimmer curtain",[197,2418,2419],{},"£15 to £30",[197,2421,2422],{},"Sparkle that reads well in low light",[176,2424,2425,2428,2431],{},[197,2426,2427],{},"Hanging foliage and fairy lights",[197,2429,2430],{},"£20 to £50",[197,2432,2433],{},"Rustic and garden weddings",[176,2435,2436,2439,2442],{},[197,2437,2438],{},"Patterned fabric or a quilt",[197,2440,2441],{},"Often free",[197,2443,2444],{},"Relaxed, homespun feel",[176,2446,2447,2450,2453],{},[197,2448,2449],{},"A great existing wall or doorway",[197,2451,2452],{},"Free",[197,2454,2455],{},"Venues with character already",[91,2457,2458],{},"Whatever you pick, hang it taut and wrinkle-free. A creased sheet looks exactly like a creased sheet in every single photo. If you're using fairy lights, weave them through rather than draping them in an obvious line.",[98,2460,2462],{"id":2461},"props-that-earn-their-place","Props that earn their place",[91,2464,2465],{},"Props break the ice, especially for guests who feel self-conscious in front of a camera. But there's a fine line between fun and tat. Skip the bin-bag of plastic moustaches on sticks that snap by 8pm. Instead, choose a smaller set of things that suit your day.",[91,2467,2468],{},"Good options: oversized sunglasses, a couple of hats, a chalkboard guests can write on, a string of letter balloons spelling your names, a frame they can hold up. If you've got a theme, lean into it. A festival wedding suits flower crowns, a black-tie do suits feather boas and top hats.",[91,2470,2471],{},"Keep them in a basket on a small table beside the booth, with a sign telling people to dig in. Half the laughter comes from rummaging through the box together.",[98,2473,2475],{"id":2474},"sort-the-actual-picture-taking","Sort the actual picture-taking",[91,2477,2478],{},"Now, how do guests take the photos? You've got three sensible routes.",[91,2480,2481,2484],{},[130,2482,2483],{},"A tablet on a stand with a booth app."," Apps like these show a countdown, snap a few frames, and let guests email themselves the shot. It's the closest to a hired booth and works unattended, though it needs decent wifi and someone keeping an eye on the battery.",[91,2486,2487,2490],{},[130,2488,2489],{},"A camera on a tripod with a remote."," Set a DSLR or a good phone on a tripod, hand out a Bluetooth remote shutter, and let groups fire away. You get higher-quality images, but someone needs to manage the files afterwards.",[91,2492,2493,2496],{},[130,2494,2495],{},"The instant-print classic."," A small instant camera, or an instant printer paired with phones, lets guests stick a print straight into your guest book with a written message. It's slower and the film adds up, but the keepsake is lovely.",[91,2498,2499],{},"There's no need to overthink it. A phone on a tripod with a remote and a ring light beats an expensive setup nobody bothers to use.",[98,2501,2503],{"id":2502},"gather-every-photo-in-one-place","Gather every photo in one place",[91,2505,2506],{},"The frustration with a DIY booth is afterwards, when the best shots are scattered across forty different phones and you never see most of them. Set up one shared place for everything before the day. Build The Day's wedding website includes a guest photo upload and gallery, so you can pop a sign by the booth with the link and let guests add their snaps straight from their phones. You wake up the next morning to the whole collection in one spot, candids and all.",[98,2508,2510],{"id":2509},"a-few-last-things-that-go-wrong","A few last things that go wrong",[124,2512,2513,2519,2525],{},[127,2514,2515,2518],{},[130,2516,2517],{},"No instructions."," Put up a clear, friendly sign: where to stand, how to take the shot, where to upload.",[127,2520,2521,2524],{},[130,2522,2523],{},"It runs dry early."," Charge tablets, stock spare film, and check the lights still work after the meal.",[127,2526,2527,2530],{},[130,2528,2529],{},"It's forgotten."," A quick word from your DJ or MC pointing people to the booth keeps it busy through the evening.",[91,2532,2533],{},"Set it up in the afternoon, test a shot or two yourself, and then leave it be. A good DIY booth quietly does its job all night, and the photos that come out of it are often the ones you treasure most.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":2535},[2536,2537,2538,2539,2540,2541,2542],{"id":2342,"depth":366,"text":2343},{"id":2366,"depth":366,"text":2367},{"id":2379,"depth":366,"text":2380},{"id":2461,"depth":366,"text":2462},{"id":2474,"depth":366,"text":2475},{"id":2502,"depth":366,"text":2503},{"id":2509,"depth":366,"text":2510},"2023-06-23","A practical guide to building your own wedding photo booth: backdrops, lighting, props and a simple setup that guests actually use all night long.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1768777272462-20dc1e62bb9b?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw2fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","Bride and groom dancing with sparklers",{},"/blog/how-to-run-a-diy-wedding-photo-booth",{"title":2334,"description":2544},"blog/how-to-run-a-diy-wedding-photo-booth",[2552,2553,392],"photo booth","diy","vK9fbCoWI10hzQ18OHprtBHZfaIHtRUvbKLWzAirzTg",{"id":2556,"title":2557,"author":572,"body":2558,"category":376,"date":2733,"description":2734,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":2735,"imageAlt":2736,"imageCredit":2737,"imageCreditUrl":2738,"meta":2739,"navigation":5,"path":2740,"readTime":387,"seo":2741,"stem":2742,"tags":2743,"__hash__":2744},"blog/blog/do-you-need-a-photo-booth-at-your-wedding.md","Do You Need a Photo Booth at Your Wedding?",{"type":88,"value":2559,"toc":2725},[2560,2563,2566,2570,2573,2576,2579,2583,2586,2606,2609,2613,2616,2686,2689,2693,2696,2699,2702,2706,2709,2712,2715,2719,2722],[91,2561,2562],{},"A photo booth sits in that funny middle ground of wedding planning: clearly fun, clearly not essential, and surprisingly easy to overspend on. Some couples treasure the strip of daft photos for years. Others pay £500 for a machine that three people used while everyone else was on the dance floor.",[91,2564,2565],{},"So let's be honest about when a booth earns its place, what it actually costs, and the cheaper ways to get the same joy.",[98,2567,2569],{"id":2568},"what-a-photo-booth-actually-gives-you","What a photo booth actually gives you",[91,2571,2572],{},"The real value of a booth isn't the photos, it's the permission to be silly. Give your gran a feather boa and a foam moustache and something shifts. People who'd never normally mug for a camera suddenly do, and you end up with the candid, unguarded shots your photographer can't get because they're busy with the formal stuff.",[91,2574,2575],{},"There's a keepsake angle too. The classic setup prints a duplicate strip: one for the guest to take home, one for a guestbook where they scribble a message next to it. Months later, flicking through that book is genuinely lovely. It's the bit of the wedding that captures personalities rather than just faces.",[91,2577,2578],{},"So the question isn't really \"is a photo booth nice\" (it is), but \"is it the best thing I could spend that money on for my guests.\"",[98,2580,2582],{"id":2581},"the-honest-case-against-one","The honest case against one",[91,2584,2585],{},"A few reasons to pause before booking:",[124,2587,2588,2594,2600],{},[127,2589,2590,2593],{},[130,2591,2592],{},"Cost versus use."," A hired booth often runs £400 to £700 for a few hours. If your crowd is older or more reserved, it can sit quiet while the bar does the work.",[127,2595,2596,2599],{},[130,2597,2598],{},"Floor space and queues."," Booths need room, decent lighting and somewhere out of the way of the dance floor. In a tight venue, that corner might be better used.",[127,2601,2602,2605],{},[130,2603,2604],{},"It competes with the band."," Once the dancing kicks off, a booth in another room can feel like it's pulling people away from the party rather than adding to it.",[91,2607,2608],{},"None of these are dealbreakers. They're just worth weighing honestly rather than booking a booth because the venue brochure suggested it.",[98,2610,2612],{"id":2611},"the-options-roughly-costed","The options, roughly costed",[91,2614,2615],{},"\"Photo booth\" covers a wide range now, from a full enclosed box to an app on a phone. Here's how they tend to compare.",[170,2617,2618,2630],{},[173,2619,2620],{},[176,2621,2622,2625,2628],{},[179,2623,2624],{},"Option",[179,2626,2627],{},"Rough UK cost",[179,2629,2398],{},[192,2631,2632,2643,2654,2665,2676],{},[176,2633,2634,2637,2640],{},[197,2635,2636],{},"Hired enclosed booth",[197,2638,2639],{},"£400 to £700",[197,2641,2642],{},"Bigger weddings, prints, an attendant on hand",[176,2644,2645,2648,2651],{},[197,2646,2647],{},"Open-air booth with backdrop",[197,2649,2650],{},"£350 to £600",[197,2652,2653],{},"Group shots, a more social, visible setup",[176,2655,2656,2659,2662],{},[197,2657,2658],{},"DIY booth (camera, tripod, props)",[197,2660,2661],{},"£50 to £150",[197,2663,2664],{},"Smaller budgets and crafty couples",[176,2666,2667,2670,2673],{},[197,2668,2669],{},"Magic mirror",[197,2671,2672],{},"£450 to £800",[197,2674,2675],{},"A bit of wow factor and animated prompts",[176,2677,2678,2681,2683],{},[197,2679,2680],{},"Guest phone uploads",[197,2682,2441],{},[197,2684,2685],{},"Modern crowds happy to use their own phones",[91,2687,2688],{},"Prices vary by region and season, so always get a couple of quotes. A Saturday in peak summer costs more than a Friday in November.",[98,2690,2692],{"id":2691},"make-a-diy-booth-that-people-actually-use","Make a DIY booth that people actually use",[91,2694,2695],{},"If you'd rather spend the money elsewhere, a DIY booth can be brilliant, but only if it's done with a bit of care. The failed ones are always badly lit and tucked in a dark corner. The good ones get a queue.",[91,2697,2698],{},"You'll want three things sorted: a backdrop with some texture (a flower wall, a sequin curtain, even draped fabric and fairy lights), genuinely good lighting (a ring light or a window with soft daylight beats a flash), and a box of props that fit your crowd rather than a random bag of plastic tat. A chalkboard sign, a Polaroid camera with spare film, and a small table for the prints turn a corner into a destination.",[91,2700,2701],{},"Position it where people naturally drift, near the bar or the route to the loos, not hidden away. A booth nobody walks past is a booth nobody uses.",[98,2703,2705],{"id":2704},"the-modern-alternative-let-phones-do-the-work","The modern alternative: let phones do the work",[91,2707,2708],{},"Here's the option more couples are reaching for. Nearly every guest is carrying a far better camera than most rented booths use, so instead of one machine in one corner, you turn the whole room into a booth.",[91,2710,2711],{},"The trick is collecting all those shots in one place rather than losing them across 80 camera rolls. A shared upload link, printed on a table card or a sign, lets guests add their photos straight from their phones during the day, candids your photographer was never going to catch. Build The Day includes a guest gallery and a digital guest book for exactly this, so the daft dance-floor moments and quiet table shots all land in one album you actually keep. It costs nothing extra in props or floor space, and it scales to a wedding of any size.",[91,2713,2714],{},"That doesn't make a physical booth pointless. Some people love the ritual of stepping behind a curtain and printing a strip. But if your real goal is \"capture the fun and the candids,\" guest uploads often do it better and cheaper.",[98,2716,2718],{"id":2717},"so-do-you-need-one","So, do you need one?",[91,2720,2721],{},"You don't need one. Plenty of joyful weddings have never had a booth in sight. But if your crowd is up for it, you've got the floor space, and you love the idea of a printed keepsake, it's money well spent.",[91,2723,2724],{},"If you're tighter on budget or short on room, build a simple DIY corner or lean on guest phone uploads instead. The aim was never the machine. It was the silly, happy, off-guard moments, and there's more than one way to catch those.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":2726},[2727,2728,2729,2730,2731,2732],{"id":2568,"depth":366,"text":2569},{"id":2581,"depth":366,"text":2582},{"id":2611,"depth":366,"text":2612},{"id":2691,"depth":366,"text":2692},{"id":2704,"depth":366,"text":2705},{"id":2717,"depth":366,"text":2718},"2023-06-16","An honest look at whether a wedding photo booth is worth it, what the options cost, the props and backdrops that work, and the cheaper alternatives.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1652492892191-487055a9b6bd?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHw0fHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwcmVjZXB0aW9uJTIwZ3Vlc3RzfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1OTQ0OTl8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A man and woman dancing in a room with tables and chairs","Yaw Afari","https://unsplash.com/@afrocentricafrican?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/do-you-need-a-photo-booth-at-your-wedding",{"title":2557,"description":2734},"blog/do-you-need-a-photo-booth-at-your-wedding",[2552,392,567],"1tsktkx_3lifTynak1BdVfxxiQy3sffNJXrEAT3UOXM",{"id":2746,"title":2747,"author":572,"body":2748,"category":376,"date":2890,"description":2891,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":2892,"imageAlt":2893,"imageCredit":2894,"imageCreditUrl":2895,"meta":2896,"navigation":5,"path":2897,"readTime":1320,"seo":2898,"stem":2899,"tags":2900,"__hash__":2902},"blog/blog/wedding-guest-books-15-ideas-beyond-the-blank-pages.md","Wedding Guest Books: 15 Ideas Beyond the Blank Pages",{"type":88,"value":2749,"toc":2883},[2750,2753,2756,2760,2787,2791,2817,2821,2848,2852,2873,2877,2880],[91,2751,2752],{},"The classic guest book has a quiet problem. It sits on a table by the entrance, a pen beside it, and by the end of the night it holds nine signatures and one drawing of a cat. Guests mean to sign it. They just never quite get round to it.",[91,2754,2755],{},"The fix is not a better book. It is giving people something they actually want to do. Here are fifteen ideas that fill up, and that you will genuinely want to keep.",[98,2757,2759],{"id":2758},"make-it-a-keepsake-youll-use","Make it a keepsake you'll use",[2761,2762,2763,2769,2775,2781],"ol",{},[127,2764,2765,2768],{},[130,2766,2767],{},"A signed print or map."," Frame a large print of your venue, a map of where you met, or a botanical illustration, and have guests sign the mount. It hangs on a wall afterwards rather than sitting in a drawer.",[127,2770,2771,2774],{},[130,2772,2773],{},"A recipe box."," Ask each guest to write a favourite recipe on a card. You end up with a cookbook of the people you love.",[127,2776,2777,2780],{},[130,2778,2779],{},"A bottle to open later."," Guests write a note and drop it in a bottle to be opened on your first, fifth or tenth anniversary.",[127,2782,2783,2786],{},[130,2784,2785],{},"A library of books."," Ask guests to bring a book that meant something to them and write a message inside the cover. Your shelves become a record of the day.",[98,2788,2790],{"id":2789},"let-guests-be-playful","Let guests be playful",[2761,2792,2793,2799,2805,2811],{"start":1320},[127,2794,2795,2798],{},[130,2796,2797],{},"Advice cards."," A simple prompt — \"the secret to a happy marriage is…\" — gets far more out of people than a blank line.",[127,2800,2801,2804],{},[130,2802,2803],{},"A thumbprint tree."," Guests press a fingerprint as a leaf and sign beside it. Children love it.",[127,2806,2807,2810],{},[130,2808,2809],{},"A guest book jar."," Small cards in, folded notes out. Less intimidating than a public page.",[127,2812,2813,2816],{},[130,2814,2815],{},"A Polaroid book."," Guests take an instant photo and stick it in beside their message. You get faces, not just names.",[98,2818,2820],{"id":2819},"bring-it-into-the-present-day","Bring it into the present day",[2761,2822,2824,2830,2836,2842],{"start":2823},9,[127,2825,2826,2829],{},[130,2827,2828],{},"A digital guest book."," Guests scan a code and leave a message — and a photo — straight from their phone. Nothing to pass around, nothing left blank.",[127,2831,2832,2835],{},[130,2833,2834],{},"A video booth."," A camera in a quiet corner records ten-second messages. The result is a film, not a page.",[127,2837,2838,2841],{},[130,2839,2840],{},"A shared photo album."," Invite guests to upload their candid shots to one place, so you see the night through everyone's eyes.",[127,2843,2844,2847],{},[130,2845,2846],{},"An audio guest book."," A vintage phone records voicemails. Hearing a grandparent's voice years later is worth more than any signature.",[98,2849,2851],{"id":2850},"keep-it-personal","Keep it personal",[2761,2853,2855,2861,2867],{"start":2854},13,[127,2856,2857,2860],{},[130,2858,2859],{},"A puzzle."," Guests sign the back of jigsaw pieces. You assemble it as your first anniversary project.",[127,2862,2863,2866],{},[130,2864,2865],{},"A quilt or tablecloth."," Fabric pens and a plain cloth become an heirloom you bring out every year.",[127,2868,2869,2872],{},[130,2870,2871],{},"A wish for the journey."," For travel-loving couples, a globe or a vintage suitcase that guests sign with a place they think you should visit.",[98,2874,2876],{"id":2875},"the-trick-is-permission-and-prompts","The trick is permission and prompts",[91,2878,2879],{},"Whatever you choose, two small things make all the difference. Give guests a prompt rather than a blank space — people freeze when asked to be profound on command. And make it easy to find, ideally somewhere they pass naturally, like the bar or the seating plan.",[91,2881,2882],{},"If you would rather skip the table altogether, a digital guest book solves the half-empty problem at the root. With Build The Day, guests leave a message and a photo from their own phones, and everything collects in one place you can revisit long after the day. However you do it, the goal is the same: a record of the people who were there, in their own words, that you will be glad to have for years.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":2884},[2885,2886,2887,2888,2889],{"id":2758,"depth":366,"text":2759},{"id":2789,"depth":366,"text":2790},{"id":2819,"depth":366,"text":2820},{"id":2850,"depth":366,"text":2851},{"id":2875,"depth":366,"text":2876},"2023-05-09","The traditional guest book often ends up half-empty. Here are fifteen warmer, more creative ways for guests to leave a message worth keeping.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1632067694887-097be1c5c5d4?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwZ3Vlc3QlMjBib29rfGVufDF8MHx8fDE3ODE1NjQ3MDJ8MA&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","A person holding a black book with the word guests on it","Erik Mclean","https://unsplash.com/@introspectivedsgn?utm_source=buildtheday&utm_medium=referral",{},"/blog/wedding-guest-books-15-ideas-beyond-the-blank-pages",{"title":2747,"description":2891},"blog/wedding-guest-books-15-ideas-beyond-the-blank-pages",[2330,2901,392],"keepsakes","ZVjUBoBLqOev1AfCE8Gpa8rSpZj28hNaW8kT_viKyiI",{"id":2904,"title":2905,"author":86,"body":2906,"category":376,"date":3058,"description":3059,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":3060,"imageAlt":3061,"imageCredit":1316,"imageCreditUrl":1317,"meta":3062,"navigation":5,"path":3063,"readTime":387,"seo":3064,"stem":3065,"tags":3066,"__hash__":3069},"blog/blog/how-to-make-out-of-town-guests-feel-at-home.md","How to Make Out-of-Town Guests Feel at Home",{"type":88,"value":2907,"toc":3051},[2908,2911,2914,2918,2921,2924,2927,2930,2934,2937,2948,2951,2955,2958,2961,2964,2968,2971,2974,2977,3038,3042,3045,3048],[91,2909,2910],{},"When someone books a train, a hotel and two days off work to be at your wedding, they have already paid you a real compliment. The least you can do is make the trip easy and warm. Most of that comes down to information sent early and a few small gestures once they arrive.",[91,2912,2913],{},"Here is what genuinely helps the people coming from far away, and what is mostly faff.",[98,2915,2917],{"id":2916},"sort-the-travel-and-accommodation-details-first","Sort the travel and accommodation details first",[91,2919,2920],{},"Before anyone can feel looked after, they need to know how to get to you and where they are sleeping. This is the bit that causes the most stress, so it deserves the most attention.",[91,2922,2923],{},"Pick two or three places to stay across a range of prices. A nice hotel, a mid-range chain near the station, and a budget option for the friends counting every penny. Ring round and ask about a room block or a group rate, then give guests a code or a name to quote. Plenty of hotels will hold a handful of rooms until a cut-off date without charging you a thing.",[91,2925,2926],{},"Then write the travel notes plainly. Nearest station, rough taxi fare from there, whether the venue has parking, and the single best route by car. If your venue is down a lane with no phone signal and a postcode that drops people in the wrong field, say so. One sentence like \"your sat nav will try to send you to the farm next door, ignore it and keep going to the white gate\" saves a dozen panicked phone calls on the morning.",[91,2928,2929],{},"A wedding website earns its keep here. Put it all on one page, keep it updated, and you stop answering the same question fifteen times. Build The Day lets you add travel and accommodation sections to your site so guests can find directions, hotels and parking without digging through a group chat.",[98,2931,2933],{"id":2932},"help-people-coordinate-gently","Help people coordinate, gently",[91,2935,2936],{},"Out-of-town guests often do not know each other, which can make a strange town feel lonely. A bit of light matchmaking goes a long way.",[124,2938,2939,2942,2945],{},[127,2940,2941],{},"Share a rough list of who is staying where, so people can split a taxi or meet for breakfast.",[127,2943,2944],{},"If a few guests are arriving the night before, mention a relaxed pub you like nearby. You do not have to host it. Just point them at somewhere good.",[127,2946,2947],{},"For anyone bringing children, flag which hotels have family rooms or cots, and whether there is a Travelodge with parking right outside.",[91,2949,2950],{},"None of this needs to be formal. A short message a fortnight out, something like \"loads of you are coming Friday night, here's the pub we'll probably be in from 7,\" turns a logistical exercise into the start of the celebration.",[98,2952,2954],{"id":2953},"a-welcome-touch-that-actually-lands","A welcome touch that actually lands",[91,2956,2957],{},"Welcome bags get a lot of hype and a lot of them end up abandoned in hotel rooms. The trick is to make them useful rather than themed.",[91,2959,2960],{},"The best welcome bag is small and practical: a bottle of water, paracetamol, a couple of local snacks, and a single printed card with the weekend plan and your phone number. That card does more work than anything else in the bag, because it answers the questions tired travellers actually have. What time does the ceremony start? Where's the nearest cashpoint? Who do I text if my taxi doesn't show?",[91,2962,2963],{},"If welcome bags feel like too much, skip them. A handwritten note left at reception, or even a warm text when they check in, says the same thing for less effort. The message is simply: we know you came a long way, and we're glad you're here.",[98,2965,2967],{"id":2966},"think-about-the-gaps-in-the-day","Think about the gaps in the day",[91,2969,2970],{},"The wedding itself is covered. It is the bits around it where travelling guests can feel stranded, with hours to fill in an unfamiliar place and no idea what to do.",[91,2972,2973],{},"Give them a steer. A short list of nearby things, a decent café for breakfast, a walk worth doing, a Sunday lunch spot for the day after, means nobody is sitting in a Premier Inn wondering whether the wedding was worth the trek. You are not writing a guidebook. Three or four honest recommendations beat a glossy leaflet every time.",[91,2975,2976],{},"Here is a simple way to think about the weekend from a far-flung guest's point of view:",[170,2978,2979,2992],{},[173,2980,2981],{},[176,2982,2983,2986,2989],{},[179,2984,2985],{},"Moment",[179,2987,2988],{},"What they're wondering",[179,2990,2991],{},"What you can offer",[192,2993,2994,3005,3016,3027],{},[176,2995,2996,2999,3002],{},[197,2997,2998],{},"Booking the trip",[197,3000,3001],{},"Where do I stay, how much, how do I get there",[197,3003,3004],{},"Two or three hotels, a station, rough taxi cost",[176,3006,3007,3010,3013],{},[197,3008,3009],{},"Friday evening",[197,3011,3012],{},"Anything happening, anyone I know",[197,3014,3015],{},"A relaxed pub, a who's-staying-where note",[176,3017,3018,3021,3024],{},[197,3019,3020],{},"Wedding morning",[197,3022,3023],{},"What time, what to wear, parking",[197,3025,3026],{},"A clear running order on the website",[176,3028,3029,3032,3035],{},[197,3030,3031],{},"Sunday",[197,3033,3034],{},"Brunch, then home",[197,3036,3037],{},"One good lunch spot near the hotels",[98,3039,3041],{"id":3040},"dont-over-engineer-it","Don't over-engineer it",[91,3043,3044],{},"It is easy to tip from thoughtful into exhausting, where you are planning a full itinerary for forty people and stressing about whether the welcome bags match the napkins. Your guests do not need entertaining every hour. They came to see you get married.",[91,3046,3047],{},"Aim for \"easy and warm,\" not \"fully programmed.\" Clear information, a couple of sensible recommendations, and a genuine welcome when they arrive will do more than any goodie bag. Most people travelling to a wedding are happy souls who just want to know where to be and when. Tell them that clearly, add one human touch, and they will feel looked after without you breaking a sweat.",[91,3049,3050],{},"And keep one thing in your back pocket on the day: when an out-of-town guest catches your eye, go and say a proper hello. After the train, the hotel and the early start, that thirty seconds with you is the bit they'll actually remember.",{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":3052},[3053,3054,3055,3056,3057],{"id":2916,"depth":366,"text":2917},{"id":2932,"depth":366,"text":2933},{"id":2953,"depth":366,"text":2954},{"id":2966,"depth":366,"text":2967},{"id":3040,"depth":366,"text":3041},"2022-08-28","Practical ways to look after wedding guests who travel: clear travel info, accommodation tips, welcome touches and a relaxed plan for the whole weekend.","https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1764269712999-e32acce1f277?ixid=M3w4NzI0OTN8MHwxfHNlYXJjaHwxfHx3ZWRkaW5nJTIwZ3Vlc3RzJTIwYXJyaXZpbmd8ZW58MXwwfHx8MTc4MTYwMDM5NXww&ixlib=rb-4.1.0&w=1600&q=80&auto=format&fit=crop","White suv parked on a dirt road at sunset",{},"/blog/how-to-make-out-of-town-guests-feel-at-home",{"title":2905,"description":3059},"blog/how-to-make-out-of-town-guests-feel-at-home",[719,3067,3068],"travel","hospitality","LHSBfxOftxE5hxtudX9ZR1cpJHpWTXWWauGnDlnj7zA",{"id":84,"title":85,"author":86,"body":3071,"category":376,"date":377,"description":378,"draft":379,"extension":380,"image":381,"imageAlt":382,"imageCredit":383,"imageCreditUrl":384,"meta":3266,"navigation":5,"path":386,"readTime":387,"seo":3267,"stem":389,"tags":3268,"__hash__":394},{"type":88,"value":3072,"toc":3257},[3073,3075,3077,3079,3081,3083,3087,3089,3091,3113,3115,3117,3119,3213,3215,3217,3219,3221,3223,3225,3227,3249,3251,3253,3255],[91,3074,93],{},[91,3076,96],{},[98,3078,101],{"id":100},[91,3080,104],{},[91,3082,107],{},[91,3084,110,3085,115],{},[112,3086,114],{},[98,3088,119],{"id":118},[91,3090,122],{},[124,3092,3093,3097,3101,3105,3109],{},[127,3094,3095,133],{},[130,3096,132],{},[127,3098,3099,139],{},[130,3100,138],{},[127,3102,3103,145],{},[130,3104,144],{},[127,3106,3107,151],{},[130,3108,150],{},[127,3110,3111,157],{},[130,3112,156],{},[91,3114,160],{},[162,3116,165],{"id":164},[91,3118,168],{},[170,3120,3121,3133],{},[173,3122,3123],{},[176,3124,3125,3127,3129,3131],{},[179,3126,181],{},[179,3128,184],{},[179,3130,187],{},[179,3132,190],{},[192,3134,3135,3145,3155,3165,3175,3185,3195],{},[176,3136,3137,3139,3141,3143],{},[197,3138,199],{},[197,3140,202],{},[197,3142,205],{},[197,3144,208],{},[176,3146,3147,3149,3151,3153],{},[197,3148,213],{},[197,3150,216],{},[197,3152,219],{},[197,3154,222],{},[176,3156,3157,3159,3161,3163],{},[197,3158,227],{},[197,3160,230],{},[197,3162,233],{},[197,3164,236],{},[176,3166,3167,3169,3171,3173],{},[197,3168,241],{},[197,3170,236],{},[197,3172,222],{},[197,3174,248],{},[176,3176,3177,3179,3181,3183],{},[197,3178,253],{},[197,3180,222],{},[197,3182,258],{},[197,3184,261],{},[176,3186,3187,3189,3191,3193],{},[197,3188,266],{},[197,3190,269],{},[197,3192,236],{},[197,3194,222],{},[176,3196,3197,3201,3205,3209],{},[197,3198,3199],{},[130,3200,280],{},[197,3202,3203],{},[130,3204,285],{},[197,3206,3207],{},[130,3208,290],{},[197,3210,3211],{},[130,3212,295],{},[91,3214,298],{},[98,3216,302],{"id":301},[91,3218,305],{},[91,3220,308],{},[91,3222,311],{},[98,3224,315],{"id":314},[91,3226,318],{},[124,3228,3229,3233,3237,3241,3245],{},[127,3230,3231,326],{},[130,3232,325],{},[127,3234,3235,332],{},[130,3236,331],{},[127,3238,3239,338],{},[130,3240,337],{},[127,3242,3243,344],{},[130,3244,343],{},[127,3246,3247,350],{},[130,3248,349],{},[91,3250,353],{},[98,3252,357],{"id":356},[91,3254,360],{},[91,3256,363],{},{"title":365,"searchDepth":366,"depth":366,"links":3258},[3259,3260,3263,3264,3265],{"id":100,"depth":366,"text":101},{"id":118,"depth":366,"text":119,"children":3261},[3262],{"id":164,"depth":372,"text":165},{"id":301,"depth":366,"text":302},{"id":314,"depth":366,"text":315},{"id":356,"depth":366,"text":357},{},{"title":85,"description":378},[391,392,393],1781624713664]