Planning your wedding involves more than choosing the perfect wedding or your dream cake. It’s also about creating an experience for you and all your guests that reflect you as a couple! As a wedding photographer, I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing some amazing ways couples have involved their guests in their big day. Here are some ideas that I’ve captured over the years that have made their day even more memorable!

DJ or Band That Sets the Mood

This one may seem like the most obvious, but a skilled DJ or band can make all the difference in keeping the dance floor alive! They should be able to read the room and play songs that will get your guests up and dancing to ensure everyone has a great time! There are little things that can take away from the DJ experience such as not being able to understand the DJ over the mic, or DJ’s who do not take requests.

Fun Props for the Reception

Foam hats, glow sticks and other playful props can add an extra layer of fun and enjoyment to your reception. At my own wedding, my mother-in-law surprised us with foam hats and glow sticks. and they were a hit with everyone! They made for good laughs and good photos. I've only seen the foam hats at one other wedding I attended. They are just too fun!

Grand Exit with Props

Another obvious one! At the end of the night (or sooner if you’re opting for a faux send off), the guests will gather to send off the bride and groom. I have seen all sorts of send offs over the years, but sparklers will always have a special place in my heart. But keep in mind that some venues have an open flame ban, so make sure you check with them when booking! Some more send off ideas include dried flowers, confetti, bird seeds and light sticks.

Mama-Mia Napkin Reception Entrance

At a wedding I shot in February 2024, the bridesmaids and groomsmen passed out white napkins to the guests in the reception space. As the bridal party entered the reception, the crowd started clapping and spinning the napkins in the air and by the time the bride and groom entered the room as newlyweds, the guests were cheering loud and swinging their napkins. They called it their "Mama Mia Moment”! It was so precious!

Ceremony Photo Opportunity

I have personally never seen this, but it is so nice to give guests a moment to pull out their phones and capture pictures of the bride and groom during their ceremony! All too often there will be signs out asking guests to keep their phones away and then guests break the rules. Your officiant can make an announcement before the ceremony to please wait until the pause when guests are allowed to take their phones out for photos!

Photo Booths + 360 Videos

These are becoming less and less common, but I do see them occasionally! It is a fun little activity for guests to do to get their picture taken at the wedding day. The 360 booth's are more common than an actual photo booth that prints the images for you. But, if you set up a backdrop space, people will take the time to take pictures at that spot!

Guest Books

Guests books are timeless and there are ways to make it uniquely yours. You can opt for a telephone voicemail, signing a traditional book, signing a name sign, or anything else that is unique to you! You will want to keep record of all those who came from far and near to attend your wedding day. The day goes by so fast and sometimes you will not be able to see everyone who has attended, but looking through the guest book will help you to see those who could make it! There are a lot of neat ideas now a days.

Branding a Table/Cowhide

This is something that is more unique to the western wedding industry! When a rancher has a cattle brand, sometimes the couple will use the brand to do a variation of a unity activity. But, beforehand, you can ask your guests to bring their cattle brand and horse brands to brand an item too. Whether that is a hide or a wooden item, such as your dinner table.

Anniversary Dance

You can never go wrong with starting your reception with an anniversary dance! The DJ should know how to do this, if not, here is how. Announce for all married couples to come to the dance floor, which means the couple that was married that night all the way to sixty plus years. Once the dance floor gets full, the DJ will start dismissing couples by their length of marriage- five hours, six months, one year, three years, five years, ten year, fifteen years, etc. I have seen all the way to sixty five years of marriage! And sometimes, the DJ will ask the couple "What is the secret to a long lasting, happy marriage?" The answers are always so good!

Garter + Bouquet Toss

Another obvious one, but is getting less common, is the garter + bouquet toss. The tradition of the bouquet toss pulls all the single ladies, while the garter toss pulls all the single guys to the dancefloor in hopes of catching the bouquet or garter. This tradition is said to be good luck for the person catching it, that they will be "next in line" to get married!

BONUS! Dollar Dance or Auction

This is a common and fun way to build that honeymoon fund! Its called a dollar dance because your guests come up and place anything from $1 to $100 in a hat or boot or bucket. Then, that person gets to dance with either the bride or the groom. It is definitely fun! I have never seen the auctioning of a bride for a dance or groom for a dance, but you will need to have an auctioneer there to help things get rolling!

Krista Francis | Texas Western Wedding Photographer

These are just a few ideas to involve your guests and make your wedding day even more special. I hope you found some of these special, and I can’t wait to see how my future couples involve their guests!

If you're looking for a Texas wedding photographer to document your big day, I'd love to chat! Contact me to discuss how we can make your wedding photography dreams a reality.