Thinking of something fun for your wedding guests or party during your destination wedding trip? Or maybe just an event to get everyone in your wedding together and familiar with each other? A planned event or excursion can be a great way to do this. Below I go over reasons why it can be a good idea to incorporate into your wedding trip and include 6 fun activities for your guests during your destination wedding.
Three reasons to plan a group activity or excursion during your destination wedding
1. A way to introduce your wedding party to each other
Unless you’re marrying your high school or college sweetheart, your bridesmaids and groomsmen may not be familiar with each other at all. In fact, it could be the first time any of them are meeting each other. A group activity or excursion can be a good way to introduce who’s walking down the aisle with whom, and a way to break the ice between the guys and girls.
2. Everyone gets a sense of who’s at the resort for your wedding
If you’re thinking of a more general activity (like a cocktail hour for everyone) it can be a great way for everyone to become familiar with who’s at the resort for your wedding. There will be hundreds of people at your resort, so getting all of your guests together in one area for a few hours gives everyone a sense of whose part of your clan.
3. A chance for you and your fiancé to talk to your guests more
Although you have much more time with your guests than a traditional wedding that’s only one day long, the time will still go by fast. Personally, I felt like my husband and I still didn’t spend enough time with certain people on our trip even though they were there for 5 days. Some of your guests will consider your wedding trip as a vacation to them, so they’ll plan excursions and activities to do and you may end up seeing them a lot less than you thought. Planning a group activity gives you a chance to talk with your guests and thank them for coming.
6 Fun Activities/Excursions for your Wedding Guests
1. Welcome Cocktail Hour
This is an activity that can include everyone you’ve invited to your wedding and is completely free. We chose to do this the first night that everyone was supposed to be coming (some people arrived on a Wednesday but everyone else was there by Thursday so we did Thursday evening). We chose to have ours in the lobby bar and had a great turn out, and also included this event on our guest’s itinerary that was given to them when they checked into the resort. (See my post about why an itinerary is important for your wedding guests.) Unfortunately, we did have a few guests that couldn’t make it because they had a little too much fun on their first day in Mexico. 😉
2. Welcome campfire
One of the activities for your guests during your destination wedding that can include everyone invited and also be fairly cheap (if not free). We attended a friend’s destination wedding in January 2019 who did this and we loved it. The resort staff dug a hole in the sand on the beach where they had the fire, and also served cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. It was very casual and nice to look around and see who exactly was a part of their wedding group (they had 75 guests).
3. Group excursion
This option is typically only done for your wedding party because of cost, but can still be a fun way to get your wedding party together. You can ask your guests if it’s something they’d be interested in paying for, but they’ll probably expect that this is something you’d be covering the cost of. Some excursions can be expensive, so watch out for ones that will break your budget. You can have your travel agent and wedding coordinator help you with this as well. They can determine which excursions will be cheaper and can include big groups.
Some examples of fun group excursions below:
- A catamaran boat ride
- Tequila tasting
- Snorkeling
4. Bridesmaids spa day
If your bridesmaids are planning on doing their own hair and makeup the day of your wedding, consider a spa day to get some relaxation in with them at some point in your trip. Some resorts will offer a discount if you book for a group of people, and who can say no to a little massage or facial?
5. Groomsmen golf day
Some resorts have a golf course nearby and will even advertise it on their activities page of their website. This can be a fun way to get all the guys together before the big day. It’s always nice to spend a little extra time with your wedding party since the wedding day goes by so quickly.
6. Farewell brunch
Believe it or not, soon it’ll be time for your guests to leave. As mentioned earlier, you’d be surprised at how little time you had with some of your guests. A farewell brunch can be a great way to send everyone off and thank them again for coming to your wedding trip. It also lets you determine who you haven’t had a lot of one on one time with and make sure to talk a little extra with that person before they leave.
Not only are group activities fun, but they will leave memories for your guests that they’ll have forever. Your wedding trip will not only be memorable for you and your husband, but everyone who came as well. I hope this list of activities for your guests during your destination wedding was helpful and provided some good ideas for your future stay!
Any other ideas you’ve had that aren’t included above? Feel free to leave a comment below or send me a message on my contact page.
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