For many Australians planning their wedding, having their elder family and friends attend their special event of utmost importance. Here’s 5 ways to ensure your elder generation guests have a comfortable and fabulous time at your wedding.
Think ahead
While planning your wedding you’ve probably got thousands of thoughts running through your head. However, one that is really important is whether or not your beloved grandparents or older guests will be able to easily access your venue.
For instance, if Grandma is in a wheelchair you need to take this into consideration when booking your venue. Does it have wheelchair access? Will somebody have to carry the wheelchair up and down flights of stairs? Is the venue in a rural or sandy location where wheelchairs might not be equipped to handle the terrain? These are all questions you need to ask yourselves.
Comfort comes first
Who influenced your selection of wedding decorations and theme?
If you are having an outdoor wedding, we cannot stress enough that grandparents and elder guests need to be made comfortable. Whether this means plenty of shade, blankets to keep them warm or handheld paper fans is really up to you and your desired venue location.
Ensure there’s always somewhere to sit
While us spring chickens can stand around in high heels for hours, grandparents and older guests might not feel the same way.
If you are hosting pre-dinner drinks and canapes or a cocktail party, make sure there’s always somewhere elder guests can take a seat. This might mean a few love seats on the lawn while you explore photo opportunities, or a designated sitting room for those who need a moment to regain their energy.
Don’t seat them too close to the speakers
When creating your seating plan, make a point to seat elder guests away from the speakers. Loud music can harm their ears and older guests are more likely to enjoy an event if they can actually hear themselves speak.
Another way to accommodate them is having a sitting room outside of the reception venue where grandparents can sit and have a good chat to one another while the younger guests party into the night.
Offer tea and coffee after dinner
When considering your drinks menu, it’s important to consider those who might not want champagne, beer and cocktails after dinner and the speeches. Some elder generation guests may prefer a hot cup of tea or a coffee, and this should be available to them.
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