Best Wedding Day Activities for Guests in Singapore
“Your guests need to be entertained.”
It is probably the worst piece of advice I have been hearing from ‘helpful’ attendees of the wedding since Singapore recovered from the Covid pandemic a few years back. However, the new-ish tradition of having the need to entertain your guests who have made it a point to celebrate your wedding day remains.
I am so sorry that this will not be your typical list. No lucky draws, no money in a bowl draw, no BINGO suggestions. No flying paper aeroplane challenges.
A couple mingling with guests at their wedding
Let’s step into the time machine and head back to the weddings of 2020-2022 in Singapore. Weddings were restricted to 50~100 people depending on which year and month restrictions were being added or lifted. Nobody could move around to interact and mingle. You may only sit at your table, with ample social distancing between seats. Guests are probably bored that they cannot move to different tables to chat or even have a chance to speak with the couple (whom they are turning up for I might add).
Someone cleverly came up with the idea of having table games for the guests, in order to “entertain” them. BINGO games, Lucky Draws ala Dinner and Dance functions were born out of the pandemic weddings era.
Now, let’s head back to the present. Guests can now roam freely to mingle. They want to. They are attending a wedding for goodness’ sake. It is a chance to catch up with old, familiar faces. They want to say hi to the couple. Then they hear the announcement from the emcee - “Ladies and gentlemen, we request you kindly take your seats to prepare for the next segment - TABLE GAMES / BINGO / <Insert your own game>!” They hurried back to their seat, not knowing that this will go on every 10-15 minutes throughout the night.
The children when left ‘alone’.
Do we really need to ensure guests have a great time via ‘entertainment’ that has little or nothing to do with the wedding or wedding couple? Do we?
After a good two years after the pandemic, games such as these are still prevalent and instead of photographing more authentic interaction between guests, the time is shortened to make way for games. Couples seem to fall into the trap of “following a template” without questioning the reason behind. Compared to the yesteryears, there are lesser photographs of guests mingling / sharing a good old joke between themselves but more of prize presentations. Yea - some of you joked - DND functions! I feel that there are lesser interaction time between the couple and their guests too, especially when they schedule their segments so tightly to the point the only time for mingling would be during table to table photographs. Even then, the per table photography timing needs to be rushed in order to finish on time for the venue to turn around for the evening / next day.
“Eugene, if lucky draws are not meaningful, then you provide some meaningful activities for everyone loh. Talk so much.”
Well, the hard truth is, they are grown adults (well most of them are). They are probably at the wedding to see and celebrate you or spend some quality time with friends / family they haven’t spoken to or seen for a while. It is the best window to sit and chat for 3 hours without the distractions of the world. Ok besides the handphone that is.
Rather than having them sit down every few minutes or so (which will break the momentum of a social gathering), they will be able to ‘entertain’ themselves. Everyone has their own priorities coming into a wedding day, but never one will say they are only here to win a lucky draw or all the money in a bowl.
That said, as long as you do not jam pack your schedules into sardines in a tuna can, meaningful activities are still encouraged! What do I mean by meaningful?
1) Games / Quizzes that make you understand / provides you more information about the couple
Wedding trivia in the form of quizzes and even the shoe game allow guests to understand more about you as a couple as well as at the same time, have fun! However, I personally felt some trivia run on for a little long so keeping to a limit of a maximum of 10-15 questions would be ideal. This way, the quiz does not become a drag and guests can continue to chat and/or eat.
2) Family member / Maid of Honour / Best Man’s roast Speech
There is probably no better way than to hear a good story about the couple in the manner of deliverance by a loved one or a close friend.
Not only is this meaningful, but sometimes emotions can overwhelm the sturdiest of hearts and it makes for memorable, core memory moments for the couple and even the audience. However, I would also suggest to keep this to a maximum of 4 pax in order to have time for mingling moments as well as not to interrupt your guests too often.
3) Special couple segments
After all, the guests are here for you and no one else (ok la unless it’s friends of your family), I have photograph couples singing a duet, perform a band set, or even a dance. I have photographed couples not doing anything except sparing time for them to mingle.
Guests are ultimately turning up for you. If you have time to chat, mingle, have a great time with them instead of treating them like just a train or a bus stop, they will appreciate it even more.
If you feel you are already scheduling your programme too tightly and not having enough time to have a chat with them, then probably it is about time to look into revising it.
4) LASTLY, well - nothing else! (if you are following the traditional programme)
Traditionally, in a wedding reception, guests are probably spending 3-4 hours to eat and celebrate your wedding. During which, again, by tradition, there would already be activities that hold significance during a celebration. Cake cutting (to signify your first task as a couple), probably a couple or a single ‘march-in’ sequence, and champagne toast aka ‘yum seng’. Top it up with a couple’s speech and table to table photographs and the reception is done. Would you want to bloat it with more activities x_x
If the original schedule already takes up so much time, why plan to squeeze it tighter? All in the name of entertainment?
And to be fair, many are doing away with such traditions for guests and for themselves to have ample time to mingle.
CONCLUSION
Over the years, there have been changes to how couples celebrate weddings but one thing holds true - guests turn up to celebrate your day with you, alongside their family and friends. This might not be an extensive list that most were hoping for, but really, do you need to have one? Leave your guests to be comfortable and have them interact amongst themselves without feeling the need to over worry. Have only one suggested segment from this list, or none at all! Leave your photographer and/or videographer to work within the best of their abilities. We do not always have to seek “content” in order to document the day for you. The day will unfold by itself and any good professional would know what to do.
DISCLAIMER: this is no slight on my previous couples who have went all out to entertain guests. Probably on the receiving end of the advice of “please entertain your guests” too. Everything in moderation as long as guests are allowed ample time to mingle with you and/or with fellow guests would be totally fine!
Hope this article provides a better insight for planning your wedding!
Photographs used were from the 2024 archive