Be my guests. What do your Wedding guests expect in return?

A recent survey found that Irish wedding guests spend, on average, over €600 on a wedding. This includes an average of about €180 on a gift, €80 of drinks at the wedding, €200 on an outfit and €200 on accommodation and travel.

So, what do your guests expect in return?

Food! As simple as that. The guests expect a decent hearty meal, not an experimental French delicacy. Guests expect some sort of starter, a main meal of beef and/or fish, a desert and most guests expect wine or champagne. And, this is important, 57% of guests expect a second helping to be served later in the night, in the form of finger food or something similar.

The survey found that guests appreciate, but do not expect, a few other touches. A website or social media site where they can view the wedding pictures and a thank you letter or message after the wedding (a personal message goes much further than a generic mass message).

Some things that annoy guests could be having to wait for a long time to eat or travel to the wedding venue while the wedding photographs are being taken. Having to shout to have a conversation because the music is too loud was also listed as a definitive annoyance by guests. The drinks being very expensive is a serious concern, so always check with the venue beforehand what these prices will be.

Guests also dislike not knowing what is happening or where things, such as the toilets, are, so it is always a good idea to print a rough guideline of events and their times. One of the most annoying things at a wedding, according to the survey, is speeches that are too long, or speeches where the guests cannot hear what is being said.

What comes as a relief to many is what your guests do not expect in return? The survey found that 97% of guests do not expect an open bar.