Think Like A Guest

Advice with Cat: Think Like a Guest—The Key to Unforgettable Wedding Planning

When you're planning your wedding, it’s easy to get swept up in the visuals—the flowers, the linens, the perfect color palette. But if you want your wedding to feel as good as it looks, here’s my biggest piece of advice:

Think like a guest.

Imagine what it’s like to move through your wedding from their perspective—not just what they see, but what they hear, smell, and feel from the moment they step out of their car to the final sparkler send-off.

Before guests arrive, I always take one last walkthrough of the entire venue, starting in the parking lot and moving through every space—ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, reception, all the way to the exit. I’m asking myself:

• What does it smell like when you first walk in? (Yes, I’ve Febrezed entryways more than once—no one wants to be greeted by the scent of prime rib hours before dinner.)

• How loud is the music? Are the acoustics balanced, or is the sound bouncing awkwardly?

• Are the bathrooms clean and well-stocked?

• How is the lighting, especially when guests are transitioning from outdoors to in?

• Is there clear signage, or will people be confused about where to go?

It’s about hospitality.
It’s about care.
It’s about comfort—because comfort equals longevity. When guests feel considered, they stay longer, dance harder, and talk about your wedding for weeks afterward.

Most people think guests care most about how a wedding looks. And yes—design matters (believe me, I love a beautifully styled event). But what I really care about? How your wedding feels. And so do your guests.

So as you plan, think beyond the Pinterest board. Think about how you like to be treated at weddings. Then recreate that warmth, that welcome, and that attention to detail throughout your own.

Because your wedding isn’t just a pretty picture—it’s an experience.

— Cat