They say opposites attract, and this can often be the case with engaged couples. You may find yourself engaged to someone who is less than thrilled with the idea of planning a wedding, and who might want to take a back seat in the planning process. Similarly, you might have the kind of type A personality that means you want to have final say in every wedding planning decision! Even if this is a happy arrangement, you might be wondering how to make your partner feel included on your wedding day.
Even though many people are happy to leave the intricate planning of a wedding to their partner, it can sometimes make them feel like they haven’t had much to do with the day. So it’s important to make sure that they still feel like part of the team who is making the dreams about your big day a reality. If you’re stumped on how to include your partner, here are a few ways to let them know that they influenced the planning process from beginning to end.
How To Involve Your Partner In Your Wedding Planning?
While it’s no easy task for the bride or groom to take control of planning the wedding, it’s always worth investing a little time to make sure that your partner doesn’t feel left out or that they haven’t contributed anything to the day.
Many of the suggestions below can be planned in advance, so they won’t need to take up any of your valuable time on your wedding day, but will make your partner feel appreciated on your wedding day.
1. Send Them A Special Gift
Sending a gift to your spouse-to-be on your wedding day can be a special touch that they can keep for years to come and be reused on special occasions.
Gifts such as personalised cufflinks, jewellery, pewter tankards, or some high-quality shoes that they can wear on the day are perfect and will always serve as a cute reminder that you wanted them to feel special on your big day.
You could even consider a luxury watch, as this can be worn every day after the event. Why not engrave your wedding date and initials on the back for an extra special romantic touch?
2. Write A Love Letter
A little letter ahead of your ceremony can make your love feel extra special. This doesn’t have to just be from you either, it could also have little snippets from your family and friends to welcome your partner into your family.
Writing a love letter will let your partner know how much you appreciate them and how much you’ve been able to achieve for the big day with their support. Listing certain things that you love about them or the times when they have made you feel on top of the world, will not only make them feel appreciated on your big day but will also remind them of the many reasons why they decided to marry you in the first place. It will also allow them to equally appreciate everything you’ve done to make the big day as special as you have, and shows that they have been at the forefront of your mind throughout.
3. Engrave Your Wedding Rings
It can be a really nice surprise for your partner to see that you’ve taken the time to engrave the wedding ring that they will be wearing for the rest of their life.
Make use of wedding ring engraving by adding a small personal note or date which is sentimental to you both, as this will make sure that your partner knows you’ve been thinking about them and your relationship, even if arguments about centrepieces, guest lists and flowers have dominated your personal life lately.
4. Send A Wedding Day Hamper
There’s nothing nicer than having a beautiful wedding breakfast (nerves permitting) before the big day and so sending a wedding day hamper to your partner with some fancy breakfast items would be a lovely idea.
If you wanted to go a step further and you know that your partner would have had a heavy pre-wedding night on the alcohol, you can add in thoughtful yet funny gifts, such as headache tablets and hydration drinks.
Sending these items shows that you’ve thought about them and what they may need on the morning of your wedding. Plus, if you order or make this yourself in advance you won’t even need to think about this on the morning of your wedding, so you’ll be free to focus on getting to the church on time.
5. Hire Their Favourite Band
Keeping this one a surprise might be a challenge, but it’s definitely worth the effort!
This is a great one, especially if your partner is specifically into music. If your spouse to be has expressed an interest in a particular band they would like to hire for the wedding, then this could be their way of letting you know that they would like some involvement within the wedding planning. Keeping this a secret until the big day would be a brilliant surprise but will also let them know that you’ve taken what they want into consideration.
6. Book The Perfect Transport
Has your partner had his or her eye on a really cool little campervan for years that you know they would love to travel from the church to the wedding breakfast in? Maybe they have always wanted to have a ride in a vintage Cadillac but have never had the opportunity to do it?
Booking your partner’s dream transportation can be another great way to show that you’ve taken their dreams into account and will make them feel like they have been considered in the wedding planning process. If the dream car doesn’t quite fit the overall aesthetic that you’re opting for with the wedding, you could always plan a short journey for just the two of you during the evening reception. This way you can have some time alone to catch up on the day but also to let your partner know that you haven’t forgotten about what they wanted.
7. Plan A Surprise Trip
If there’s enough money left over in your budget, it’s a great idea to book a surprise trip for you and your partner for when the wedding and honeymoon celebrations are over.
Maybe you have both always wanted to go to Vegas or they had the best holiday of their life in a cottage in Devon. Whatever it may be, it’s a great idea to book a short mini-break and present your partner with the tickets or confirmation. This lets them know that you appreciate them and you remembered that they wanted to visit a certain place which was special to them.
If your budget is stretched, you could book a simple afternoon tea, a day at an art gallery, or a couples day at a racing track if they likes to drive fast cars. It’s important to remember that a surprise trip doesn’t have to cost the earth, but will go miles to let your partner know that they are valued. It’s also great to have little events or trips planned for after your wedding regardless, as the post-wedding blues are a very real experience. It’s important to try and have things to look forward to as the adrenaline of planning your wedding dies down.
8. Customise Their Clothing
Adding a special touch to your partner’s wedding outfit is a great touch if you’re still wondering how to make your partner feel included on your wedding day. This can be something simple and personal like embroidering your initials and wedding date onto a handkerchief or tie, or something decadent like a gift of jewellery or a watch.
Customising the groom’s clothing doesn’t have to be over the top or extremely obvious to everyone else who attends the wedding, but it can be really simple yet really special: Having the coordinates of the church where you get married stitched onto the underside of the groom’s tie or inside suit jacket pocket can add a really lovely and sentimental touch which would be private and personal to you both.
Bolder and more humorous customisations could be having something written on the bottom of the groom’s shoes if you’ll both be kneeling at the altar. This would also make a great photo opportunity, so if you’re planning on having a fun element such as this included within your wedding, make sure your photographer knows what you have planned so that they can be on hand to get the perfect picture.
Let us know down below if you have any other tips on how to make your partner feel included on your wedding day.
