My Biggest Regret on My Wedding Day
Looking back on my wedding day there are a few things that I regret, but one thing in particular stands out in my mind. Not having a card box was the biggest mistake I made. Well actually, listening to my wedding coordinator about not needing a card box was the biggest mistake I made.
Throughout the entire planning process I had “get a card box” on my to-do list and kept looking for one that was pretty and went with the overall theme of the wedding. I was having trouble finding one that I liked, but I knew it was a necessity. At our venue walk-though with our coordinator a month before the big day, I expressed to her how I still needed to get one. She looked at me slightly confused and firmly stated how she and her staff collect all the gifts and cards at the wedding. She went on to further explain in depth how no one has card boxes at weddings anymore. My parents and I looked at her puzzledly, but went with her suggestion on not getting one anyways. We trusted her opinion as she is a highly recommended professional within the NYC area and has been in the industry for a long time.
Well on my wedding day (and after), I kept hearing that guests had no idea where to put their cards. Traditionally, especially in this part of the country with an older generation, card boxes are the norm. Guests felt very uneasy just handing a card with money in it to a staff member holding a crumpled up shopping bag who said “I’m legit” when asked who she was. They were also turned off by being approached and asked to give her the card that was in their hands. With a guest count of over two hundred a majority of people were missed as well.
Not only was this extremely embarrassing for me since guests clearly assumed getting a card box was a detail I missed or forgot about, but made guests feel very uncomfortable. That’s what upset me the most. As a host, the last thing you want to do is make your guests feel uneasy. So even if card boxes are going out of style or somebody tells you "nobody has them anymore", still get one. A designated place will ensure that cards don’t get lost and makes sure guests aren’t worrying about where to put them and are just having a good time. Oh, and listen to your gut as even those in the industry may not give the best advice.