Here's a question posed to brides magazine and the answer they gave. I am a FIRM believer guests should be guests at your wedding. As mentioned below there are tasks that can be done by friends/family that would not make them feel like hired help without the pay - but be sensitive to what the task is, how long will take...put yourself in their shoes. Also, be sure to have these pre-arranged. Do not ask a guest the day of your wedding to do something (here goes the beauty of having a coordinator - to think of these things and take care of any last minute details!) Hope this helps and happy planning!
Question:
Is it okay if we ask our families to serve food and tend bar during the reception? We’re trying to keep our costs down.
Answer:
So, you’d like some of your guests (yes, family members are guests) to spend your wedding day carrying platters and pouring beer. Sound like fun? Exactly. It’s fine to have relatives shoulder a few easy jobs (making a quick run for more ice; manning the guest book), but no matter how tiny your budget, you must set aside enough money to hire a few helpers. Cut back on the flowers, skip the favors, but treat your guests like guests.
