Karibu tent- Designing your wedding gift tent!

An example of a wedding reception guest lounge. Lounge by weddings & events by kui

Your wedding reception provides you with the perfect opportunity to host your wedding guests. A must have for every wedding is your guest tent area locally commonly referred to as the gift table area. This is where your guests are received by your wedding ushers; this is also where your wedding gifts are registered. In most of the weddings that I have attended  there is nothing special about the guest tent probably it’s because no one ever pays any special attention to this space but what if we design this space to be functional, yet beautiful for your guests to enjoy.

Karibu tent

For starters, we could rename this tent the Karibu tent. It is now you’re welcome wedding  lounge. It should be placed at the entrance of the reception area, and should be the first stop where all your wedding guests go to before entering the reception setup.

You can use your karibu tent for any of the following activities:

Receiving your guests: Have cold bottles of water, antiseptic wipes, welcome drinks or hot towels, for your guests to freshen up. Most receptions are held in the afternoon, so a lot of your guests will probably come flush, tired and harassed from driving in the horrible Nairobi traffic, so having refreshment tokens would definitely be appreciated.

Guest List Management: If you are having a strict cards only wedding reception your karibu tent area would be ideal, for managing your wedding guest traffic. Have  an alphabetized guest lists at the table to make it easier for your ushers to locate guests names. The tent should be placed slightly away from the reception area to avoid any ugly scenes caused by unwanted guests.

Gift registry services: Your karibu tent should be ideal to setup a gift registry service. Before your wedding day,you can decide if whether you  would like your guests to present their gifts during the gift session, or if you would prefer only some particular guests e.g your parents to present gifts. In the case where you would like only your parents to present gifts you could actually set up a registry. This is simply a system where guests deposit their gifts and they are recorded. The guests also get the opportunity to write in your gift book messages of goodwill. For your gift registry you would need:

• a money box ( for depositing monetary gifts i.e cheques or cash)
• a gift book ( for recording wedding gifts)

Favors distribution: In the case where the favors are limited in number you could use your gift table to distribute favors. Favors can be neatly displayed and picked by your guests as they register their gifts.

Emergency services: Place an emergency kit in your Karibu area for handling any medical services. The mcee should announce to guests  that should anyone require first aid services or any form of medical assistance, they can get it at the tent. It can also be an area where lost & found items are deposited. Should any guest require directions to facilities they should have acess to such information at the karibu tent.  

Now we have covered the major functions of the karibu tent. What decor elements could you incorporate to make the place feel personalized?

Floral decor: This is the first space your guests will see, ensure that there is some floral decor spared for this area. A simple floral table arrangement could be ideal for the signing table. Have a drapery backdrop on the sides of the tents. If you are particular you can make a makeshift curtain to hide the wedding gifts.

Personal elements: You can have a simple picture of you and your partner in a frame next to the signing table. The picture could have a sweet message like welcome to our wedding. If your wedding budget is not a problem you can have an easel where your place a large picture portrait of you and your partner. This makes the guests sure that the are sure that they are in the right place. Have a small welcome token like sweets in a beautiful container that your guests could pick.

Seating space: Create a simple comfortable seating space for guests who often take a break from the reception. Have a simple lounge setup with a rug, dressed tables and some seats.

Pens & scrapbooks: Have plenty of writing material, for your guests to be able to write their goodwill messages and register their gifts. Have two ushers assigned to the table to take care of your guests.