Weddings are a celebration of love. It’s a time for a bride and groom to join together as one while celebrating their union with both family and friends. Although it’s a joyous occasion, it’s important to know proper wedding etiquette, whether you’re the one saying “I do”, you’re in the wedding party or the one witnessing the lovely couple becoming one in matrimony. Why is wedding etiquette important? Wedding etiquette is important because it ensures that everything runs smoothly and it helps ensure that everyone involved in the wedding has a wonderful time. In this post, we’ve compiled a few etiquette to help make your planning process go seamlessly.
1. Do not invite guests to a bridal shower or your bachelorette party, but not to the wedding.
It’s not polite to invite someone to your before wedding events and not invite them to the main event (the wedding). This decision can offend your guests and even damage relationships. It also makes it look like you are welcoming their presents, but not their presence.
2.What information should not be included in your wedding invitation?
When sending out your wedding invitations, you should avoid including the following:
– Wedding gift registry information: It’s considered impolite to include your wedding gift registry information on your invitation. If you would like to share this information, include a link to your registry on your wedding website or share the information with your family and friends.
– “No children” or “adults only reception” phrases: This is not necessary. Be sure to include all names of each guest you’d like to invite on the envelope.
3. Do not charge your guests to attend your wedding
It’s extremely inappropriate and unacceptable to charge your wedding guests. The first thing you should do before creating your guest list is create your budget. Creating a budget helps you to decide how many people you can afford to invite to your wedding.
“If you charge your guests to attend, it ceases to feel like a wedding and becomes a paid event,” says Marci Guttenberg, CWP, CPCE. “Instead, plan a wedding that fits your budget; whether you offer a dry reception, limited bar, or signature drinks—guests should never be asked to cover the cost of your celebration. Determine a budget you feel comfortable with, and work with a certified wedding planner or directly with the venue to choose food, beverages, flowers, decor, entertainment, photography, and stationery that align with your budget.”
4. Be thoughtful when planning.
Guttenberg also states that “Couples should be thoughtful about their guest list. As a newlywed couple, your wedding and reception are the first events you’ll be hosting, and being a good host is about pampering your guests. Focus on inviting those near and dear to your heart—people with whom you’ll likely stay connected in the next ten years. This approach can help narrow down the list. Additionally, unless someone is married, engaged, or in a long-term serious relationship, it’s best to avoid inviting guests with a plus-one. This will help keep the guest count manageable, and single guests may even make a connection with someone new at the wedding.”
Be sure to also consider any dietary restrictions and weather conditions. It would be unpleasant to leave your guest in the rain, cold, or extreme hot weather. Be sure to remember any guests that might require assistance (walkers, wheelchairs, etc).
5. Be mindful of your wedding vendors and take good care of them.
How do you think your wedding would turn out without your wedding vendors? Simply put, without your wedding vendors, your day would be extremely chaotic. The role they play is vitally important to making your wedding day as beautiful as you imagine. Whether their job is to design the cake, cater the food, snap your photos, decorate your venue, or deliver rentals, everyone plays a vital part and must be treated very well.
When it comes to wedding etiquette, there are a few important things you need to know about taking care of your wedding vendors, including:
Feeding your vendors
Many couples ask the question, “Should we feed our vendors?” And our answer to you is absolutely, yes. One of the most thoughtful and kindest things you can do to appreciate your wedding vendors is feeding them. If your wedding vendors are working 6 hours or for the entire wedding, they should be fed. This usually includes your planners, photographers, videographers, DJs, live band members, and photo booth attendants.
Tipping
Tipping is a nice way to appreciate and acknowledge all the hard work your vendors put in to make your wedding day beautiful. It’s a sweet gesture. Be sure to tip your vendors early. Place tips inside of an envelope and assign either your wedding planner or trusted family member to hand out the tips.
Communicate
Always remember your wedding is not the only wedding on the calendar and your wedding vendors are extremely busy. Be mindful and respectful when communicating. Be sure to send emails rather than text messages. Use text messages only in case of an emergency. Don’t forget to be kind and caring. Remember, your vendors are humans, too. Do listen to them and give them breathing room to execute.
6. Greet your guest
Greeting your guests is super important. It shows them how much you appreciate them for coming out to celebrate with you on your big day. You can have a traditional receiving line. Or you can visit each table. Here are a few things to keep in mind when greeting your guest:
– Give your bouquet to your planner or maid of honor. This will free your hands to give hand shakes to your guest.
– Smile and make eye contact
– Schedule enough time to greet each guest
7. Serving guest meals on time
It’s important to pay close attention to the wedding food and drink etiquette. The most important thing to think about when planning your meal timeline is making sure your guests are comfortable. Remember, if your guests are fed and happy, there won’t be any complaints regarding the food. Keep in mind that if you have an early ceremony that concludes at around 3:30 p.m., do serve appetizers before dinner if dinner will be about 4 hours later. If dinner is earlier, around 5 pm, keep in mind that your guest will get hungry later in the evening.
8. Be on time
Plan and prepare accordingly so that you are on time for your wedding. As a planner, I know that there can be things or little mishaps that can cause the ceremony to be a few minutes. The vendors have worked so hard to have everything in place and on time, and you don’t want to keep your guest waiting. This also applies to guests.
9. Drinking on your wedding day
When it comes to drinking alcoholic beverages, try not to over indulge. Of course you should enjoy yourself, but you also want to remember everything that happened. I’ve actually had a few horror stories of brides and grooms who got drunk on their wedding day, and they were not pretty. Try not to get too happy before the ceremony.
10. Say, “Thank you.”
Do take the time to thank your bridal party. Your bridal party plays a huge role in your wedding, standing by your side and committing money and time. You don’t want to leave a bad taste in their mouth. Depending on your budget, consider some tokens of love to let them know how much you appreciate them. These tokens can range from personalized tees, mugs, jewelry, or anything sweet, creative, and affordable that fits within your budget.
Don’t forget to thank your guests. Thank your family and friends for coming, and don’t take a year to send out thank you cards, emails, etc.
Happy Wedding Planning!