Wedding Etiquette

Ever since Tom proposed we have learned so much about Weddings. I have to admit, neither one of us have really attended that many Weddings so I thought maybe we should brush up on Wedding Etiquette so we know what to expect from our guest. After doing a little research I figured I would share this with you (the reader) and to our guest of the Wedding so that you do not commit any major faux pas!

1) The RSVP

The Wedding Invite list is hand picked by us, the bride and groom with input from our families.  We want to celebrate this occasion with people who have made an impact in our lives, those who are of meaning to us. With that said, we want to emphasize the importance of The RSVP. Over the weekend a good friend of mine said he never RSVP'd to Wedding that he was invited to, he would just show up! (Don't worry I gave him a lecture) Please do not follow his lead and here is why:

• If you do not RSVP you will not have a seat at a table (Unless someone no-shows) Chances are you will get stuck at the table with the old folks
• Two weeks before the Wedding we are to provide our final count for the Wedding. Final count meaning: total number of guest. That will determine how many mouths we are feeding. So Please, please RSVP!
• Even if you are not planning on attending. That's okay! We understand. We wish you could make it, but we know that not everyone can attend.

2) The Plus 1

This one is a toughy. Here is the proper etiquette to know whether you are aloud to bring a guest to the Wedding: if the Envelope is addressed to 'Mr. David Michael', than only he is invited to the Wedding. However, if the envelope is addressed to 'Mr. David Michael and Guest', than he is welcome bring a guest to the Wedding. That is when we would ask that Mr. Michael write down his guest name on the RSVP card along with his, so they both will have a place setting at the Reception.

If you bring a guest to the wedding, when only you were invited it can sometimes be insulting to the bride and groom. And also, it means the Chef's will have to plan for more meals and the Bride and Groom will have to pay for the additional person at the end of the reception.

3) Timeliness
Don't be late! If a wedding invitation says that the ceremony will begin at 5, be sure to arrive there by 4:45 so as to give yourself time to find a seat and get settled. You wouldn't want to interrupt the processional.

4) Open Bar.
While this is definitely a big plus to have at the reception, it does not mean you should abuse the privilege. No one likes a sloppy drunk. So try to keep your cool while having a great time.


The Most Important Rule: Have Fun!
The most important rule of attending a wedding is to enjoy the day. The bride and groom planned this special day in celebration of a joyous affair and took their guests’ comfort and entertainment into heavy consideration. Be respectful, be polite and be a good guest. 

While there are many other 'rules' about Wedding guest "Do's and Dont's" those were the few that both Tom and myself felt strongly about.  We are anxious to send out our invitations and wish we could have invited many more people. Either way, we love you all and we are so grateful to have you all in our lives.