While I may spend many of my weekends at weddings, it’s actually quite rare that I have the opportunity to attend a wedding as a guest and this weekend just happens to be one of those rare occasions! One of my high school besties is tying the knot on the Cape (that’s Cape Cod to those of you that may not speak “New England”) and I am beyond excited to celebrate with her and my friends from back home and also excited to be a wedding GUEST! I will have to resist the urge that I often get to jump into the role of coordinator but it will be great to just relax and witness the joy of my friends without having to work.
Due to this upcoming wedding weekend, I began thinking about the role of wedding guests and what it means to be a good one and I decided to put together some of my thoughts.
- BE ON TIME! Nothing irks me more as a wedding planner than those guests that show up at 5:59 to a 6:00 PM ceremony right as I’m trying to organize the processional (or even worse they show up at 6:05 PM and give me this confused look that says “oh my gosh has it already started?!”. If the invitation says that the ceremony starts at 6:00 PM then that means just that, it STARTS at 6:00 PM. Meaning the processional will be happening at 6:00 PM so you best plan to arrive at least 15-20 minutes before then to find a parking space, sign the guestbook, make your way down the aisle, and get comfy in your seat.
- Please RSVP in a timely manner. Couples put a ton of time and effort into planning a spectacular wedding day and it amazes me how many guests don’t bother to send in the RSVP card. We often need to finalize the guest count several weeks prior to the wedding so that we know exactly how many tables, chairs, linens, centerpieces, etc. that we need and can give accurate numbers to the catering company, rental company, and florist. The couple typically creates a seating chart for their guests and they shouldn’t be worrying about this task 2 days prior to their wedding because they just finished tracking down the 20 guests who didn’t return the RSVP card. Along this note, it should go without saying that a guest should NEVER bring a date unless explicitly invited.
- Keep your behavior (and alcohol intake) in check. A wedding is not a frat party. And therefore many things fall into the category of inappropriate such as taking shots, drinking too much, standing on and jumping off of tables or chairs, long rambling speeches or toasts when you weren’t asked to give one, making out with your date on the dance floor, and so on. I’ve seen far too many scenarios at wedding receptions that I wish I could erase from my mind.
Do you have any thoughts to share on wedding guest etiquette?
Simply Stunning Events
Nashville Wedding Planner
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