Wedding Etiquette Wednesday - Guest Etiquette

Welcome to our first blog post. Each Wednesday, there will be a post on a different aspect of a wedding in regards to etiquette. Inspired by Peggy Post, author of Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette: The Definitive Guide to Your Wedding Experience, these posts will be mainly of opinion between different wedding sources and should be taken as such. Many probably do not even realize that there are books on wedding etiquette. Well, here you have it...

 

This week’s post is all about etiquette for guests who are invited to be a part of a wedding celebration. You are probably saying…"wait, I am a guest! I don’t have any responsibilities except to have fun…” I hate to break it to you, but that is not entirely accurate. While a host is obligated to make a guest feel welcome and appreciated, guests have an obligation to display thoughtful behavior and manners to their host(s). Here are some things to think about when you are invited to your next wedding.

• RSVP Immediately – the acronym RSVP comes from the French expression “répondez s’il vous plaît” meaning “please respond.” This is your most important role as a guest because it directly affects the budget of the celebration. The sooner the hosts have the total guest count, the sooner they can commence planning the festivities.

• Do Not Ask to Bring a Guest – If the host was able to accommodate an additional guest, they would have invited one. It is impolite for you to ask if you can bring a date. If the celebration is regarded as an adult only event, you should also not ask or expect to be able to invite children.

• Be on Your Best Behavior – Guests are responsible for acting with decency and civility. Such behavior is exhibited as follows:
  • Do Not talk during the ceremony and place cell phones on silent
  • Do Not move tables or switch place cards
  • Be mindful of paid vendor’s with camera and / or video equipment when using personal or cell phone cameras
  • Unless encouraged to do so, do not take any décor, food, flowers or centerpieces – this costs the host money! 

• Give a gift – Invited guests should send a gift regardless if they are attending or not. An exception can be made if the guest has only received an announcement or if they haven’t seen or spoken to the host in several years.

 

Weddings take a lot of time and money and it’s only expected that there should be some care and attention from all parties involved. Whether it’s hosts, attendants, family members or guests alike.